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Greenery Design Concepts [AAP, M]

Course developers

Course abstract

A unified urban greenery design has an impact on the image and recognition of the city and helps to arrange and single out various urban functional zones. It is important to create and preserve a uniqueness of the city’s image in the time of fast urbanisation process. Urban greenery, its quality and unity plays an important role in the creation of the image of the city and formation of pleasant living and working space. The study course envisages the design of greenery concept for a definite area focusing on the development of greenery concept, necessary materials

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Knowledge: Students acquire knowledge about the process, stages, and methodology of developing a greenery concept, the regulatory framework, as well as local and international practices. Assessment of acquired knowledge: Practical works /seminars 1, 2, and 6.
Skills: Students are capable of participating in processes involving changes to the structure of greenery in urban environments, evaluating and analyzing the existing greenery structure, and providing proposals for a unified greenery concept. Assessment of acquired skills: Practical works / seminars 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
Competence: Development of a greenery concept independently or in working groups. Assessment of acquired competence: All practical works and the exam.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Lecture. The purpose and objectives of the greenery concept. Its significance in smart landscape planning, preservation, and management. Examples from Latvia – document content, status, and goals. Theoretical basis, methodology, types, and scales of the greenery concept (2h). Practical Work 1: Research and summary of key principles in strategic documents related to green structures and public outdoor space planning (2h).
2. Lecture. Levels of the greenery concept and their linkage with various levels of regulatory documents (2h). Practical Work 2: Development of the content and methodological framework for the greenery concept.
3. Lecture. Regional and city level. Green Infrastructure in urban and rural areas – main principles in the context of greenery concept development. Nodes and connections (2h). Practical Work 3: Analysis of the current situation on a city scale. Study on Latvian and city-level regulatory documents in the context of greenery planning. Research on the historical development of the project area (2h).
4. Study trip. Lecture. Key characteristics, problematic aspects, and opportunities of the project area (4h). Practical Work 4: On-site inspection in groups and area exploration based on the provided assignment (4h).
5. Practical Work 5: Analysis of the existing public greenery network (4h).
6. Lecture. Examples and tools for green infrastructure planning at different scales / in the context of settlements and rural areas. Practical examples (2h). Practical Work 6: Analysis of green infrastructure examples and tools (2h).
7. Lecture. The ecological, economic, and social role of greenery (2h). Defense of Practical Work 6 / Seminar: Analysis of green infrastructure examples and tools (2h).
8. Practical Work 7: Development of the planned public greenery network on a city scale (4h).
9. Lecture. Neighborhood-level planning. Place identity. Site level (2h). Practical Work 8: Delineation of neighborhoods and identification of their key characteristics. Drafting a description for the analysis of the current situation and proposals. Practical Work 9: Site level - zones, development of descriptions, and drafting a basis for analyzing the current situation and proposals (2h).
10. Development of Practical Works 8 and 9 (4h).
11. Practical Work 10: Conceptual solution for neighborhood greenery structure. Detailing planned greenery for site level and development of explanatory materials (4h).
12. Continuation of Practical Work 10: Conceptual solution for neighborhood greenery structure. Detailing planned greenery for site level and development of explanatory materials (4h).
13. Lecture. Stages of implementing the greenery concept (2h). Practical Work 11: Stages of implementing the greenery concept (2h).
14. Continuation of Practical Work 11: Stages of implementing the greenery concept (4h).
15. Lecture. Guidelines for greenery management (2h). Practical Work 12: Development of greenery management guidelines (2h).

