俞孔堅：景觀設計不僅僅是美化環境的藝術，更是解決問題的藝術

　　俞孔堅，博士，北京大學景觀設計學研究院院長，北京土人景觀與建筑規劃設計研究院院長兼首席設計師，?1995年獲哈佛大學設計學博士。土人設計是多個國際獎項的獲得者，有200多名職業設計師，是中國最早、規模最大的私人設計公司之一。俞博士積極探索實踐，分別于2002、2005及2006年獲得由美國景觀設計師協會頒發的四個ASLA榮譽獎，2002、2005年獲得中國建設部頒發的中國人居環境范例獎，2004年獲得由中國文化部、中國美術家協會主辦的第十屆全國美術作品展金獎，2004年獲得由中央組織部、中央宣傳部、中央統戰部聯合頒發的留學回國人員成就獎。俞博士發表了多達150篇論文及15本專著。俞博士的主要研究包括：景觀設計及城市規劃設計的理論及方法，景觀文化，景觀安全格局及生態基礎設施等。

　　今日景觀：什么使您相信通過景觀設計的實踐可以改變世界呢？?

　　俞孔堅：“景觀設計師是未來的職業”，這句話引自國際景觀設計師聯盟主席Martha?Fajardo，而且這門學問的未來在于其設計和協調自然、文化及精神的媒介（景觀）的獨特定位，這三者在景觀媒介中互相影響，互相交融。但這樣的未來只有當我們有所準備時才能夠實現。

　　城市化、全球化、唯物質主義的傳播已經給景觀設計學專業留下了一個獨特的定位，景觀設計學要在接下來的幾十年中將面對以下三個挑戰和機遇。

　　第一點是地球上人類的生存及可持續發展問題。時下，越來越多的人暴露在平凡的自然災害、污染、及自然資源匱乏的危險之下，例如：東南亞的海嘯大災難、新奧爾良的“卡特里娜”颶風、中國連年的多起水災。從目前看來，中國正處在重新塑造鄉村及城市景觀體系的時期：全國上下幾乎每條大河都建起了水壩；未來的20年，中國的13億人口將有65%成為城市居民（現在為40%左右）；在大約660個城市中，已有三分之二的城市面臨缺水的困境；城市及郊區的所有河流幾乎都受到了污染。景觀設計學就是這樣一個學科，它在這樣一個最合適的時候，來承擔重建人類與土地和諧關系的重任。

　　第二點是保護及再現文化身份的問題。文化及地域特色在全球化及西化的沖擊中消失殆盡，喪失了城市及地域的含義。景觀設計學也許是眾多物質規劃設計學科中最適于承擔維護和重新獲得民族文化身份和地域特色的專業。之所以這樣說，是因為景觀設計學與自然系統有本質的關聯，景觀設計根植于悠久的農耕傳統之中，這種傳統與當地的自然系統息息相關，并且在數千年的演化中逐漸變得多樣化和帶有地方特色。從方法論的角度說，景觀設計學應強化“道法自然”的精髓，尊重文化遺產及人性。在快速的城市化及全球化進程中、及發展處于強勢的情況下，我們應該采取一種“反規劃”的途徑，打破通常的發展規劃模式。

　　說它“反”，是說在開發規劃之前，景觀設計師及規劃師需要通過判別及設計生態基礎設施引導城市的發展，因為生態基礎設施是保護生態過程及文化遺產的關鍵，而文化遺產則是地域文化特色的載體。

　　第三點是保護及重建我們的精神家園。景觀設計學要通過對景觀的設計來行使保護及重建這種精神聯系的職責。

　　今日景觀：您認為哪些要素是具有效率的景觀設計所必不可少的？

　　俞孔堅：具有效率的的景觀是能夠解決場地實際問題的經濟（也就是生態）的方案。景觀是一種媒介，通過這個媒介，很多自然的，生物的，文化的過程產生并互相作用。因此景觀設計不僅僅是一門美化的藝術，更是一門解決問題的藝術。

　　景觀設計學并不是園林藝術，也不應該被看做是從園林藝術這種游樂為目的的藝術直接衍生出來的，而是我們的祖先在艱難的環境中求生存求發展的過程中延續下來的生存的藝術，比如：開辟安全的生存空間來躲避洪水、遠離敵人，平整土地來取得生活材料，耕種和灌溉莊稼，蓄水及儲存一些能使全家活下來的資源。

