Douglas Olson

Understanding Landscape - From Melancholy to Practice

The value of a landscape can be felt in the melancholy it creates, particularly in landscapes that have undergone profound change. The sadness derived from the realization of what once was, can be personal, communal, or cross cultural, but the awareness of loss and threat focuses our understanding and appreciation of landscapes. The importance of landscape perception, pattern, process, and change is examined. Given past and projected trajectories of landscape change, and using examples from across scales, it is argued that understanding needs to move beyond melancholy and rhetoric, to lead to positive actions. In this respect, the practice of landscape architecture is well positioned to enhance both landscape appreciation as well as to provide enduring designs to improve the future.

About Douglas Olson

Douglas holds a Doctor of Design degree specializing in landscape planning from Harvard University, and a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Manitoba. He has served as an instructor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and is currently an adjunct professor in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape at the University of Calgary. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Landscape and received the CSLA Lifetime achievement award in 2017. For over 25 years as CEO of O2 Planning + Design, Douglas directed the firm’s work in landscape architecture, planning, and urban design. His projects at scales ranging from the region to the plaza, have won multiple awards. He pioneered projects in the field of Geodesign—coupling GIS modelling and visualization with design and planning processes. He is currently the CEO of SAFE Design Operations where he focuses on multi-scale risk assessment and contemporary design that mitigates the risk and fear of crime. Additionally, he writes about the importance of regional landscapes.