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Cultural Landscapes and Heritage by Elizabeth Brabec

Agriculture, Ecosystems …, Jan 1, 2009

Understanding culture and its attitudes and values towards space, place and nature is a critical ... more Understanding culture and its attitudes and values towards space, place and nature is a critical aspect in determining appropriate approaches to a wide variety of planning actions. Actions such as gaining support for protected areas, designing new developments, and integrating ...

Landscape Journal, Jan 1, 2007

Abstract Home to the Gullah people, the Sea Islands in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georg... more Abstract Home to the Gullah people, the Sea Islands in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia contain a culturally and ecologically distinct landscape. Descendents of plantation slaves brought to the United States between 1640 and 1850, the Gullah ...

Abstract Although much has been written about slave life in the antebellum south, comparatively l... more Abstract Although much has been written about slave life in the antebellum south, comparatively little is understood about the physical setting of slave communities and their day-to-day life. Due to the lack of written documentation and few sketches, paintings or ...

Multiple Landscape. Merging Past and Present in …, Jan 1, 2004

In the cultural 'melting pot' of a world economy, traditional, culturally-defined landscapes are ... more In the cultural 'melting pot' of a world economy, traditional, culturally-defined landscapes are being modified under a myriad of international influences. In this context, it is often difficult to identify the landscape and design forms that are key to maintaining local identity and a sense of place. Identifying these forms is critical in the planning process, as local planners and decision-makers attempt to integrate new, globally-influenced development patterns in local communities and at the same time create spaces and places that will not destroy local values and associations. The landscapes, their vectors, and the changes they engendered, will be used to illuminate the design decisions made as a result of absorbing one culture's norms of land patterning into another.

Elizabeth …, Jan 1, 2001

This report details the remaining remnanats of the formal garden at Middleburg Plantation, one of... more This report details the remaining remnanats of the formal garden at Middleburg Plantation, one of the oldest intact plantation sites in the lowcountry of South Carolina. In private hands, the plantation house grounds are well preserved. The report presents both the historical documents and ...

Elizabeth Brabec, Jan 1, 2002

The report presents a planning strategy for protecting Waterford, an historic community located i... more The report presents a planning strategy for protecting Waterford, an historic community located in Loudoun County, Virginia. The Waterford Historic District, including the village and surrounding farmland, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. In 1986, the National ...

CRM: cultural resources management

Close Document Image Close Document Printer Image Print This Document! Conservation Information N... more Close Document Image Close Document Printer Image Print This Document! Conservation Information Network (BCIN). Author: Brabec, Elizabeth Title Article/Chapter: "Tomorrow's parks and open spaces preservation: strategy ...

Proceedings: …, Jan 1, 1988

Agriculture, Urban Agriculture, Food Security by Elizabeth Brabec

Landscape and Urban Planning, Jan 1, 2002

Fragmentation of agricultural land by urban sprawl affects both the agricultural production capac... more Fragmentation of agricultural land by urban sprawl affects both the agricultural production capacity of the land and its rural scenic quality. In order to assess the resulting fragmentation of the three most common types of agricultural land conservation tools in the United States, this study analyzes the spatial form of three land protection strategies: a purchase of development rights (PDR) program, a clustering program and a transfer of development rights program. By assessing a series of measures of success such as total acreage protected, size of parcels, contiguity and farming status, the study compares the effectiveness of programs that have been in place for approximately 20 years, analyzing the extent to which each program prevents or enhances fragmentation. The analysis shows that although the number of acres protected is an important factor in program success, the amount of protected land remaining in active farming is additionally influenced by any development rights that may remain with the land, the use of a variety of tools to reduce the likelihood of parcel isolation, and the adjacency and contiguity of protected parcels. #

Urban Ecosystems, Jan 1, 2001

Clustering new development, and as a result retaining protected open space, has been a simultaneo... more Clustering new development, and as a result retaining protected open space, has been a simultaneously much touted and much maligned planning tool. Its relative merits as a tool to preserve farmland, open space and rural character have been debated for the past 40 years. To place this debate in context, this study presents a detailed, on the ground analysis of the physical and spatial results of 20 years of the Town of Southampton, New York's cluster ordinance. The analysis finds that although the tool was surprisingly effective in maintaining land in farming, the effects on visual quality were much less successful.

