Introduction
Humanity changed the role of nature substituting environmental values with material achievements in the atmosphere of modern urbanism. This situation raised the interests of most scientists in natural values and the physical environment. It is necessary to underline the fact that nature restoration for cities development stimulated the development of planning projects throughout the world. The determination of nature’s role in the epoch of urbanization was thoroughly analyzed by McHarg Ian in the work ‘The Place of Nature in the City of Man’ (1964). The author stated the position that economic determinism in the form of main human values of modernity diminishes the role and image of nature in contemporary society; nevertheless, it is the man who should bring nature to the city and maintain the importance and centralization of basic nature environmental values.
Nature and City
According to the article ‘The Place of Nature in the City of Man’, despite modern processes of urbanization leading to rapid environmental changes, still there is a place for nature in the city developed by people. The central task is focused on the understanding of the necessity to reflect natural processes within introduced constituents of these natural processes. The fulfillment of this task by humanity will allow reflecting natural processes in the city through metropolitan form and urban structure; it will result in environmental reflection of the physiological environment in urbanism demonstrating the true art of nature in building design with the expression of meaning and purpose of natural processes.
According to Anthony Blanco, 1999, who analyzed the book ‘The Man Who Brought Nature to the City’, the reconstruction of major world states, such as China and the USA experienced the embodiment of valuable natural elements in the architectural planning of countries’ greatest centers. (Blanco, 1999)
Sticking to major historical sources, one can stress that cities were identified as environments created by people being contrasted to nature. Nevertheless, the analysis and examination of urbanism, its main features, and peculiarities have demonstrated vivid similarities between nature and cities. No city is deprived of flora and fauna is closely incorporated into urbanism. The question under analysis was thoroughly examined during the conference of Atlantic, which was dedicated to the discussion of the role of nature in cities. The main argument of the conference was based on the study of natural elements and their contribution to post-industrial landscapes transformations. It is necessary to stress the point that the conclusion of the conference underlined close interference between national and cultural peculiarities and the role of nature in cities. According to Anne Whiston Spirn, 2006, the shaping of the urban environment closely interacts with the introduction of natural elements. The interpretation of nature ideas through cultural products allows realizing the tense connection between nonhuman processes and human society. (Colten, 2002)
McHarg stressed the necessity to identify the place of nature in the modern city. All the hills, rivers, and beaches are a marvelous treasure of modern humanity; the main responsibility of modern humanity is not to substitute natural values but to be able to combine them with modern urbanism structure. It is necessary to underline the words of David Goddard, 1960, who states that ‘No organism lives without an environment. As all organisms are depletive, no organism can survive in an environment of its exclusive creation’. (McHarg, 1998, p. 28). These words help to define a close connection between man and nature, placing natural values at the center of urbanism. Following the tradition of Western civilization, one should point out the correspondence of man and nature connection to Oriental attitude of total harmony of people in nature. The naturalist tradition supported over the last century stressed the element of unitary in a natural environment where people exist. (McHarg, 1998)
Nevertheless, the adoption of dogmatic and preconceived nature views in designers’ projects raised considerable criticism in the interrelation between the natural environment and material values and standards developed in society. The representation of nature in the urban environment was also analyzed based on modern artistic representation. It should be stressed that modern American and German artists depicted diverse natural elements within urban art installations. The role of nature in the city was illustrated by Ullrich, who concentrated on the visual presentation of natural elements in the building. There are a lot of modern writers who dedicate their works to the embodiment of natural processes in the contemporary world created by man. One should stress the position that such authors as Moses Klein, Raymond Souster, and Lisa Robertson managed to depict urban narratives in harmony with nature. (Atkinson, Campanella, and Clark, 2006)
Several natural scientists investigated the comparison and contrast between natural and artificial environments to outline specific concepts and elements characterizing the place of a man in nature. Nevertheless, this conception raised considerable contradictions in theories introduced by scientists. (Kaika, 2005) The phenomenon of ‘natural environment’ cannot exist in its primary meaning in modern society. It can be explained by the fact that wild nature cannot provide a sufficient physical environment for human existence. The problem is that human beings should adapt nature to human processes without disturbing the dependence between people and natural values. Humanity is considered to be the basis for building a contemporary world evaluating the interaction of environmental and artificial values and their role in society. (Yokohari, and Amati, 2005)
The harmony between man and nature is considered to be centered only in the cemetery. One can only hope to observe an ecosystem in the form of dynamic equilibrium to be a city of man. It should be stressed that the domination of people in natural processes balancing must be directed at providing harmony between human and non-human values. (McHarg, 1998)
Conclusion
The analysis of the work ‘The Place of Nature in the City of Man’ by McHarg underlines the importance of placing nature at the center of human urban life. It is necessary to stress that several scientists raised the problem of division between man and nature. The process of adaptation of the natural wild world to human processes is considered to be of great importance. (Crowhurst, 1991) The position of analyzing economic determinism as the main form of human values of modernity is focused on diminishing the role and image of nature in contemporary society. The review of the work ‘The Place of Nature in the City of Man’ proved that it is the man who should bring nature to the city and maintain the importance and centralization of basic nature environmental values. People are responsible for bringing nature into urbanism using music, poetry, architecture, and art.
References
Atkinson, H., Campanella, T. and Clark, P. 2006. The Place of Nature in the City in Twentieth Century Europe and North America. Web.
Blanco, A. 1999. The Man Who Brought Nature to the City. Web.
Colten, C. 2002. Reintroducing Nature to the City. Wetlands in New Orleans. Forest History Society.
Crowhurst, J. 1991. Dead end, the nature of civilization. J.S. Crowhurst. pp. 212.
Kaika, M. 2005. City of flows: modernity, nature, and the city. Routledge. Pp. 142.
McHarg, I. 1998. Selected Writings: The Place of Nature in the City of Man. Chapter 2.
Yokohari, M. And Amati, M. 2005. Nature in the city, city in the nature: case studies of the restoration of urban nature in Tokyo, Japan and Toronto, Canada. Springer Japan. Vol.1, Landscape and Ecological Engineering. Pp. 53-59.