Preface

The purpose of this book is to reveal of the landscape planning and design in recent years. For this purpose, chapters were selected on the topics of different landscape architecture study. Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio‐behavioral, and/or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions that will produce the desired outcome. The scope of the profession includes: urban design; site planning; town or urban planning; environmental restoration; parks and recreation planning; visual resource management; green infrastructure planning and provision; and private estate and residence landscape master planning and design ‐ all at varying scales of design, planning and management. Landscape planning is the key planning instrument for nature conservation and landscape management. Apart from the landscape plans at the local level, i.e. municipal level, there are landscape structure plans (Landschaftsrahmenplane) at the district or planning region level (Regierungsbezirk, Landkreis, Planungsregion) and the regional landscape programme (Landschaftsprogramm) for an entire regional state (Land). The local landscape plans (Artliche Landschaftsplane) are based on the specifications contained in the regional landscape programme and the landscape structure plans. At all levels landscape planning makes an important long‐term contribution to the conservation of natural resources. It not only addresses the narrower areas of particularly valuable protected sites, but also devises strategies for full‐coverage, sustainable conservation and the long‐term development of nature and landscapes.

This book is for landscape architects and other planning professions. Theoretical foundations, theories, methods, and applications will be essential parts of this reference book. In addition, this book addresses several very different subjects of study; landscape management, biodiversity, landscape restoration, landscape design, and urban design related to theory, practice and the results will be covered. Due to the varied usage of the term Planning/Landscape Planning, the intended readership for this book is a broad audience including environmentalists, landscape architects, architects, environmentalists, botanists, urban and regional planners, government agencies, non‐governmental organizations, agricultural organizations, students at all levels, research organizations, international organizations and all interested parties.

I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude and indebtedness to all the authors for their valuable contributions and also to the researchers who actually performed experiments and reported their findings. I must confess that it had been a rare privilege for me to be associated with InTech publishers. Thanks is the least word to offer to Ms. Marina Jozipovic, Ms. Sasa Leporic and Mr. Metin Ertufan, Intech Publishing Process Managers, yet I shall avail this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude for their help and co‐operation at various phases of book publication. Last but not least I express my sincere thanks and affection to my wife Ayten Özyavuz and my daughter Ayza Özyavuz for their patience and cheerfulness. I hope this book will be beneficial to the scientific world.

> **Assist. Prof. Dr. Murat Özyavuz** Namk Kemal University Faculty of Agriculture Department of Landscape Architecture Tekirdağ, Turkey
