Landscape for Living

This seminal work essentially defined Modern landscape architecture. Eckbo saw landscape design as a vehicle for social change by breaking down the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living. Throughout Eckbo's career he maintained his vision of the interaction of art and science to create environments that were functional and livable, while maintaining the social, ecological and cultural approach to design.-Print ed.'One of the central figures in modern landscape architecture, Garrett Eckbo (1910-2000) was a major influence in the field during an active career spanning five decades. While most of the early American designers concentrated on the private garden and the corporate landscape, Eckbo's work demonstrated innovative design ideas in a social setting. This engagement with social improvement has stayed with Eckbo throughout his life, distinguishing both his intentions and achievements, from his early work for the Farm Security Administration to his partnerships (including one of the most prominent landscape firms in the world, Eckbo, Dean, Austin, and Williams-EDAW) and his years as chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley.'-Marc Treib