Reimagining Design with Nature: Ecological Urbanism in the Century of the City – the case of Moscow

The 21st century is the era when populations of cities will exceed rural communities for the first time in human history. The associated population expansion in developing countries is putting considerable strain on ecological and natural resources. In this essay, the author looks at techniques from Design with Nature, Ian McHarg’s masterwork, reimagined in the 21st century and combined with the use of artistic interpretation of visual and cultural landscapes in the case of major new developments in Moscow, the rapidly expanding capital city of the Russian Federation and draws conclusions about the validity of McHarg’s techniques 50 years after the original publication of Design with Nature