In order to assess the efficacy of the three most common types of agricultural land conservation ... more In order to assess the efficacy of the three most common types of agricultural land conservation in the United States, this study analyzes the spatial and visual quality of a purchase of development rights program and two regulatory programs -cluster and the transfer of development rights. The study compares the effectiveness of programs that have been in place for periods of 6 to 18 years, surveying three different communities in the urban fringe: 1. the transfer of development rights program in Montgomery County, Maryland, in effect since 1981, 2. Riverhead, New York's farmland development rights acquisition program, administered by the County, in effect since 1977, and 3.

Chicago: American Planning …, Jan 1, 1994

Land Planning and Policy by Elizabeth Brabec

There is a pressing need for municipalities and regions to create urban form suited to current as... more There is a pressing need for municipalities and regions to create urban form suited to current as well as future climates, but adaptation planning uptake has been slow. This is particularly unfortunate because patterns of urban form interact with climate change in ways that can reduce, or intensify, the impact of overall global change. Uncertainty regarding the timing and magnitude of climate change is a significant barrier to implementing adaptation planning. Focusing on implementation of adaptation and phasing of policy reduces this barrier. It removes time as a decision marker, instead arguing for an initial comprehensive plan to prevent maladaptive policy choices, implemented incrementally after testing the micro-climate outcomes of previous interventions. Policies begin with no-regrets decisions that reduce the long-term need for more intensive adaptive actions and generate immediate policy benefits, while gradually enabling transformative infrastructure and design responses to increased climate impacts. Global and local indicators assume a larger role in the process, to evaluate when tipping points are in sight. We use case studies from two exemplary municipal plans to demonstrate this method’s usefulness. While framed for urban planning, the approach is applicable to natural resource managers and others who must plan with uncertainty.

Landscape and urban planning, Jan 1, 2005

Debate on the sustainability of human settlements has recently been focused primarily on the urba... more Debate on the sustainability of human settlements has recently been focused primarily on the urban portion of the land use pattern. However, urban areas rely on suburban, rural, and other less densely settled lands for their existence. In order to quantify the impacts of various land patterns on their supporting resources, these exurban lands must be included in any sustainability assessment. This need for a regional view has resulted in a measurement method that enables comparisons of relative sustainability between various regional land use patterns. Existing methods employed to assess urban sustainability are reviewed and compared with the regional characteristic curves method, introduced here, that takes a more holistic regional view. Results from the application of the method are presented, displaying the spatial dimension it brings to the analysis of illustrative primary metrics as well as demonstrating its ability to spatially quantify change in these metrics over time. (E. Brabec). planning profession for more than a decade. During that time, both the terms 'sprawl' and 'sustainability' have become catchwords in the popular media. Although most commentators agree that sprawl is 'unsustainable' as a land pattern that affects the ecological, social, and cultural fabric of communities , there has been debate over the severity of its effects. Some have even argued that polycentricity and sprawl, a low-density development pattern in which land is consumed at a faster rate than can be

Landscape Review, Jan 1, 2004

Abstract Many urban areas, in both developed and developing countries, have been subject to the f... more Abstract Many urban areas, in both developed and developing countries, have been subject to the forces of relatively uncontrolled expansion and sprawl. While the political, social and economic drivers of sprawl may not affect urban areas identically around the world, all ...

