Water Narratives: Exploring the Convergence of the Canal du Midi and Its Coastal Landscape

Considering ‘infrastructures as landscapes’ and ‘landscapes as infrastructures’, this article uses an open framework to reconsider the distinctive water infrastructure of France’s UNESCO-listed heritage Canal du Midi. More specifically, it profiles the Canal’s Mediterranean outlet. Viewed through a landscape architectonic lens, we investigate...

THE CANAL STORY: Canal du Midi – the Living Water Heritage

Canal du Midi, a revolutionary man-made waterway and trading route from the XVII century, is one of the oldest canals of Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since when 1996 (UNESCO, May 12, 2022). The waterway was initially created to strengthen the king’s power and to stimulate the economy, by creating a connection between the...

Ancient salination: A generator for a sustainable development of the salt villages in Danzhou

Like many traditional water systems, salt fields in the coastal region of Danzhou are now facing unprecedented challenges from social development and climate change. In an era of rapid urbanization and tourism development, the project aims to provide a landscape approach that balances historical preservation with the development of local public...

Narrative infrastructure and functional heritage: the renovation of the New Dutch Waterline around Utrecht

The New Dutch Waterline (NDW) was built to defend Holland. It comprised of a system of waterworks for inundating and military elements for troops. This study will focus on the part around Utrecht of the New Dutch Waterline, one which is in urban fringe and faces urbanization.The main research question is whether it is possible to transform the...

Ecotourism: Design a meaningful landscape for ecology and economy

Due to the advancing technology, human activities clearly play an important role in creating landscapes. The Dutch natural landscape has now changed into a cultural landscape under control. This project explores the potential of cultural landscape in terms of boosting the economy by recreation and recovering the ecology. Taking one of the most...

The Power of the Narrative: An exploration of landscape narratives as a design methodology in wild natural landscapes.

Landscape narratives have the potential of being powerful design tools. Designing with narratives may provide new opportunities, shaping conditions for new possibilities and stories. <br/><br/>The project focuses on the gap between the theory of the landscape narratives and the practical application in the field; emphasizing the interconnection...

Reclaiming the Land Water Edges at Kampen