　　今日景觀：您認為中國在景觀設計方面是否有可喜的進步呢？

　　俞孔堅：中國的景觀設計在過去的幾年里獲得了很大的進步，尤其是在住宅開發項目，城市新興開發區，以及科技園區和辦公園區的設計中所取得的進步更為顯著。然而，我們還是有很大的發展空間，包括樹立環境意識以及營造具有文化特色的當代中國景觀。

　　今日景觀：您對那些在景觀設計領域或者說對社會有些作為的年輕設計師有哪些建議呢？

　　俞孔堅：有三點建議。首先，要對土地有熱情和激情。熱愛土地然后才能投身于這個職業，這是成為一名成功景觀設計師的持久動力。

　　第二，一定要有大視野。城市化、全球化、唯物質主義的傳播將置景觀設計學于一個獨特的地位，來面對和解決未來幾十年的重要問題，這是一個大的背景。成功的景觀設計師必須要有社會責任感，在中國這一點就更為重要。

　　第三，在有了上述大視野的基礎上，還要有腳踏實地的態度。盡量積累人及土地的知識，游走于田野、山林、村莊及城市，學習當地人在各種各樣的環境中是如何處理土地及水的關系從而獲得持續的生存的，這比大學里的課程要重要得多。

　　今日景觀：在接下來的三年里，您認為中國的景觀設計師的發展方向是怎樣的？

　　俞孔堅：中國的景觀設計專業正在面臨一個十字路口，也許會有人說是一個新的開端。或許還有人記得半個多世紀以前，一位已經過世的優秀景觀設計學教育家Hideo?Sasaki曾經評論過，景觀設計這門專業正處在一個重要的岔路口。這個路口的一邊是通過我們的不遺余力改善人類環境的光明之路，而另一邊則導向做些表面美化工作的支路。很不幸，除了很少的案例，全世界尤其是中國的景觀設計在過去的幾十年里偏向了表面化的美化工作。面對極度危機的環境現狀，我們可以在以下幾個方面發揮更重要的作用：生物多樣性的保護，文化遺產的保護，都市化以及土地利用規劃等方面。

　　在今后的三年內，持續增長但選擇性更強的市場對合格的景觀設計師的需求將會增加。這也會導致中國景觀設計專業院系的大幅增加，促進景觀設計教育的快速發展，增加對合格景觀設計學教師的需求。

　　國外有經驗的景觀設計師、景觀設計學教師及年輕的留學生到中國發展，將填補中國國內合格優秀教師的空缺，也會成為未來的一個發展趨勢。同時，在接下來的三年里，將是中國景觀設計專業設立自己的形象并且定義專業領域的重要時期：我們不是園林藝匠，而是肩負整合人地關系重任的景觀設計師，景觀設計是生存的藝術，對中國來說必須強調這一點。

　　今日景觀：您現在有多少個正在進行的項目？

　　俞孔堅：大約有100多個項目，包括區域生態基礎設施規劃設計、1700公里的大運河遺產廊道的規劃研究，包括新城設計、校園、新建居住區、都市廣場、公園、河流廊道、海灘、濱水設計等等。

"Landscape?design?is?much?more?than?the?art?of?making?the?site?Iook?beautiful;?it?is?about?making?senses."

《Landscape Today》2007

Dr?Kongjian?Yu?got?his?Doctor?of?Design?Degree?at?The?Harvard?Graduate?School?of?Design?in?1995.?He?is?also?the?founder?and?dean?of?the?Graduate?School?of?Landscape?Architecture?at?Peking?University,?and?the?founder?and?president?of?Turenscape,?which?is?an?internationally?awarded?firm?with?more?than?200?professionals?and?is?one?of?the?first?and?largest?private?landscape?architecture?firms?in?China.?Dr?Yu?has?practiced?actively?and?has?been?awarded?four?ASLA?Honor?Awards?in?2002?and?2005,?and?2006?respectively?by?the?American?Society?of?Landscape?Architecture.?Dr?Yu?is?also?the?winner?of?the?National?Gold?Medal?of?Fine?Arts?(2004,?the?Cultural?Ministry,?China),?twice?winner?of?the?Human?Habitat?Model?Award?for?designed?projects?(2002,?2005,?the?Construction?Ministry,?China).?In?2004,?he?was?awarded?Oversea?Chinese?Pioneer?Achievement?Medal?by?the?Chinese?central?government?for?my?overall?contribution?to?the?nation.?Dr?Yu?has?published?widely,?including?more?than?150?papers?and?15?books.?His?major?research?interests?include:?the?theory?and?method?of?landscape?architecture?and?urban?planning;?the?cultural?aspect?of?landscape;?landscape?security?patterns?and?ecological?infrastructure.

