ABSTRACT
The agricultural landscapes around the world that I have sketched in this book are exceptional places where humans, animals and the environment make a unique and understandable statement about living on the land without destroying it. The notion of agricultural landscape or ‘place’ is interpreted quite liberally in the book. Sometimes it is the climate, sometimes the cultivated landscape, and other times it is topography, but all exhibit a strong relationship between people, architecture, climate and landscape that is interesting and compelling. These places and the GIAHS sites are models as to how the modern world must learn to live on the planet and shape buildings and land uses to meet the needs of today without diminishing the opportunity for future generations to shape theirs. Rural design is a new design discipline for rural issues, just as urban design is for urban issues, and they can work independently and together. I hope this book will raise readers’ understanding about the importance of crossing borders and linking urban and rural land uses together to help in creating harmony and abundance for humans, animals and the environment.
