From Aesthetics to Algorithms: A Critical Review of Landscape Architecture Principles in the Digital Era

Abstract

In architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture, the need for multidisciplinary and multiscale design approaches, along with sustainability concerns, is leading to increasingly complex and interdisciplinary challenges. These challenges are emerging rapidly due to a combination of social, demographic, economic, technological, and environmental shifts. This situation places significant stress on improving instructional methods to equip the next generation of landscape architects, designers, and urban planners with the knowledge and skills needed to address these challenges. This research report discusses an initiative aimed at enhancing practical training through a research-integrated master-level model workspace that employs a multi-method approach. In recent years, rapid economic growth has accelerated urbanization; however, this often involves constructing many high-rise buildings, which inevitably damages the natural environment. By developing garden landscapes, cities can gradually expand their green spaces, thereby fostering positive environmental development. At the same time, excessive development by chemical and construction enterprises has reduced green areas, leading to increasingly serious harm to the ecological environment. This issue has drawn significant societal attention. Landscape designers should strategically plan various facilities, leveraging the role of landscape design to have a positive impact on project construction and promote sustainable development.