ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses urban landscapes and Raumgeschehen interchangeably, with an emphasis sometimes on their spatial dimensions and at other times on their social, cultural, economic, psychological and spiritual stories of human beings creating, shaping and being part of these spaces. A design beginning is the consciously designed first stage of a large-scale landscape design project. It uses the very act of design from the outset, which means the focus is on creating ideas right from the start — first ideas of a landscape that lead to ideas for this landscape. That means that the processes of understanding and idea-finding take place simultaneously, they are mutually dependent, and design ideas arise in their very simultaneity. Given the need for new ideas on how to transform and develop ever more complex and unpredictable urban landscapes into liveable and viable futures, design theories are required that embrace this complexity.
