Designing America’s Waste Landscapes, by Mira Engler (The John Hopkins University Press 2004), examines dumps, landfills and other by-products of consumption.
One of the most visible consequences of our society’s breakneck level of production and consumption is the increasing amount of land designated as landfill and other waste disposal and processing sites. Often located in marginal areas or adjacent to politically and economically dispossessed communities, these places are usually ignored by mainstream society, as is the garbage that fills them. Even with the greater awareness of the problems of waste disposal inspired by recycling programs and anti-littering ads, we would much rather take the garbage out than think about where it’s going.
In Designing America’s Waste Landscapes, landscape architect and scholar Mira Engler takes a close look at the landfills, recycling and waste transfer centers, and sewage treatment plants that accommodate and redistribute the by-products of consumption. For Engler, waste is not only a pervasive, essential, and constructive process of civilization; it is a key element in the way we consider, order, and shape our landscape. Yet the overwhelmingly negative, defensive perceptions we have of these places – and their marginalization within public debate – limits our ability to respond creatively and effectively to the growing problem of waste disposal.
– Mira Engler, Designing Americas Waste Landscapes (The John Hopkins University Press, 2004), excerpt from the book description
The text is in English. The book is richly illustrated with black-and-white photographs and other visual material.
Our copy is in good condition. The pages are clean; no markings except for the previous owner’s stamped tag on the first flyleaf. The pages are a bit toned. The binding is fine. The dust jacket has some minor edge wear and signs of shelf wear and use.
