REGIONAL PLANNING CLASSES

American landscape architects have a distinguished record in land planning innovation. The ability to think visually at many different scales has put the landscape architect in a role of pioneer in fields related to mapping and planning.

We are proud that so much of the G.I.S. and remote sensing technology was created by landscape architects in their efforts to map environmental resources for management and confront regional planning issues. Now that same technology is being used to improve the efficiency of industry and defense.

The natural progression will have come full circle, if landscape architects can use this technology in conjunction with government data to provide land planning to help rebuild Bosnia and sustain peace. (Above is a satellite image of Sarajevo.)

The Network is mobilizing a coordinated GIS mapping study of the options available to those who will rebuild Bosnia. A lasting peace must provide resettled populations with tenable land, access to clean water, a means to get their produce and products to markets, as well as defensible borders.

Since regional planning departments have unique strengths and areas of particular expertise, we will encourage each school to view the regional planning problems of Bosnia from a perspective that best suits their specific skills--be it historical, military, ethnic, geographical, industrial, etc. The goal is to produce a growing, dynamic database that can be useful and further expanded upon by those who follow after.

Our goal is immensely ambitious, but the technology and expertise necessary to tackle complex regional planning problems are well within our grasp. In this area American land planners lead the world. It is through real-world problem solving like this that the new generation of land planning professionals will come to understand the power and potential for good their professional skills impart.

We have already begun the task of mapmaking, with the help of a Bosnian design student willing to share his broad experience in the field and wide knowledge of the region's terrain, natural resources and demographic characteristics. And we can rely on the assistance of friends and affiliates in Sarajevo and throughout the relief and diplomatic communities to help provide needed data.

The data generated and lessons learned by students involved in our regional planning study will be combined with those of colleagues from other participating schools, and with the studies produced by our urban design groups.