Design with Nature (Wiley Series in Sustainable Design) (Paperback)

by Ian L. McHarg (Author) "The world is a glorious bounty..." (more)
Key Phrases: urban suitability, space buoy, least social cost, New York, Allegheny Plateau, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
LJ's reviewer boldly contended that this "may well be one of the most important books of the century." Blending philosophy and science, McHarg shows how humans can copy nature's examples to design and build better structures. This 25th anniversary edition includes a new introduction and epilog. This remains "a pleasure to read" (LJ 10/1/69).
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
With a distinct emphasis on human cooperation and biological partnership in design, the author explores the relationship between the built environment and nature to illustrate how both can be used to their full potential without being detrimental or destructive to each other. Provides a combination of scientific insight and constructive design, and shows how to employ what nature offers to the fullest extent without imposing limitations or design constraints to create a balanced and self-renewing environment.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 6, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047111460X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471114604
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #186,857 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Design with nature, not against it, March 15, 1999

By A Customer

I can't believe I am the first to review this book. It was one of the most important books in my library when it first came out over 25 years ago and I still refer to it once a year or so.

Ian McHarg pioneered both a "logical" way to approach human enterprise within the natural world, and the analytic/presentation methodology which is now used by virtually all planners. At least the technicals aspects of the methodology are used; the real struggle to understand the principals behind prioritizing land use is still ongoing.

If you're looking for some clear and easy to understand directions to help get us out of the mess we've made of our world, "Design With Nature" is a good place to start.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ian McHarg's _Design With Nature_, August 2, 2001

By	Ferren MacIntyre (University College Galway, Ireland) - See all my reviews

Recently re-issued in a 25th-anniversary edition, this book has obviously retained its position. Why? Because it is *the* place to begin an environmental impact statement. It should be on the bookshelf, and engraved in the heart and mind, of anyone connected with, or concerned about, planning for the future.

McHarg takes the simple idea of overlay maps--which may contain any type of information--and builds up a procedure for making the difficult trade-offs involved in resolving competing ideas about land use.

No local community should be without a set of McHarg overlays. Any citizen group concerned about the actions of a 'developer' should be able to prepare its own overlay for the town's McHarg base map, showing its assessement of areas that need protection and areas that are suitable for the proposed use. This may not make everyone happy, but it at least guarantees that the issues and specific sites are understood by all, and that specific concerns have been fairly addressed.

Buy this book for your town planner.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential foundation for ecological planning/design, June 24, 1999

By A Customer

This was an important piece in the development of ecological perspective for urban/environmental design and planning proffessions. It is a classic and should be familiar to anyone concerned with environmental issues as they relate to development.