Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This master thesis is an independent work within landscape architecture focusing on designing neighbourhoods in relation to the characteristics appreciated by the inhabitants. The study aims to identify design principles for constructing a new neighbourhood concerning increasing social interactions among inhabitants, creating delight, which is perceived by all senses, and applying ecological approaches in the face of challenges for humans, flora, and fauna populations. Therefore, the questions raised with this study are: How to create urban landscapes in order to make their residents feel at home with the highest appreciation of the living environment? How can ecological design approaches be applied to make the neighbourhood more sustainable in the face of societal and environmental challenges? In order to answer the research questions, several methods and approaches are theoretically and analytically reviewed in the categorization of aesthetical, social, and ecological values. The project illustrates how to consider chosen values in the whole design process: from collecting and analysing data to their implementation in a design proposal. As a result, principles for designing an urban landscape in a new neighbourhood are outlined and implemented in a project for the south-eastern districts in Uppsala city, Sweden. This study shows green areas as preferred elements by inhabitants that could support the health of natural systems and cope with societal and environmental challenges.