俞孔坚：景观设计不仅仅是美化环境的艺术，更是解决问题的艺术
今日景观：什么使您相信通过景观设计的实践可以改变世界呢？
俞孔坚：“景观设计师是未来的职业”，这句话引自国际景观设计师联盟主席Martha Fajardo，而且这门学问的未来在于其设计和协调自然、文化及精神的媒介（景观）的独特定位，这三者在景观媒介中互相影响，互相交融。但这样的未来只有当我们有所准备时才能够实现。
城市化、全球化、唯物质主义的传播已经给景观设计学专业留下了一个独特的定位，景观设计学要在接下来的几十年中将面对以下三个挑战和机遇。
第一点是地球上人类的生存及可持续发展问题。时下，越来越多的人暴露在平凡的自然灾害、污染、及自然资源匮乏的危险之下，例如：东南亚的海啸大灾难、新奥尔良的“卡特里娜”飓风、中国连年的多起水灾。从目前看来，中国正处在重新塑造乡村及城市景观体系的时期：全国上下几乎每条大河都建起了水坝；未来的20年，中国的13亿人口将有65%成为城市居民（现在为40%左右）；在大约660个城市中，已有三分之二的城市面临缺水的困境；城市及郊区的所有河流几乎都受到了污染。景观设计学就是这样一个学科，它在这样一个最合适的时候，来承担重建人类与土地和谐关系的重任。
第二点是保护及再现文化身份的问题。文化及地域特色在全球化及西化的冲击中消失殆尽，丧失了城市及地域的含义。景观设计学也许是众多物质规划设计学科中最适于承担维护和重新获得民族文化身份和地域特色的专业。之所以这样说，是因为景观设计学与自然系统有本质的关联，景观设计根植于悠久的农耕传统之中，这种传统与当地的自然系统息息相关，并且在数千年的演化中逐渐变得多样化和带有地方特色。从方法论的角度说，景观设计学应强化“道法自然”的精髓，尊重文化遗产及人性。在快速的城市化及全球化进程中、及发展处于强势的情况下，我们应该采取一种“反规划”的途径，打破通常的发展规划模式。
说它“反”，是说在开发规划之前，景观设计师及规划师需要通过判别及设计生态基础设施引导城市的发展，因为生态基础设施是保护生态过程及文化遗产的关键，而文化遗产则是地域文化特色的载体。
第三点是保护及重建我们的精神家园。景观设计学要通过对景观的设计来行使保护及重建这种精神联系的职责。
今日景观：您认为哪些要素是具有效率的景观设计所必不可少的？
俞孔坚：具有效率的的景观是能够解决场地实际问题的经济（也就是生态）的方案。景观是一种媒介，通过这个媒介，很多自然的，生物的，文化的过程产生并互相作用。因此景观设计不仅仅是一门美化的艺术，更是一门解决问题的艺术。
景观设计学并不是园林艺术，也不应该被看做是从园林艺术这种游乐为目的的艺术直接衍生出来的，而是我们的祖先在艰难的环境中求生存求发展的过程中延续下来的生存的艺术，比如：开辟安全的生存空间来躲避洪水、远离敌人，平整土地来取得生活材料，耕种和灌溉庄稼，蓄水及储存一些能使全家活下来的资源。
今日景观：您认为中国在景观设计方面是否有可喜的进步呢？
俞孔坚：中国的景观设计在过去的几年里获得了很大的进步，尤其是在住宅开发项目，城市新兴开发区，以及科技园区和办公园区的设计中所取得的进步更为显著。然而，我们还是有很大的发展空间，包括树立环境意识以及营造具有文化特色的当代中国景观。
今日景观：您对那些在景观设计领域或者说对社会有些作为的年轻设计师有哪些建议呢？
俞孔坚：有三点建议。首先，要对土地有热情和激情。热爱土地然后才能投身于这个职业，这是成为一名成功景观设计师的持久动力。
第二，一定要有大视野。城市化、全球化、唯物质主义的传播将置景观设计学于一个独特的地位，来面对和解决未来几十年的重要问题，这是一个大的背景。成功的景观设计师必须要有社会责任感，在中国这一点就更为重要。
第三，在有了上述大视野的基础上，还要有脚踏实地的态度。尽量积累人及土地的知识，游走于田野、山林、村庄及城市，学习当地人在各种各样的环境中是如何处理土地及水的关系从而获得持续的生存的，这比大学里的课程要重要得多。
今日景观：在接下来的三年里，您认为中国的景观设计师的发展方向是怎样的？
俞孔坚：中国的景观设计专业正在面临一个十字路口，也许会有人说是一个新的开端。或许还有人记得半个多世纪以前，一位已经过世的优秀景观设计学教育家Hideo Sasaki曾经评论过，景观设计这门专业正处在一个重要的岔路口。这个路口的一边是通过我们的不遗余力改善人类环境的光明之路，而另一边则导向做些表面美化工作的支路。很不幸，除了很少的案例，全世界尤其是中国的景观设计在过去的几十年里偏向了表面化的美化工作。面对极度危机的环境现状，我们可以在以下几个方面发挥更重要的作用：生物多样性的保护，文化遗产的保护，都市化以及土地利用规划等方面。
在今后的三年内，持续增长但选择性更强的市场对合格的景观设计师的需求将会增加。这也会导致中国景观设计专业院系的大幅增加，促进景观设计教育的快速发展，增加对合格景观设计学教师的需求。
国外有经验的景观设计师、景观设计学教师及年轻的留学生到中国发展，将填补中国国内合格优秀教师的空缺，也会成为未来的一个发展趋势。同时，在接下来的三年里，将是中国景观设计专业设立自己的形象并且定义专业领域的重要时期：我们不是园林艺匠，而是肩负整合人地关系重任的景观设计师，景观设计是生存的艺术，对中国来说必须强调这一点。
今日景观：您现在有多少个正在进行的项目？
俞孔坚：大约有100多个项目，包括区域生态基础设施规划设计、1700公里的大运河遗产廊道的规划研究，包括新城设计、校园、新建居住区、都市广场、公园、河流廊道、海滩、滨水设计等等。
"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.
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