Book Review: Regenerating Essential Goods and Services in Urban Landscapes

Articles: Book Review: Regenerating Essential Goods and Services in Urban Landscapes

Contributor

Jennifer de Graaf

Topics: Drought and Fire Resilience, Inspired Gardens and Design

Fall 2024

Doug Kent has responded to a gap in the environmental and human health discussion in his new book, Regenerating Essential Goods and Services in Urban Landscapes. Rather than keeping environmental concerns separate from self care and garden design, Kent is mashing them all together and illustrating how interconnected these things are. He gives us 10 chapters, each a nutrient-dense primer on a discrete subject. The chapters cover crafting and textiles, energy, food, landscape materials, public health, self-care, thermal comfort, timber, greywater, and rainwater capture and use. He takes the time to unpack the synergies between how we care for landscapes and what we can derive from them, then prompts further exploration.

The book is formatted in an unusual way that kept this reader engaged. Kent introduces his points in bite-sized, approachable pieces. Each chapter guides you through the many facets surrounding each subject and includes a glossary of terms, further reading, and citations. Instead of lumping such important information at the back of the book in an unwieldy pile, everything you need is pulled together right there where you are.

Even without changing the way I care for my own garden; I came away with a refreshed appreciation of the ways I benefit from my little plot of land. That enhanced appreciation itself is a benefit to mental health. This is one of Kent’s points, that thoughtful stewardship of the land benefits us in obvious physical ways like improving air quality, but also through less quantifiable benefits like improved mental health.

The concepts in this book scale across size of landscape and level of effort. Kent brings suggestions for both small-scale gardens—like what plants to grow to make your own tea—and ideas for whole communities—like landscape-based techniques for energy conservation. As an avid crafter, my favorite parts are those on crafting with plants for activities like natural dyeing, soap making, and textiles. His focus is on the plants involved, with resources for further reading if you want to go deeper into a craft.

I’ve seen Kent speak on firescaping, and it is obvious that he cares deeply about both people and the environment. He makes it clear that we can feel better, be happier, and enjoy the world in more meaningful ways while taking care of landscapes with environmentally sound practices. We can harvest energy, timber, and water. We can also grow our own food and fragrances. He leads us to consider how we design outdoor spaces to foster a sense of security, but also fight pests healthfully without the use of toxins. I’ve never known a book that pulled together the connecting threads between self-care, soil health, and biofuels, not to mention all the rest.

This book is for every student of design, the environment, horticulture, crafting, healing, planning, gardening, eating, and anything else related. I have taught landscape design and related environmental synergies for a while, and as a landscape architect and educator, I was excited to learn new things. It is written in an approachable way with concise entries that are like potato chips—I bet you can’t read just one.

Book Review by Jennifer de Graaf, de Graaf Design Associates

NEXT: Read Doug Kent’s recent article:

Designing for Thermal Comfort & Cooling

Decreasing the amount of solar radiation a landscape receives and stores involves intercepting the sun. Since the hottest time of day is when the sun is high in the sky, intercepting devices must be placed close to a structure or outdoor living areas to be effective. Shading devices—structures and trees—are mostly used on the south and west sides of a building.