Role of Nature in the Evolution of the Modern Cities

3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
My thesis aims to research ; the importance of nature to an urbanite life the fast gait yet numbingly everyday life in this concrete jungle. There is no 1 definition to the relationship of adult male & A ; nature in the urban context of a metropolis and requires a multi-fold geographic expedition to get at any decision. My geographic expedition begins with a survey of the history and development of urban landscape vs. natural landscape in metropoliss. Followed by, research on the effectivity of bing agreements of the green alleviation pockets found in the metropolis and their relationship with urbanism in the metropolis. This forms the footing of research for future propositions made by critics and professionals, taking to any remarks that can be made on the relevancy of betterment and changes of the urban morphology. Through this layered researched, I aim to better understand the urban morphology in visible radiation of integrating of natural alleviation infinites into the urban landscape and its impact on the urbanites and their societal behaviors.
3.1 Role of Nature in the Development of the Modern Cities

In the modern epoch of development ( 19Thursdayto 20Thursdaycentury ) , the growing of urbanisation [ 1 ] and the modern metropoliss has been a really rapid procedure. Contrary to the past where human homes have peacefully coexisted with nature [ 2 ] ( Refer to Figure 1 ) , late there has been a alteration of form. The new architectural layout of the human colonies is a web of cold concrete jungles with small concern for the function of nature in the urban landscape.
Modern metropoliss came as an reply to the population growing after the industrial revolution [ 3 ] . Cities grew larger ; became the back bone of the economic system and following the motion of modernism, [ 4 ] came the changes in the life style of urban inhabitants. Exponential growing of building of high – rise edifices, modern places etc. replaced and destroyed the natural landscape, paving manner for more steel and concrete constitutions.
This was the age of ‘man over nature’ [ 5 ] , where urban contrivers [ 6 ] followed the doctrine of generic forms, with no attending to localized environments and natural landscapes. Nature was a ductile entity, carved, flattened, relocated and unnaturally recreated to suit the demands of the built created by adult male. [ 7 ]
Therefore, the construct of green alleviation infinites and the importance of natural landscape is either ; merely non considered, or an reconsideration, treated as sheer ornamentation to the edifices. Leaving the metropoliss, which house the larger Numberss of population [ 8 ] , with nil more than intimations of green infinites ; doing adult male to lose all connexions to his beginnings, i.e. nature, ‘ [ … ] there were few who believed in the importance of nature in a man’s universe, few who would plan with nature’ [ 9 ]
Karachi faired non really different from this general description of modern metropoliss. Furthermore, being the largest gross manufacturer and biggest of the few metropolitan metropoliss of Pakistan, it entertains a high inflow of rural-urban migration. [ 10 ] In order to suit the rampant enlargement in Numberss the metropolis is turning beyond bounds ( Figure 2 ) and destructing environing natural landscape in the procedure. [ 11 ]
These surveies of the context of natural landscape within the urban landscape take me to research of how this current composing of the urban landscape impacts its user.
2.2 Urbanism ; Between the Urbanite and the Urban Landscape
The first text under treatment ‘A Game on the Urban Experience and Limits of Perception’ , [ 12 ]apaper that uses the word drama to ‘ [ … ] interpret the thought of sociableness and sensibility’ , [ 13 ] and foreground the ability of architecture to restrict human perceptual [ 14 ] interaction.
It touches upon assorted subjects under the class of urban infinites of metropoliss, their architecture and their influence on people. The characteristic matching to my peculiar field of survey is the effort to understand how the architectural composing impacts the mundane life of the urban inhabitant. The research proposes usage of, new mapping techniques of Psychogeography [ 15 ] in the homesteader colony of Istanbul ( Pinar Mahalle ) , as they reflect the, ‘ [ … ] Personal paths, finds, psychological distances, and looks [ … ] ’ [ 16 ] of the participant under observation. This brought Forth two chief countries of focal point ; the everyday rhythm of mundane life experiences and the limited ‘multi-sensory perceptual experience in urban experience’ [ 17 ]
Psychogeography, the hit of psychological science and geographics [ 18 ] is used as the method of resuscitating the urban experience of mundane life, in a mode that it arouses a sense of gaiety and consciousness within the participants, i.e. the users of the infinite. This playful enthusiasm gives manner to the, ‘Theory of Drive’ [ 19 ] which tests the geographical bounds restricting perceptual experience. [ 20 ] The dimensions of the boundaries of, ‘ [ … ] societal attractive forces and emotional zones of the urban geography’ [ 21 ] need to be recognized so they may be extended to suit the participants.