Ladscape?Today:?What?led?you?to?believe?that?you?could?make?a?difference?through?the?practice?of?landscape?architecture?

Dr?Yu:?"Landscape?architect?is?the?profession?of?the?future",?to?quote?IFLA?president?Martha?Fajarde’s?comment?(2005),?and?the?future?of?the?profession?lies?in?its?unique?positioning?in?dealing with?the?landscape?as?a?medium,?where?the?natural?processes,?cultural?processes?and?the?spiritual?processes?interact,?and?where?all?these?processes?can?be?integrated?harmoniously.?But?this?future?will?be?ours?only?if?are?prepared.

Urbanisatlon,?globalisation?and?the?spread?of?materialism?have?positioned?landscape?architecture?as?a?profession?to?address?three?major?challenges/opportunities?in?the?coming?decades.

The?first?is?about?the?survival?and?sustainability?of?humanity?on?the?earth.?Now?than?ever,?more??and?more?people?are?exposed?to?natural?disasters,?pollution?and?shortage?of?natural?resources,?as?seen?by?the?catastrophes?of?tsunami?in?Southeast?Asia?and?Katrina?in?New?Orleans?and?the?numerous?floods?each?year?in?China.?Currently,?China?is?reshaping?its?rural?and?urban?landscape:?thousands?of?dams?are?built?across?almost?each?of?the?rivers?across?this?country,?65?percent?of?the?1.3?billion?population?will?be?living?in?the?cities?(now?40?percent)in?the?coming?twenty?years,?two?thirds?of?the?660?or?so?cities?are?in?shortage?of?water,?not?a?single?river?in?the?urban?and?suburban?areas?is?not?polluted.?Landscape?architecture?is?the?right?profession,?at?the?right?time?to?rebuild?a?harmonious?relationship?between?land?and?people.

The??second??is?the?protection?and?recreation?of?cultural?identity.?The?losing?of?cultural?and?regional?identity?to?globalisation?and?westernization?has?eroded?the?meanings?of?our?cities?and?places.?Landscape?architecture?is?possibly?the?most?legitimate?profession?among?those?dealing?with?our?physical?environment?to?keep?and?regain?our?cultural?identity.?The?strength?of?landscape?architecture?lies?in?its?intrinsic?association?with?the?natural?systems?and?in?its?root?of?agricultural?tradition?that?are?identical?to?local?natural?systems?and?variegated?in?thousands?years?of?evolution.?Methodologically,?landscape?architecture?should?strengthen?our?legacy?of?"design?with?nature",?with?cultural?heritages?and?people?in?mind.?Noticing?the?fact?that?the?urbanization?and?globalisation?processes?are?so?fast?and?overwhelming,?a?"negative?approach"?should?be?taken?against?the?conventional?development?planning?approach.

By?"negative",?I?mean?landscape?architects?and?planners?should?lead?the?way?of?urban?development?by?identifying?and?designing,?before?development?plan,?an?ecological?infrastructure?that?are?critical?in?safeguarding?the?ecological?processes?and?cultural?heritages,?which?are?the?root?of?cultural?identity.

The?third?is?the?protection?and?recreation?of?our?spiritual?homeland.?Landscape?architecture?should?take?the?role?to?protect?and?rebuild?such?spiritual?connections?through?the?design?of?physical?landscape.

Ladscape?Today:?In?your?opinion,?what?constitutes?an?effective?landscape?design?

Dr?Yu:?An?effective?landscape?design?is?an?economic?(ecological)?approach?to?solve?the?problems?of?the?site.?Landscape?is?a?medium?upon?which?various?natural,?biological?and?cultural?processes?occur?and?interact.?Landscape?design?is?therefore?much?more?than?the?art?of?making?the?site?look?beautiful;?it?is?about?making?senses.

Landscape?architecture?is?not?a?direct?decedent?of?garden?art,?but?a?descendent?of?surviving?skills?of?our?ancestors?who?had?to?survive?and?make?living?through?sitting?in?a?changeable?environment,?making?a?safe?place?away?from?floods,?enemies,?and?making?living?by?leveling?the?land,?planting??and?irrigating?crops,?and?saving?water?and?other?resources?for?sustaining?the?family.

Ladscape?Today:?Do?you?feel?that?China?is?making?good?progress?in?creating?good?landscape?designs?

