The forest and the city : the cultural landscape of urban woodland / Cecil C. Konijnendijk.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Konijnendijk, C. C. (Cecil C.)

Contributor:

Martin and Margy Meyerson Accession Fund for the Built Environment Collections.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Urban forestry.

Trees in cities.

Physical Description:

xiii, 245 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

[New York] : Springer, [2008]

Summary:

Amsterdamse Bos, Bois de Boulogne, Epping Forest, Grunewald, Zonienwoud; throughout history, cities in Europe and elsewhere have developed close relationships with nearby woodland areas. In some cases, cities have even developed - and in some cases are promoting - a distinct 'forest identity'. This book introduces the rich heritage of these city forests as cultural landscapes, and shows that cities and forests can be mutually beneficial.

Essential reading for students and researchers interested in urban sustainability and urban forestry, this book also has much wider appeal. For with city forests playing an increasingly important role in local government sustainability programs, it provides an important reference for those involved in urban planning and decision making, public affairs and administration, and even public health.

From providers of livelihoods to healthy recreational environments, and from places of inspiration and learning to a source of conflict, the book presents examples of city forests from around the world. These cases clearly illustrate how the social and cultural development of towns and forests has often gone hand in hand. They also reveal how better understanding of city forests as distinct cultural and social phenomena can help to strengthen synergies both between cities and forests, and between urban society and nature.

Contents:

Brief Biography of Cecil C. Konijnendijk xiii

Culture, Landscape and Forest 2

The Urban Era 4

Cities and Trees 5

Cities and Forests 7

City Forests as Cultural Landscapes, Place and Space 10

The City Forest Defined 13

Contents of This Book 15

2 The Spiritual Forest 19

Ancient Spiritual Links Between Forests and People 19

Forest and Religion 21

Forest and Myths 25

Modern Spirituality 29

Recreating Spiritual Links 32

3 The Forest of Fear 35

Primeval Forest Fear 35

Criminal Forests 38

Nature's Dangers 42

From Fear to Excitement 44

4 The Fruitful Forest 49

Subsistence Forests 49

Appropriation of City Forest Use 52

City Forests and Societal Development 54

The Rise of Municipal Forestry 56

The Fruitful Forest Today 60

5 The Forest of Power 63

From Wooded Commons to Elitist Prestige 64

Military Forests 68

City Forests and Democratisation 71

City Forests and City Image 74

City Forests and Environmental Justice 78

6 The Great Escape 81

Antidote to the City 81

Recreate and Enjoy 83

Window to the World 86

New Ways of Escaping 87

Different People, Different Escapes 90

Escape from City Rule 94

7 A Work of Art 97

City Forests as Inspiration 97

Designed Landscapes 100

Settings for Art 104

Art for Developing Community-Forest Links 106

8 The Wild Side of Town 111

City Forests and Nature Conservation 112

Nature Is in the Eye of the Beholder 117

Searching for the Urban Wilderness 121

Working with Nature 123

9 The Healthy Forest 127

Views on Nature and Health 128

City Forests and Physical Health 131

City Forests and Mental Health and Well-Being 135

Promoting the Healthy Forest 138

10 The Forest of Learning 143

City Forests as Testing Grounds 143

International Inspiration 147

Demonstrating Forestry to the Public 149

City Forests, Nature Education and Children 153

Tomorrow's Forest of Learning 157

11 The Social Forest 161

From Wooded Commons to Forests for All 161

Social Forests for Mass Use 165

City Forests as Social Stages 168

Social Forests and Place Making 170

Building Community Identity 172

12 A Forest of Conflict 177

Urban Development Conflicts 178

Conflicts over Forest Management 181

Recreation Conflicts 182

Other Conflicts 185

Managing the Forest of Conflict 186

13 A Forest for the Future 189

Challenges in an Urban Era 190

Developing Attractive Urban Landscapes 192

Building Communities 198

Maintaining the Links with Nature 202

Literature 207.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-231) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Martin and Margy Meyerson Accession Fund for the Built Environment Collections.

ISBN:

9781402083709

140208370X

OCLC:

226281078