One dominant subject that stands out in the paper is the demand for intercession or adaptation of bing urban infinites to make more than merely a ocular experience, ‘Instead of mere vision, or the five classical senses, architecture involves several kingdoms of centripetal experience which interact and fuse into each other.’ [ 22 ] This ability of architecture demands to be explored and integrated in design at the urban degree so within these crowded metropoliss some degree of interaction and familiarity may be developed.
However, if these steps are non taken, people will stay stuck in a rut, detached from one another, losing out on common benefits and compromising on a complete multi -sensory perceptual experience of infinites.
The 2nd short coming of the urban landscape highlighted by this paper is the cold, dead composing of the environment. The design format and layout is everyday, humdrum and lacks any signifier of alleviation infinite, ocular or physical. Therefore, the desperate demand of alteration in the bing format of these metropoliss is made apparent.
Findingss of this paper are restricting in footings of contextual relevancy, nevertheless, twosome of statements discussed supra are non far from the truth of Karachi’s cityscape. Furthermore, the methods employed for research can be carried frontward as portion of primary research techniques [ 23 ] .
The paper besides highlights the function of architectural design and layout of the metropolis as a nucleus participant in the game, specifying the life style of the participants. Baig [ 24 ] , supports this statement by stating ;
‘It is non people entirely who generate the city’s ethos ; instead the inanimate objects, such as the urban landscape, besides contribute towards organizing the urban spirit.’ [ 25 ]
The, ‘urban mizaaj’ ( i.e. urban landscape ) is dependent on the chances of life styles presented to the people by the, ‘inanimate objects’ [ 26 ] around them. The largest per centum of inanimate objects of any metropolis is edifices and their connexions i.e. architecture, thereby under the theory of Architectural Determinism, [ 27 ] built environment becomes the main dictator of societal behaviour and interactions. [ 28 ]
After understanding the impact of the urban landscape on human life style, the following class efforts to research the relationship of the urbanite and the natural landscape ; in order to set up whether some of the spreads of the above discussed relationship can be filled through the add-on of natural landscape.
2.3 Relationship of the Urbanite and Nature
As the modern metropoliss continue to come on towards a tech -savvy [ 29 ] hereafter the modern man’s isolation from nature continues. Our technophilia [ 30 ] and technophobia [ 31 ] , i.e. the love and fright of engineering thrusts us to want such a strong bid over engineering, that it becomes our slave. However, our increasing dependence on the technological promotions has reversed functions, and adult male has become a slave to engineering. Robert Thayer [ 32 ] , states that our love for engineering can be demonstrated by, ‘current residential landscape, dominated by house, private road and garage’ [ 33 ] along the broad roads built to promote the usage and easiness of cars. We so conceal behind a green facade and continue to populate through this heavy technological support system. [ 34 ]
The consequence of this isolation is the happening of the term ‘solastalgia’ ; the hurting experienced when we withdraw from a natural topographic point we love and cherish [ 35 ] .Louv, in his books further argues the demand for interaction between adult male & A ; natural landscape and the effects of deficiency of this interaction. In his first book, ‘ Last Child in the Woods ’ [ 36 ] , he put frontward the disadvantages on the development of kids due to miss of exposure to, ‘Vitamin N’ ( N – Nature ) [ 37 ] , doing a syndrome of ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ [ 38 ] . This is non a medical diagnosing but it is used to make consciousness of the damaging effects of this divide. These theories stemmed many out-of-door category room plans and incorporation of interaction with nature for kids has now become a more popular thought. [ 39 ]
However, the impact of the book had a far more reaching impact than merely the restructuring or new experimental techniques of instruction ; it besides stimulated the nostalgia of many grownups. Adults either reminisced the memories of a different childhood, from that of their kids or related to the symptoms of the disaffection from nature.
He farther supports his statement with simple illustrations such as, “Depressed people who were prescribed day-to-day out-of-door walks improved their tempers compared to patients walking in a promenade. Alzheimer patients exposed to natural light fluctuations experienced less agitation and wandering.” [ 40 ]
The lack that Louv discusses in his plants highlights the importance of ‘Vitamin N’ , to heighten our physical and mental wellness. This construct can now be tied back to the treatment in the old subdivision of relationship between urbanites and the urban landscape. The defects in the urban landscape are holding a damaging consequence on the metropolis inhabitants and can be countered with the integrating of the natural landscape in the cityscape.
Testing this statement farther, the following subdivision entails a survey of the connexions lost between adult male, nature and metropoliss ; if there is a demand to reconnect and how these connexions possibly made?