Dr?Yu:?China?has?made?some?great?progresses?in?landscape?design?in?the?past?few?years,?especially?in?new?residential?developments,?newly?developed?zones?in?cities,?as?well?as?science?and?business?parks.?However,?we?still?have?a?long?way?to?go?in?terms?of?creating?environmentally?sensitive?and?culturally?Chinese?contemporary?landscapes.

Ladscape?Today:?What?advice?would?you?give?to?young?professionals?who?want?to?make?their?contribution?to?landscape?architecture?and?to?the?society?at?large?

Dr?Yu:?I?would?like?to?give?three?a?contribution?to?the?profession?of?landscape?architecture?and??to?the?society?at?large.

First?of?all,?one?must?have?the?passion?for?the?land.?Love?for?the?land?and?then?being?dedicated?to?the??profession,?is?the?sustaining?power?to?become?a?successful?landscape?architect.?

Second,?one?must?have?a?big?picture?in?mind.?Urbanisation,?globalization?and?the?spread?of?materialism?have?positioned?landscape?architecture?as?a?profession?to?address?the?major?challenges/opportunities?in?the?coming?decades?-?this?is?the?big?picture.?And?a?successful?landscape?architect?must?have?the?social?and?environmental?responsibility,?and?this?is?especially?true?in?China.

Thirdly,?with?a?big?picture?in?mind?one?must?act?based?on?the?ground.?Try?to?accumulate?knowledge?about?people?and?their?land.?Travel?through?farms,?mountains?and?villages,?learn?about?what local?people?deal?with?land?and?water?in?order?to?survive?various?environments,?is?no?less?important?than?taking?university?courses.

Ladscape?Today:?What?kind?of?future?do?you?see?for?landscape?architects?in?China?over?the?next 3?years?

Dr?Yu:?The?profession?of?landscape?architect?in?China?is?now?at?the?cross?roads,?or?one?may?say?at?a?new?start.?One?may?remember?that?more?than?half?a?century?ago,?the?past?prominent?educator?of?landscape?architecture?Hideo?Sasaki?commented,?that?the?profession?of?landscape?architecture?stand?at?a?critical?fork?in?the?road.?One?fork?leads?to?a?significant?field?of?endeavour?contributing??to?the?betterment?of?human?environment,?while?the?other?points?to?a?subordinate?field?of?superficial?embellishment.?Unfortunately,?except?for?some?rare?cases,?landscape?architecture?in?the?past?decades?in?the?world?as?a?whole,?and?particular?in?China,?has?been?biased?toward?"a?subordinate?field?of?superficial?embellishment".?We?could?have?taken?more?important?role?in?such?most?pressing?environmental?management,?the?protection?of?biodiversity,?cultural?heritage?protection,?urbanization?and?land?resources?management.?There?are?several?reasons?for?the?weakness?for?landscape?architects?to?get?involved?in,?or?not?being?able?to?take?the?leading?role?in?dealing?with?the?big?environmental?projects?or?associated?policy?making?processes.

In?the?coming?three?years,?the?still?growing?but?more?selective?market?will?require?more?qualified?landscape?architect?professionals.?This?will?lead?to?a?great?demand?for?the?training?programmes?of?landscape?architecture?in?Chinese?universities,?which?will?lead?to?a?dramatic?development?in?the?education?of?this?profession,?and?a?great?demand?for?qualified?landscape?architecture?teachers.

There?will?also?be?a?trend?where?we?will?see?foreign?experienced?landscape?architects?and?landscape?architecture?teachers?and?young?graduates?who?are?educated?abroad?returning?to?China?to?fill?the?shortage?of?qualified?teachers.?Meanwhile,?the?next?three?years?will?be?a?critical?period?for?the?landscape?architecture?profession?in?China?to?build?up?its?profile?and?demonstrate??its?professional?territory?that:?we?are?not?gardeners,?but?landscape?architects?with?a?mission?of?saving?the?land?and?people.

Ladscape?Today:?What?projects?are?you?currently?working?on?

Dr?Yu:?There?are?about?one?hundred?projects?ongoing,?and?they?range?from?regional?ecological?infrastructure,?to?the?heritage?corridor?of?the?Grand?Canal?that?extends?more?than?1,700?kilometres?across?China,?new?towns,?new?urban?centres,?school?campuses,?new?residential?communities,?urban?squares,?parks,?river?corridors,?beaches?and?water?fronts.