Woods go urban - Landscape Laboratories in Scandinavia

Authors
Roland Gustavsson, Anders Busse Nielsen, Björn Wiström, Allan Gunnarsson, Henrik Sjöman, Hanna Fors, Helena Melqvist, Petra Thorpert, Anders Folkesson, Stefan Darlan Boris, Dana Hladíková, Jan Šesták.

Editors
Anders Busse Nielsen, Lisa Diedrich, Harry Harsema, Catherine Szanto.

Language
English

Hardcover with foil, 17 x 24 cm, 384 pages, full colour
ISBN 978 94 92474 650

-----

Let’s go to the woods
Trees are social beings, just like us humans. Most trees live together in forests, woodlands, or simply woods. We love the woods. We often say to one another, let’s go to the woods. But what if it was the other way around? If the woods came to us, into our cities? This reflection might seem obscure. At a second glance however, it just might be the most logical and right thing to do.

Laboratories in the woods
The urban forest of the future is growing in Sweden. More than thirty years ago, three landscape laboratories were created here to provide space for experiments with alternative forest development. An approach in which hands-on design is combined with creative management, interactive education and with research and resident participation. An innovative approach. In the urban forest of the future, design and maintenance flow together seamlessly.

Unique insights bundled with practical and academically founded experiences
In the richly illustrated and academically founded book Woods go urban you can read everything there is to know about the design and development of these unique landscape labs. The book presents the ins and outs of the structural elements of the forest and will provide you with solid knowledge about it the meaning of creative management.

In Woods go urban fourteen experienced landscape architects and urban planners share – for the first time – their knowledge and insights on the creation and management of the landscape laboratories in Scandinavia.

Woods Go urban won the Swedish Association of Architects Critics’ Prize award! 

From the jury rapport:

"The book Woods go urban takes a radical approach to the forest in the city. With confidence and research findings from landscape laboratories in the Nordic countries, a number of landscape architects give greenery in general, and trees in particular, a more natural place in the city - not just in the forest."

Anders Busse Nielsen, editor and landscape architect: 

"Many books have been written about forests, but this may be the first one authored by landscape architects. Like foresters, we explore forests as stands of trees, and like ecologists, we study them as 'biotopes' and ecosystems.

However, unlike foresters and ecologists, we also examine their spatial, architectural, and experiential dimensions.

Our goal has to bridge different disciplines—connecting urban and rural, designers and practitioners, as well as laypeople and specialists. We hope the book provides valuable insights for various professions and may serve as an inspiration for city regions and entire nations currently striving to translate political goals and planning documents into both new and evolving forest landscapes."

Woods go urban was reviewed in Stadswerk:

'It is exceptional to have such a long coherent research path making the book a veritable treasure chest of lessons and discoveries. In three parts, the book describes the spatial composition, planting and development of forests, the governance of forests by what is called here 'creative management,' and the human-nature relationships that foster 'living laboratories.' [...] The beautiful photographs of the various 'landscape laboratories' show how attention to plant and place can transform an everyday landscape into a special place, without the need for large-scale works of art or architectural additions to the forest.'

We werken aan een herdruk. Meer informatie binnenkort.