This exhibition creatively and descriptively explores the various qualities and characteristics of the Peri-Rural Landscape (PRL) in order to reach a final visionary landscape and community development plan for a case study area within the Shubenacadie River Valley. I have been comparing and contrasting the Urban and Rural territories through various mediums in order to best juxtapose the Peri-Rural. My multi-medium research at multi-scalar resolutions exhibit these sublime interconnections and create an additional dimension of inquiry and contemplation. These works show various phases of research through design (RTD) to generate knowledge, synthesize data, and create spatial planning and design solutions following the traditional landscape architecture research methodology:

​

          DEFINE - DOCUMENT - ANALYZE - INVENTION - IMPACT

​

             (Steenbergen et al., 2002,2008; Nijhuis & Bobbink, 2012; Swaffield, 2011; Groat & Wang, 2013; Euler, 2014;

                   Irwin, 2015; Lenzholzer et al., 2017; Parker et al., 2017; Nijhuis & de Vries, 2019; Gjoko, 2021; Zielhuis et al.,

                  2022; Swann, 2022).

​

The Peri-Rural Landscape is an understudied landscape typology whose socio-ecological synergism is not understood well. The Peri-Rural Landscape is occupied by rural and agricultural spaces that sit within the rural-urban transect at the margins of the rural spaces. These spaces are an evolving place of rapid change and landscapes more resilient to climate change when compared to the peri-urban and urban. This is because the pressures of urbanization have been prevalent for decades in the these two: the infrastructure and hydro-ecological changes occurring due to urban transition are now well integrated in these communities, often at the expense of the natural-based systems.

​

But Nova Scotia's PRLs have not seen similar impacts from urbanization, thus possessing a relatively higher level of resilience to other landscape typologies, particularly the peri-urban spaces around the HRM and its infrastructural corridors. The future PRL form has a chance to be more sustainable, more resilient, more biodiverse, and more just to the people who live there.

The process of urbanization is important for sustainability - linking the rural to the urban and its diverse flow of ecosystem goods and services is required. Interestingly, the UN SDG's do not provide a means to objectively measure Sustainable Development - the myriad of interdependent factors place rural landscapes within a highly entropic context. Urban expansion is eminent in rural Atlantic Canada; smart-growth, eco-mobility, greenbelts, agro-urbanism, and broadening ecological planning frameworks are pathways to maintaining the important qualities of these Peri-Rural Landscapes.

​

People's conceptions of rural futures are often influenced by urban values and how people inaccurately visualize as well as problematize the rural-urban binary. A place-based approach to policy and economic activity are key to these future territories. What can the future rural, authentic, Atlantic Canada landscape look like? What does rural-urbanism mean for Nova Scotia? What alternative spatial design models can we bring about to our communities?

​

Ultimately, the planning and design of rural communities and their interconnected territories must be human-centered, collaborative, contextual, and adaptable. At the heart of this transformation are socially-constructive relationships- the powerful connections between people, landscape, and living impacted through policy and leadership.​

​