Agriculture, Ecosystems …, Jan 1, 2009

Landscape Journal, Jan 1, 2007

Multiple Landscape. Merging Past and Present in …, Jan 1, 2004

Elizabeth …, Jan 1, 2001

Elizabeth Brabec, Jan 1, 2002

CRM: cultural resources management

Proceedings: …, Jan 1, 1988

Landscape and Urban Planning, Jan 1, 2002

Urban Ecosystems, Jan 1, 2001

Chicago: American Planning …, Jan 1, 1994

Landscape and urban planning, Jan 1, 2005

Landscape Review, Jan 1, 2004

... Page 2 of 4 11/12/2010 file://D:\Table Of Contents.html Page 3. The Inverted Compact City of ... more ... Page 2 of 4 11/12/2010 file://D:\Table Of Contents.html Page 3. The Inverted Compact City of Delhi Kumar, Ashok ... Urban Growth and Metropolitan Sprawl: A Case Study of the Bellingham Metropolitan Area Mookherjee, Debnath, Eugene Hoeraf &amp;amp; Michael McAuley ...

... Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Faculty Publication Series. Title. Definin... more ... Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Faculty Publication Series. Title. Defining the pattern of the sustainable urban region. Authors. Elizabeth Brabec, University of Massachusetts - Amherst Geoffrey McD. Lewis, University of Waterloo. Publication Date. January 2002. ...

Scenic America Technical Information Series, Jan 1, 1992

Rural by Design. Planners Press, American Planning …, Jan 1, 1994

Journal of Planning Literature, Jan 1, 2002

primary research interests relate to open space and watershed planning. Her work includes project... more primary research interests relate to open space and watershed planning. Her work includes projects on the economics, funding, and habitat quality of protected areas. PAUL L. RICHARDS is an assistant research scientist in the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan who studies hydrological and geochemical processes of watersheds. His most recent activities have been in understanding the role that land development (especially imperviousness) has on runoff. Paul received his Ph.D. in geoscience from Pennsylvania

Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, Jan 1, 2009

Imperviousness and Land-Use Policy: Toward an Effective Approach to Watershed Planning. [Journal ... more Imperviousness and Land-Use Policy: Toward an Effective Approach to Watershed Planning. [Journal of Hydrologic Engineering 14, 425 (2009)]. Elizabeth A. Brabec, JD. Abstract. Urban impacts to water quality and quantity have ...

Journal of Planning Literature, 2002

Impervious surfaces have for many years been recognized as an indicator of the intensity of the u... more Impervious surfaces have for many years been recognized as an indicator of the intensity of the urban environment and, with the advent of urban sprawl, they have become a key issue in habitat health. In addition to the direct impacts to water quality, impervious surfaces fragment open space and habitat and are therefore a primary land use indicator of both water quality and ecological degradation. This paper develops an understanding of the land use planning implications of the interaction of impervious surfaces, water quality and the spatial form those surfaces take in a watershed. In order to clarify these relationships, the analysis relies on two levels of information: 1) a review of the literature to determine the extent to which the density and placement of impervious surfaces has been found to affect water quality; and 2) modeling three types of residential developments to determine their effects on impervious surface ratios as well as their effect on both habitat fragmentation and water quality.

Applied Energy, Jan 1, 2012

There is a dichotomy in the view of wind farms among members of the public: on one hand, there is... more There is a dichotomy in the view of wind farms among members of the public: on one hand, there is a desire for renewable energy sources, and on the other hand, there is a major concern about the visual impact of wind turbines used for power production. This concern for visual impact is a major factor in the reaction of the public to the development of new wind farms. Our study aims to objectify this influence and to establish the factors that determine how people evaluate these structures. We tested the visual quality of landscapes in which these structures are to be placed, the number of structures and their distance from the viewer, and various characteristics of our respondents. We found that the physical attributes of the landscape and wind turbines influenced the respondents' reactions far more than socio-demographic and attitudinal factors. One of the most important results of our study is the sensitivity of respondents to the placement of wind turbines in landscapes of high aesthetic quality, and, on the other hand, a relatively high level of acceptance of these structures in unattractive landscapes. Wind turbines also receive better acceptance if the number of turbines in a landscape is limited, and if the structures are kept away from observation points, such as settlements, transportation infrastructure and viewpoints. The most important characteristic of the respondents that influenced their evaluation was their attitude to wind power. On the basis of these results, recommendations are presented for placing wind turbines and for protecting the character of the landscape within the planning and policy making processes.

