ABSTRACT
How does the meaning of a designed landscape affect the approach to criticism? Do all sites have meaning? Chapter 6 focuses on theories of meaning, and how sites can be “read” as part of the practice of criticism, including the theory of semiotics. Concepts of meaning also imply a positionality – whose meaning is it? This chapter therefore also examines the politics of meaning, and offers further potential perspectives for critique. Feminism and queer theory are positions that consider bias and exclusion within designed landscapes. They also challenge and test some taken-for-grant sets of norms, such as CPTED, and offer insightful platforms for criticising the profession of landscape architecture.