2.4 Man and Nature within the Urban Landscape
My following text, ‘Design with Nature’ , [ 41 ] begins with a comparing of the metropolis and the countryside and the blunt differences between the two. When exhausted with the over overpowering metropolis one retreats to the soothing state side. However, every bit much as urbanites crave the alleviation found in the countryside they need the metropolis, whether for irresistible impulse of work or to carry through the demand to be portion of the fast gait life, therefore, they are drawn back to it. This reflects the divide in the feelings of adult male, torn between the roads taking to metropolis and countryside, coining the question of the writer of this book,‘It is my probe into a design with nature: the topographic point of nature in a adult male ‘s universe [ … ] ’ [ 42 ]
The writer writes from personal experience of holding grown up in the industrial old ages of Glasgow and foreground the pros and cons of the metropolis vs. the countryside. From the beginning, the book distinguishes the two poles ; nature vs. built, with adult male caught in the center. This brings frontward a really of import field of idea, “ [ … ] if we can make the humane metropolis, instead than the metropolis of bondage to labor, the pick of metropolis or countryside will be between to excellences, each indispensable, each different, both complementary, both life – enhancing, adult male in nature.” [ 43 ] This extract highlights the machinelike, cold character of a metropolis discussed in the first portion of this research and how an flight to the countryside is simply a patch solution. Therefore, it proves the demand of integrating of landscape within the urban context of the metropolis.
Ian L. McHarg [ 44 ] categorizes the metropolis and landscape architecture into multiple chapters, giving a elaborate design methodological analysis of integrating nature in urban planning, its application and its demand for execution ; by exposing the connexions adult male finds within nature. Within these the more outstanding subdivision is of ‘The City ; Process and Form’ [ 45 ] , where the writer explores the relationship of the built environment with nature and how when the two are paired together they do non compromise their possible but instead heighten it. He speaks about how the morphology of human colonies should be moulded along the natural morphology. For illustration, when guidelines for step paces can be defined, there should be regulations against edifice on inundation fields. [ 46 ]
‘We are going a land of great metropoliss. Villages are stationary or withdrawing ; metropoliss are tremendously increasing [ … ] ’ [ 47 ]
Similar to McHarg’s ideas on, ‘city of bondage to labor, the pick of metropolis or countryside’ [ 48 ] , Ebenezer Howard [ 49 ] at the beginning of his book,Garden Cities of To-morrow[ 50 ],negotiations about two magnets, the town and the state but in his analysis he proposed a simple remedy, ‘Human society and the beauty of nature are meant to be enjoyed together, the two magnets must be made one’ [ 51 ] . Therefore, ensuing in the 3rd magnet the ‘Town – Country’ [ 52 ]
Garden Cities of To-morrowgoes on to giving theoretical account programs ( Figure 4 ) and inside informations for a feasible system of town- state that developed with a cardinal park at its bosom. These thoughts and proposals were put away with the purpose to unite the best of both universes, bridging the spread of the rural with the industrial metropolis. [ 53 ]
Critics consider Howard’s proposed system a instead Utopian solution to urban jobs, however, while the programs proposed may non be ideal, the thoughts can still be translated into new derivations.
Bringing the research closer to place, to the metropolis of Karachi, research work refering unfastened green infinites, vicinity Parkss, nature belts etc. is being done.
‘Urban Open Green Spaces are an of import agent lending non merely to the sustainable development of metropoliss but are considered as one of the most critical constituents in keeping and heightening the quality of life particularly of urban communities’ [ 54 ]
Muhammad Mashahid Anwar in his paper, ‘Recreational Opportunities and Services from Ecosystem Services Generated by Public Parks in Megacity Karachi-Pakistan’ [ 55 ] sheds an interesting visible radiation on people’s perceptual experience and positions on the assorted public green infinites of Karachi. Anwar carried out a study, with audiences of two changing income groups and vicinities, Defense Housing Authority and Gulberg Housing town. Consequences showed people’s purpose to utilize green public infinites, their willingness to pay if it ensures a clean good maintained environment and the most popular use of these public Parkss to be, nature grasp, light exercising such as walking and relaxation. The overall study proves people’s cognition about the topic and their concern for it, as bulk recognized its advantages of lower air temperatures, counter to air pollution, aesthetic sweetening, recreational end product etc. [ 56 ]
The above texts study the urban scenes of metropoliss and the function of nature or the deficiency of nature in these metropoliss. Psychogeography aid find boundaries of sociableness of infinites and multi-sensory experience while ‘Design with Nature’ [ 57 ] and ‘Garden Cities of To-morrow’ [ 58 ] high spots the demand of the multi-sensory experience to feed off nature. Therefore, an convergence of these multiple beds can set forth a image of how Karachi’s urban signifier can integrate ‘nature’ intercessions, by redefining the urban landscape composing.