If a landscape is “what one sees when one looks at his environment as far as the eye can see, except for the points of interests close to the observer” (like defined in the article " Landscape " of Wikipedia), then the city cannot offer landscapes because of the barriers present, for example the walls, and of our proximity with them; one can all the same distinguish a landscape from city according to the preceding definition, that considering (or “read” or “imagined” it thereafter will be seen) since the roofs. The main issue as for the landscape thus holds of its definition: thus, initially we will try (Re) to define the “traditional” landscape and then to apply and specify this definition with urban space.

Definition of the landscape

“What is seen” (R. Brunet)

All agree to say that the landscape is before a a whole " vue": at the same time seen of a space which exists independently of us, such as for example the mountain, and thus likely to be able to be studied in an objective way: altitude, the temperature, the structure interns… but as seen of a space as one perceives, that one feels and that, each one in a different way (“he sees the same things, but with other eyes”, NR. Gogol, Tarass Boulba ). From the moment when the esthetic appreciation returns in account, where one charges space “with significances and emotions” (A.Corbin, the man in the landscape ), the landscape study can be only subjective.

A scientific analysis of the landscape?

This subjectivity calls into question the idea of a scientific analysis of the landscape, before any naturalist, in particular developed in the Russian geographers (in Russia, “is very explained by the extent and the climate”). This not - scientificity of the landscape, Alain Roger opposes it to L `environment: “the landscape does not form part of the environment” ( Court treaty of the landscape ). Indeed, “the environment” is a recent concept, of origin ecological, and justiciable to a scientific treatment; it gathers water, the ground, the air, the vegetation, the reliefs: “it is then equivalent of what, but well wrongly, certain geographers physicists name landscape” (R. Brunet, the words of the geography, Dictionnaire criticizes ) who reduce the latter has his natural base. However, as recalled by Corbin, a landscape is registered, “is inserted”, in an environment.

Landscape and art

For Alain Roger, “any landscape is a product of art” and develops its concept of artialisation, borrowed from Montaigne. The artialisation makes it possible to pass from “degree zero of the landscape”, the country, with the landscape itself; it is “slow, diffuses, complex, often difficult has to reconstitute, but always essential. That is known as for those which are obstinated to preach the idea of a natural beauty. ” It thus gives the example of the mountain medium or the sea for which it should have been awaited the XVIII so that it is regarded as “beautiful”: if a space is not contemplated, not appreciated, its material presence is not enough to make a landscape of it.

An intersensory approach

Up to now we considered the landscape by the vision but it is overall about a “internal feeling”, which Diderot called “rumor of the internal organs”. Indeed, all the directions enter the construction of the landscape, which it is of the touch, the sense of smell, hearing… The sound landscape was in particular studied by the type-setter and Canadian musicologist Raymond Murray Schafer. For him, this landscape is subjected at the same time to discontinuity (it there not basic sound true) and to disjunction between “heard and identified” (difficulty in recognizing, locating, the source of an emitted noise). Whereas formerly it was well supported, today the noise causes the complaint and is connoted negatively, attached to the popular layers, from where the rise of the virtues of silence become paradoxically average of distinction. The landscape study by the means of the sense of smell and the touch very interesting but is much developed.

Urban landscape

For the majority of the population the landscape especially rural, is attached to the countryside, and its particular mode of occupation of the ground and space. The rural ones them do not see landscape inevitably and see of their entourage only one profitability and production equipment (Henri Cueco in `' Theory of the landscape in France'', directed by Alain Roger). One can wonder whether it is precisely not what also occurs for the townsmen who see in the city only their place of life and thus all his constraints. Moreover, concept of landscape renvoit to the idea of nature, vegetation, green but what moreover anthropized than a city?

The urban landscape is a cultural product forms under L influences environment. Of speaking about the urban landscape what is discussed consists the mentality of the men living in an environment and their interpretation of approximately. In the other terms, we can define the urban landscape as a our comprehension of our environment which is formed by traces of the man and his life in nature.

Urban landscape and health

Certain landscapes are for a long time regarded as supporting good a Santé. They are generally landscapes with high Naturalité, far away from the cities. Conversely, the very mineral-bearing urban landscapes are considered bad for health and physical blooming, but certain elements such as the water parts, the green belts, the gardens and Green areas have a value for the Public health which seems voted by plebiscite.

In addition to an air of better quality, the effect visually déstressant of the vegetation and the forms of these spaces could be factors of improvement of health; For example, a study, published in August 2007 shows that in England the urban ones laying out of more than green areas are in better health, except for two categories of urban: those which are richest (alive in suburbs or rural area), and those which are poorest.
- the rich person are not in better health in a context richer in public green areas, probably because they have already their own gardens, and that they can better benefit from the Nature at the time of the holidays.
- Paradoxically, the poor inhabitants of the suburbs are in England in less good health when they " profits " close and more green areas, perhaps - as let it think certain indices - because the green areas of suburbs are of a less quality, less accessible and/or less esthetics (according to the authors of this study, which wonder even if green areas of poor quality would not be bad for health). The green areas of suburbs are often of vast opened spaces, turfed, badly protecteds of the wind and the sun.

Another study, hispano-Norwegian, watch that:

- the natural landscapes have a positive effect on health plus Net that the urban landscapes.

- in the short run, the recovery of the Stress and the Maladie S is better and more rapid that in

urban environment - in the long run, health and the wellbeing improve overall better in the “natural” landscapes than downtown.

Urban landscape in art

The urban landscape, street' S scenes in English, is one of the recurrent themes of the painting American hyperrealist since the years 1970. The principal painters, on the other side of the Atlantic, to have painted the streets, are Richard Estes, Robert Bechtle, John Baeder, Anthony Brunelli… In France, one can note works of Gilles Esnault.

See too

External bonds

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