ABSTRACT
Chapter 7, The mesh and the matrix, further explores “extended urbanisation” in relation to the increasing role of infrastructural design and its growing presence in the landscape. This chapter differentiates between the sociotechnical mesh and the socioecological matrix to explore comparative distinctions evaluated through the operative terms of flow, traction, anchoring, flexibility, and integration. The examples of the Ecological Energy Network in the Netherlands, the Allianz Arena in Berlin, TGV Station in Avignon, Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Easter Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier in Zeeland, and Room for the River in Nijmegen highlight how landscape architects can elevate infrastructural design beyond concerns for utilitarian efficiency, to engage social and ecological dimensions with the capacity to generate imaginative effects, while working to enhance the quality of the landscape.