Though often overlooked due to their scale, networks of small sacral Christian architecture in th... more Though often overlooked due to their scale, networks of small sacral Christian architecture in the form of local churches, pilgrimage churches, chapels and small sacral sites, hold a significant importance in rural cultural landscapes in Europe and beyond. The networks are significant in their social stratification, diversity, distribution and abundance across cultural landscapes. The most significant development of networks of small sacral architecture in central and eastern Europe was during the Baroque under Catholicism, although the tradition builds on the marking of sacred sites during earlier periods of history throughout Europe. A case study of the cultural landscapes of sacred sites in Bohemia, Czech Republic, illuminates the social layers that these sites produced, and identifies critical issues of documentation and challenges of interpretation of these networks. Sacred sites in Bohemia form three networks of cultural landscapes that are distinct from each other and only minimally connected: the sacred landscapes of the ruling class connecting family churches, crypts, shrines and hermitages; the networks of pilgrimage sites and routes; and the networks of small sacred sites, chapels and churches that dotted the agricultural landscape. These networks individually and collectively connected nature and culture in both intimate and large scale landscapes. Small sacral sites are often accompanied by monumental single trees or a compositionally organised group of trees to create a sacred composition of nature and culture. They were important landmarks, indicators of place and landscape features of spatial organization for the residents of rural communities. At the other end of the range of scales, the monumental composed landscapes of the ruling class, covering upwards of 30 kilometers in length, connected religious sites (hermitages and pilgrimage chapels), family churches and crypts, and important natural sites, particularly natural water features. This session elaborates on the origin, historical develop [...]

Heritage and Climate Change Outline Report Paleoclimatologist, co-chair of IPCC Working Group I (... more Heritage and Climate Change Outline Report Paleoclimatologist, co-chair of IPCC Working Group I (physical sciences) for the 6th IPCC Assessment cycle Saclay, June 5, 2019 '...how cultural heritage can contribute to climate solutions through risk management, adaptation and resilience strategies, and mitigation, projecting from the past into the future.'

This panel explores the heritage of religious sites in rural landscapes and communities of centra... more This panel explores the heritage of religious sites in rural landscapes and communities of central and eastern Europe, and Morocco. Religious sites and their community networks within the rural landscape are often overlooked as a collective resource. However, they provide overlapping levels of order in the landscape that derive from various social classes and religious traditions. Often these layers of class and spiritual tradition are invisible to those outside of the class/social/cultural group that created it and appear only as isolated remnant icons unrelated to their communities or landscape complexes. However, closer reading of the monuments, sites and landscapes of these areas reveal connected networks of places and routes that define a cultural and nuanced reading of both society and the natural landscape. They are also an important resource, that if interpreted, can be a driver for tourism and economic development. This panel will present experiences from three different regions: Musteata on the fortified churches of Transylvania, Romania; Ziss and Smolik on the place of Jewish sites in the Saharan region of southern Morocco; and Brabec on the sites and sacral architecture of the rural landscape of western Bohemia, Czechia.

Landscape Architecture, 2007

The Waterford Foundation was awarded a grant in FY1991 by the National Endowment for the Arts (N... more The Waterford Foundation was awarded a grant in FY1991 by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) specifically for the purpose of planning and designing walking trails through the Waterford National Historic Landmark. The purpose of the proposed walking trail system is to make the Landmark more accessible to the public and to aid in interpreting the history of the 1,420 - acre landscape which comprises the Landmark.The design (and future development) of the walking paths is one strategy for gaining public support for the preservation of the Landmark. By making the surrounding historic landscape more accessible to the public without destroying the qualities which make Waterford attractive and historically significant, it is hoped that both the residents and visitors will be able to enjoy the Landmark. Developing a trail system is a delicate charge, since nearly all the land within the Landmark is privately owned. For this reason, the trail system has been developed to minimize the impact of visitors on local residents and their property. Implementation of the trail system relies on the voluntary granting of access easements by landowners for public use. There are three major areas of focus which this grant has made possible: the actual lay-out of a proposed trail system throughout the Waterford Landmark, the design and locations of appropriate trail signage, and the legal framework whereby access easements may be obtained with the cooperation of those private property owners adjacent to the proposed trail system

