| Traditional landscape design practices are resource intensive and ignore local and regional ecological identity. Demonstrated here is an alternative landscape development method that respects local and regional ecological processes and provides a more interesting and varied landscape that responds to culture and nature in a compatible manner. Naturalistic landscape design and restoration ecology are two ways that this may be carried out. A medium density suburban apartment complex is contrasted with its presently developed state to an alternative scheme that integrates ecological planning and design concepts, and provides implementation methods of stream restoration and ecological landscape design. The landscape plan and design presented here is a model of suburban development that focuses on restoring and creating native plant communities, and is the result of assessing site environmental opportunities and constraints, ecological stormwater management issues, site ecology, and cultural influences and processes. |
