Department of Landscape Architecture

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https://hdl.handle.net/1794/10478

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Browsing Department of Landscape Architecture by Title

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    Do Landscape Assessments Need to Account for Environmental Attitudes and Demographics? Scenic Beauty Perceptions of Old-growth and Harvested Forests by Ecotopian Versus Timber Subcultures in the U.S. Pacific Northwest
    (2011-07-30) Ribe, Robert
    ABSTRACT Differences in informed scenic beauty perceptions, among 504 residents of Oregon, USA, were investigated to see how environmental attitudes, demographics, and old-growth versus harvested forests affected them. Scenic differences dominated explanation of perceptual differences. Attitudes accounted for small marginal differences in perceived scenic beauty if they instigated affects due to landscapes’ scenic content. These affects reversed direction with changes in landscape type. Demographic attributes only related to very small differences in perceived beauty if they were strongly correlated with such affective attitudes. These relationships often reversed or became inoperative with coincident changes in landscapes, attitudes, or other demographic traits. Respondents disagreed about ugly more than beautiful landscapes. Forest protection attitudes were associated with younger people, regional newcomers, urban rather than rural residents, more education, and more income. Forest production attitudes were associated with the opposite traits. Differences in scenic beauty perceptions were associated only with respondents’ ages, regional experience and residential locations. It is generally not worthwhile to account for viewers’ traits in landscape assessments except when attitudes contend with the content of ugly scenery.
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    Forecasting Trajectories of Fabricated and Natural Capital: A Political Economic Model of Doomsday, Social-ecological Resilience and Green Innovation
    (2020-04-11) Ribe, Robert
    An instructive graphical macroeconomic theory is recapitulated describing the interaction of private production of commercial services with natural production of ecosystem services. It features investments in maintaining the health of natural capital and analysis of marginal changes in absolute metrics of private and natural capital productivity. Analysis of trade-offs among costs, benefits and wealth production explore macroeconomic trajectories employing sustained yield doctrine, low- impact technologies, green technologies, artificial production of ecosystem services, debt-financed natural capital investments and a more probable scenario. Sustained yield won’t work as a policy or prescriptive framework. Widespread restoration of robust ecosystems is unlikely, but resilient natural capital systems may be possible. Large investments in natural capital restoration and low-impact green technologies are required while retaining reasonable levels of profitability in both the commercial and ecosystem restoration sectors. The role of projected innovation in achieving long-term sustainability and climate stability is projected and unresolved issues identified.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Willamette Heritage Area Speculative Design Guide
    (2011-07-12) Ribe, Robert; Schlachter, Rena
    Potential landscape design projects are outlined and illustrated aimed at providing better public access to Willamette Falls near Portland, Oregon and improving recreational access to waterfront amenities, historic sites, parks and trails in the region around the falls.