Towards a politically avant-gardist criticism in landscape architecture

This thesis proposes the development of a politically avant -gardist criticism of landscape architecture as a starting point to a politically avant -gardist practice of landscape architecture. The thesis examines major texts on the avant -garde from the fine arts. Two distinct meanings of avant -garde are traced. The first indicates an artist or artwork that calls attention to particular political structures and works for change. The second refers to an artist or artwork that is "new in its field ". The judgment of newness is often based on stylistic issues. There is no current critical approach based on a political avant -garde in landscape architectural discourse. In landscape architecture, avant -garde is most often used as a stylistic label, meaning "new in the field ". When it is used in critical or theoretical work, the political issues surrounding projects or ideas are not addressed or are referred to in broad terms. A case study reveals that important information is lost when this definition of avant -garde is employed. A second case study reveals that a political approach to criticism of public space exists in the fine arts and that this approach can shed light on a potential approach within landscape architecture. The proposed critical methodology is outlined and tested in a final case study that examines one particular urban space. This case study reveals a set of complex political issues related to the design and management of public space