Science-Based Landscape Planning in Urban Watersheds - Urban Watersheds: Geology, Contamination, and Sustainable Development - page 496

capital expenditure, which is especially critical given the current fiscal conditions of many
communities.
Moreover, the development of in-house environmental ordinances is no guarantee of
their satisfactory performance. Many communities use attorneys and urban planners to
develop their own ordinances, yet these professionals have little or no training in environ-
mental science. In Michigan, there have been numerous indications of substantial envi-
ronmental damage resulting from the improper application of environmental ordinances
(Kaufman and Marsh 1997; Kaufman 2000).
Including environmental scientists during the review process is another logical way
to narrow the science-policy gap. Kaufman (1995) found that communities with more
“green staff” exhibited a better response to stormwater management. Since any landscape
being considered for development had its origins in geological processes, it makes sense
to include a geologist to help guide the human use of landscapes. Physical geographers,
ecologists, and hydrologists would also provide meaningful input to the land planning
process.
15.3 Science-Based Landscape Planning
Science-based landscape planning is defined as “understanding the physical processes
inherent to a natural landscape's formation and its long-term sustainability, and trans-
forming selected components of these processes into planning principles and actions to
preserve or enhance the cultural landscape.” Natural landscapes are formed by the inter-
actions within and between the physical systems comprising the four spheres of the geo-
sphere: atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere (e.g., the runoff system of
the hydrosphere eroding soil and rock of the lithosphere). These types of landscapes are
not planar or confined to the surface, but also contain the land below and the atmosphere
above contributing to their formation and change. A cultural landscape is the product of
human interaction with the natural landscape, with culture acting as the agent and the
natural area as the medium (Sauer 1963). In effect, this interaction defines a land use sys-
tem, such as urban.
Two primary objectives of science-based landscape planning are (1) to follow a scientific
framework using scientific inquiry and analysis and (2) to produce results that can be
directly incorporated into planning decisions. To accomplish these objectives, the follow-
ing procedural sequence is employed:
• Define how a specific landscape forms and changes.
• Specify how it is spatially structured.
• Analyze the flows of matter and energy into and at the site under consideration.
• Identify the factors that stabilize this landscape, and how human activity can
destabilize it.
• Implement the human activities in a way (e.g., the spatial arrangement of land
uses and structures) that does not exceed the capability of the landscape to sustain
itself. For example, on some landscapes, the clustering of buildings is preferable;
on others, nothing should be constructed.