During the past 15 years, the conservation of historic resources has become a mainstay of plannin... more During the past 15 years, the conservation of historic resources has become a mainstay of planning and economic revitalization efforts in the United States. Fueled by historic preservation tax incentives and given increased visibility with the National Main Street Program, conservation efforts have spread from the protection of individual buildings to the protection of entire residential and commercial districts, battlefields and rural areas. However, as the focus of historic preservation has broadened, so too has the effect of conservation efforts broadened to include a wide array of private property rights and municipal budget issues

Landscape Journal, 1992

A section for the review of books is a regular feature 0fLandscape Journal. The opinions and idea... more A section for the review of books is a regular feature 0fLandscape Journal. The opinions and ideas expressed in the reviews are those of the reviewers and do not necessarily depict the views of the Journal's editors or the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture. ...

The United States has long been known as a melting pot of world cultures which, one might assume,... more The United States has long been known as a melting pot of world cultures which, one might assume, would create homogenous cultural landscapes. Yet over the past 350 years, the Gullah Geechee people of the southeastern coast and Sea Islands have created a distinctive landscape. This landscape reflects their cultural milieu resulting from the traditions of their West Afri can heritage coupled with the influence of European plantation owners and the physical ecology and isolation of the region. As a result, Gullah Geechee communities are perhaps the most distinctive Americans of African descent in the United States. 1 This chapter offers insight into the critical relationship between a people, their land and their communities. Further, it presents an analysis of how the cultural heritage of the Gullah Geechee people evolved through interactions with the landscape, local laws and customs, and many social and cultural groups to produce communities that are socially supportive and self-reliant. The land is an inextricable part of their culture and communities. Given the present day threats to their land, and therefore their tangible and intangible cultural heritage, recognition of Gullah Geechee traditional development patterns and leadership from these communities will help to sustain their communities into the future.

A panoramic view east of NortlJ Hadley around tlie tum of the century. Specific Tools for Integra... more A panoramic view east of NortlJ Hadley around tlie tum of the century. Specific Tools for Integrating New Development This section of the design manual contains descriptions of four different planning techniques to help public officials and private developers successfully integrate new construction into traditional townscapes and rural landscapes. Specific "model" by-law language is provided with regard to farmland/open space protection, si gn control, and site plan review. The following pages provide practical advice on harmonizing new development into small New England communities, and contains desi gn guidelines, performance standards, and a descriptive narrative of the innovative planning approaches recommended by the Center for Rural Massachusetts.

Journal of Landscape Architecture, Jan 2, 2014

The last decade has seen the design of numerous infiltration systems along urban streets. With th... more The last decade has seen the design of numerous infiltration systems along urban streets. With the goal of reducing the impact of runoff on urban watersheds, they have largely been functionally designed with little regard to design aesthetics even though aesthetic value is important to public acceptance and increased use. This paper compares three case studies of linear infiltration systems along urban residential streets: one in Hannover-Kronsberg (Germany) and two in High Point, Seattle (USA). The cases develop and apply an expert-based evaluative method for assessing the visual quality of these designed landscapes. The methodology applies qualitative and quantitative measures for four design principles—coherence, variety, legibility, and spaciousness—common to all types of spatial design and some 2-D disciplines. The findings demonstrate that the designed systems have unrealized potential to engage aesthetic values, including the legibility of infiltration's enhanced visibility.

