Landscape architects are entering a new era, one where the term sustainability has broadenedin scope to refer to social and cultural as well as environmental concerns. This livability factor isnow core among the challenges facing today's architects and planners, especially as some countriesundergo rapid urbanization. Balancing aesthetic and sustainable considerations with the needto integrate their designs within a local context, effective designers utilize natural and artificial landscapeelements to create outdoor spaces that respond to a population's physiological as well as psychologicalrequirements. Open Space presents some of the most innovate urban landscape designof recent years with accompanying texts, photos and plans. Includes such stand-out projects asthe incredible rooftop garden of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California, theRiver Manzanares Lineal Park in Madrid, Spain and the Young Circle Arts Park in Hollywood, Florida.