Landscapes

Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment” What is a Landscape? a unit of human occupation human design and use of the environment a product of human action a collection of evidence about human (our) character and experiences Three kinds of Landscapes: 1.Ordinary Landscapes 2.Symbolic Landscapes 3.Derelict Landscapes

Ordinary, or Vernacular, landscapes the everyday landscapes that people create in the course of their lives Symbolic landscapes representations of particular values or aspirations that the builders and financiers of those landscapes want to impart to a larger public Derelict landscapes landscapes that have experienced abandonment, misuse, disinvestment, or vandalism

Example of a Symbolic Landscape:

Landscapes as Text: What can be read by these landscapes or what was the architect writing about when he/she designed these?

The Aesthetics of Landscape: A culturally determined standard of beauty and good taste Canadian Aesthetics Sublime: A landscape so impressive that it inspires awe or wonder

Do you ‘like’ these buildings?

How about these? Activity: Go to ‘Google Images’ and type in Weird Buildings or Weird Architecture and see what you see.

The Garden as Landscape: Field Trips: James Gardens Edwards Gardens Allan Gardens High Park

Humans like most animals have some sort of Territoriality when it comes to Landscape. Territoriality: the persistent attachment of individuals or peoples to a specific location or territory – Eg. attachment to the backyard, school yards, parks, coffee shop etc. Sense of place: feelings evoked among people as a result of the experiences and memories that they associate with a place and the symbolism they attach to it – called Topophilia. Eg. Church where you got married, Field where you won a championship etc. Topophilia: the emotions and meanings associated with particular places that have become significant to individuals - ‘love of place’ Discussion: Relate some of your feelings or ideas on the above three terms. Agree/Disagree, Examples, your House/School, when you were a kid, ????

Cognitive Images: what people see in the mind’s eye when they think of a particular place or setting. Sometimes you can simplify or even distort real-world environments. What you think is an easy direction may be difficult for others. What you think is dangerous may be safe to others. Eg. Downtown Toronto. We tend to organize our Cognitive images into several simple elements:

Paths: The channels along which we and others move (e.g., streets, walkways, transit lines, canals) Edges: Barriers that separate one area from another (e.g., shorelines, walls, railroad tracks) Districts: Areas with an identifiable character (physical and/or cultural) that people mentally “enter” and “leave” (e.g., a business district or an ethnic neighborhood) Nodes: Strategic points and foci for travel (e.g., street corners, traffic intersections, city squares) Landmarks: Physical reference points (e.g., distinctive landforms, buildings, monuments)

You could easily create a Cognitive image of Toronto or your ‘area of movement’.

Place Marketing: Economic and cultural globalization has meant that places and regions throughout the world are increasingly seeking to influence the ways in which they are perceived by tourists, businesses, media and consumers. Landscapes are being re-invented, re-created and re- furbished Niagara Falls is a good example of all three! Other examples - Downtown cores, Historical sites, Olympic sites (once the Olympics are over), Waterfronts, old industrial areas etc.

What is going to happen to Ontario Place?

Coded Spaces - The Shopping Mall and The City Plan Landscapes are embedded with meaning, which can be interpreted differently by different people and groups. To interpret and read our environment, however, we need to understand the language in which it is written. We must learn how to recognize the signs and symbols that go into the making of landscape. The practice of writing and reading signs is known as semiotics. side note: think of dress codes - how a jock, rocker, rapper and tree hugger dress - what message are they trying to convey.

The Shopping Mall Malls are “palaces of consumption” designed to send signals to the consumer about style, taste, and self-image - think ‘Yorkdale’ - ‘Eaton’s Center’. Malls try to create the following illusions:  The traditional “main street” of small town North America or European square  Carnivals or open-air markets  Nature - being outside Malls try and give the visitor a sense of ‘tourism illusion’ that there is more than shopping going on. Some malls even have a class structure - eg. Eaton Centre - top floor is upper class - bottom level is low to middle class.

Canada Trust Building - Montreal - the rest are in Toronto

In Canada the shopping mall also takes on a ‘Winter City Concept’ - since going outside can be a challenge in winter in Canadian cities. Try to combine Private and Public space indoors Toronto - Path: Downtown Walkway in Toronto

Note: The building of the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto and its direct connect to the subway and indoor parking removed people (pedestrians) from the surface of Yonge and Dundas. To get the people back outside (especially during the summer) Yonge and Dundas Square was built.

The City Plan A perfect example of a plan and architecture that is rich in messages is the planned capital of Brazil - Brasilia Brasilia was built to convey: A city in the wilderness - interior of Brazil The rich Brazilian history Christianity

Think of the city plans and architecture of: Paris Rome London Ottawa Washington Think of the individual buildings, the street pattern, the squares, the open spaces, the wide streets etc.

Modern and Postmodern Spaces Modernism - Spaces and Buildings to convey economic and scientific progress - through inventions like the telephone, the automobile, the airplane and the skyscraper. Examples of Modern Space: Highways Telephone Poles - overhead wires The American C.B.D.

Postmodernism - Based on Consumption and showing Prosperity. Examples of Postmodern Space: Re-developed waterfronts Re-vitilize downtown shopping Neo-Traditional Suburbs

Spaces based on Globalization Globalization - Economic Interdependence, Mass Consumption Examples of Globalization Film Television Radio Internet Consumption this time means visual, audio and digital consumption - the consumption of experience. Examples: Music - itunes, ipod, download Film - DVD, Blu-Ray, Movies Internet - Social Networks (FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter), YoutTube, Google etc.

Globalization deals with ‘instant communication’ - , twitter, text messaging, gps Discuss the modification of the English language (Syntax) to suit text messaging. Discuss the emergence of Virtual Shopping Discuss the rapid movement from Photocopy to Fax to to Text Messaging Discuss the censorship of the Internet - Quebec’s fear of English, China censoring the Internet during the Olympics Discuss the relevance of the ‘Global Village

To conclude - nothing demonstrates this new landscape of Globalization more than the Restaurant. Especially as Cultural sites. Food, more than ever, is being associated with place. Champagne Feta Cheese Pasta/Pizza Maple Syrup Wines Poutine Ice Wine

Restaurants today stress Ethnic Cuisine - (Canada due to its Immigration is one of the World’s best examples): Thai Food Chinese Food Italian Food Korean Food Portuguese Food Etc. The Restaurants are using Music, Costumes, Decorations and Architecture to give the visitor a Sense of Place when going to eat.

The emergence of the Ethnic Restaurant in Montreal

The End!