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Dec 9, 2013

There is a pressing need for municipalities and regions to create urban form suited to current as... more There is a pressing need for municipalities and regions to create urban form suited to current as well as future climates, but adaptation planning uptake has been slow. This is particularly unfortunate because patterns of urban form interact with climate change in ways that can reduce, or intensify, the impact of overall global change. Uncertainty regarding the timing and magnitude of climate change is a significant barrier to implementing adaptation planning. Focusing on implementation of adaptation and phasing of policy reduces this barrier. It removes time as a decision marker, instead arguing for an initial comprehensive plan to prevent maladaptive policy choices, implemented incrementally after testing the micro-climate outcomes of previous interventions. Policies begin with no-regrets decisions that reduce the long-term need for more intensive adaptive actions and generate immediate policy benefits, while gradually enabling transformative infrastructure and design responses to increased climate impacts. Global and local indicators assume a larger role in the process, to evaluate when tipping points are in sight. We use case studies from two exemplary municipal plans to demonstrate this method's usefulness. While framed for urban planning, the approach is applicable to natural resource managers and others who must plan with uncertainty.

Acta horticulturae et regiotecturae, May 1, 2019

Though often overlooked due to its scale, small sacral Christian architecture has a significant i... more Though often overlooked due to its scale, small sacral Christian architecture has a significant importance in cultural landscapes in Europe and beyond. It represents a shared international cultural heritage and is significant in its diversity, distribution and abundance across cultural landscapes. The tradition of the artistic depiction of the cross in Christianity dates back to the 4 th century AD. The first monuments in the form of crosses were placed in open landscapes in Scotland in the 7 th century. The most important period for the spread of small sacral architecture of Catholic origin in eastern Europe was during the Baroque, thus most of the preserved small sacral monuments date back to the late 17 th ,18 th and 19 th centuries. They are often accompanied by monumental single trees or a compositionally organised group of trees and create a sacred composition of nature and culture. They have become important landmarks, indicators of place and landscape features of spatial organization, representing a significant historical legacy and cultural heritage for future generations. This article elaborates on the origin, historical development and landscape values of small sacral Christian architecture, as well as their relation to separate natural monuments or natural features that create part of the sacral composition, such as memorial trees growing around them. This article introduces the topic of sacral architecture and its contribution to the character and identity of European cultural landscapes.

Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, Apr 1, 2009

Although much has been written about slave life in the antebellum south, comparatively little is ... more Although much has been written about slave life in the antebellum south, comparatively little is understood about the physical setting of slave communities and their day-today life. Due to the lack of written documentation and few sketches, paintings or other images, the documentation of the physical setting of slave life is more difficult to compile than that of the plantation owners or even indentured servants. By completing a structured analysis of existing documentary evidence for a specific region of the South, the low country of South Carolina, the myths and realities of slave life in this region can be clarified. This paper reviews the methodological approach to analyzing the documentary evidence and presents a representative sample of the results.

Descended from slaves brought to the southeast United States between the early 17 th and mid 19 t... more Descended from slaves brought to the southeast United States between the early 17 th and mid 19 th centuries, the Gullah-Geechee of South Carolina and Georgia in the United States, have developed distinctive, culturally-expressive creole communities. Juxtaposed against their ancestor's plantation slave villages, present-day settlements reveal deliberate creations of community and strong connections to place. The Gullah concept of place and community also includes an understanding of the land as commons that is at odds with the dominant culture in the United States. Under slavery the Gullah lived in rigidly geometric settlements. Although this was the only settlement pattern the slaves had experienced, within the space of two generations after emancipation (post-1865) community forms transitioned to organic, roughly circular settlements based on family relationships. These settlements were held as common land, and over the course of several generations, the communities were owned in common by descendants at times numbering in the hundreds. Given the realities of US property law, this left the Gullah communities vulnerable to takeover by outsiders who capitalized on the weaknesses of the Gullah system of heirs property. This paper looks at the concept of the common in Gullah tradition, and the effect that the legal system has on this cultural practice. While clearing title was one approach widely adopted for community protection, the form and pattern of the Gullah communities remained at odds with zoning and subdivision regulations. Adherence to a zoning and subdivision scheme are both required for the deeds and mortgages necessary for building new homes in the communities, therefore 15 years ago Gullah-specific zoning and subdivision regulations were adopted. The paper will explore the results of these regulations, and their effect on the growth and perpetuation of the Gullah communities and their system of commons.