Historic Gardens and Society

This beautifully illustrated book points to ways in which a sense of social responsibility can be applied in the preservation and use of historic gardens. It offers diverse international examples of the value of these cultural monuments in tackling current sustainability challenges—ranging from climate change to the contemporary relationship between humankind and nature. The spectrum of types and purposes and uses of these gardens and parks with their diverse range of functional and formal designs derives from the evolution of urban lifestyles and specific needs. Historic gardens have always been places of pleasurable interaction, education and leisurely relaxation. They are also extremely valuable from the point of view of biodiversity, providing benefits in terms of recreation, human well-being, leisure, environmental education and interdependence with the climate. As part of the cultural heritage, historic gardens can act as a stable driving force in the context of contemporary civilisation processes, helping to formulate and implement sustainable goals for action geared towards a humane outlook and lifestyle in our society. For thousands of years, the design, cultivation and preservation of gardens and cultural landscapes as fine arts and as useful arts have been among the most striking expressions of human culture. As vehicles of meaning, historic gardens are important not just aesthetically but also historically, allegorically and symbolically.