PR-713 Design & Conservation of Historic Landscapes

2 Credits

Designed landscape is all around is in the form of public spaces in cities, parks and private gardens. But gardens and designed open space are the most ephemeral of man's three-dimensional creations, and without care and maintenance, they quickly disappear. We seldom think of these places as "historic", or view them in terms of Historic Preservation. In this class we explore first hand a diverse sampling of some of the most compelling historic public spaces, parks and gardens in New York City and its environs, discussing how they were designed and built, as well as the issues of maintaining and preserving these spaces, the unique challenges of conservation and restoration, and in some cases, their re-use.