16. Defense of Practical Work / Seminar (8h).

Requirements for awarding credit points

The exam work is the successfully defended developed greenery concept. All practical works / seminars must be successfully assessed before the exam. Works submitted after the specified time (unless there is a justifiable reason) will have their grade reduced in accordance with the assessment rules approved by the institute.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Students independently work on the practical works and the exam project, using both scientific and practical literature, as well as field research – area exploration in nature, and cartographic and visual materials.
1st Practical work. Research and summarization of the main principles included in strategic documents related to green structures and public outdoor space planning.
2nd Practical work. Development of the content and methodological framework of the greenery concept.
3rd Practical work. Analysis of the existing situation on a city scale. Research of Latvian and city-scale regulatory documents in the context of greenery planning. Research of the historical development of the territory.
4th Practical work. Territory research. Survey of the object in groups, territory research according to a previously issued task.
5th Practical work. Analysis of the network of existing public green areas.
6th Practical work. Analysis of green infrastructure examples and tools.
7th Practical work. Development of the planned network of public green areas on a city scale
8th Practical work. Identification of neighborhoods and determination of the most characteristic features of each. Development of a descriptive basis for the analysis of the existing situation and proposals.
9th Practical work. Identification of landscape spaces, development of a characterization. Development of a basic description of the current situation for analysis and proposals.
10th Practical work. Development of a conceptual solution for the structure of neighborhood greenery.
11th Practical work. Stages of implementing the concept of greenery.

12th Practical work. Development of guidelines for greenery management.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Practical works and seminars are evaluated according to the assessment procedure set out in the assignment. The exam work must include all sections, with a total length of no less than 50 pages.

Compulsory reading

1. Miles M. Art, Space and the City: Public Art and Urban Futures. London: Routledge, 1997. 161 p.
2. Dramstad W.E., Olson J.D., Forman R.T.T. Landscape Ecology Principles in Landscape Architecture and Land-Use Planning. Washington, 1996. 80 p.
3. Zigmunde D., Ņitavska N. Zaļas pilsētvides plānošana. Rokasgrāmata. Jelgava: Zemgales plānošanas reģions, 2013. 115 lpp.
4. Skujāne D., Ņitavska N., Markova M., Spāģe A., Grīnfelde I. (2022). Teritoriju plānošana un integrēta dabas resursu pārvaldība. Pārrobežu sadarbības programmas 2014-2020 projekts "Sticky Urban Areas", Latvijas Biozinātņu un tehnoloģiju universitāte, Jelgava. 71 lpp. ISBN 978-9984-48-401-3
5. Ņitavska N., Markova M., Spāģe A. Pilsētu veidošana. Rokasgrāmata par degradēto teritoriju revitālizāciju. Pieejams: https://rezekne.lv/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/shaping-cities-manual-lv.pdf

6. Skujāne D., Ņitavska N., Markova M., Spāģe A. (2023) Degradēto teritoriju revitalizācija ilgtspējīgas pilsētvides un sabiedrības attīstības kontekstā: no teorijas līdz praksei. Jelgava: LBTU. 35 lpp.

Further reading

1. Yli-Pelkonen V., Kohl J. The role of local ecological knowledge in sustainable urban planning: perspectives from Finland. Sustainability: Science, Practice & Policy, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2005, p. 3–14.
2. Antrop M. The language of landscape ecologists and planners. A comparative content analysis of concepts used in landscape ecology. Landscape and Urban Planning, No. 55, 2001, p. 163–173.

3. Ainavu izpētes un novērtēšanas pieejas Latvijā: metodoloģisks materiāls ar piemēriem (2023) (red. I.Stokmane, D.Skujāne). Jelgava: LBTU. 198 lpp.

Periodicals and other sources

1. Topos. European Landscape Magazin. Munchen:Callwey. ISBN 3-7667-1593-3
2. Journal of Landscape Architecture (Jola). [tiešsaiste] Online ISSN: 2164-604X. Pieejams: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rjla20
3. Landscape Architecture and Art. [tiešsaistes žurnāls] Online ISSN: 2255-8640. Pieejams: https://journals.llu.lv/laa
4. Byggekunst. The Norwegian review of architecture 3. Garten + Landschaft. Zeitschriff fur Landschaftsarchitektur ISSN: 0016-4720

Notes

Mandatory course in full-time studies of study program "Landscape Architecture and Planning" (Master of Professional Higher Education). The study course is also taught in English.