First and foremost, this is a book about New Zealand landscape architecture and urban design, viewed through the lens of Isthmus, an award-winning design studio that for more than twenty-five years has been shaping and reshaping the way we experience our
land and cityscapes. It is also a story about New Zealand, about changing perspectives and attitudes
to the use of land and water, the way we organise our cities, the way we play, live, and work, and the lessons from the past that can influence the way we build new communities. Coast. Country. Neighbourhood. City. presents twenty-five projects, from small playscapes that put children back at the heart of the city right through to large infrastructural works, such as the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway, that have transformed cities by turning them around to face the water. These works are set against a background of contemporary debates about making the new New Zealand, housing and population intensification, urbanisation, and landscape protection. It is hoped that this book will bring these integrated works of landscape, urban design, and architecture to a wider audience. This is a generous, well-crafted, and beautifully photographed book that also explains the process of design through drawing. The twenty-five projects illustrate design ideas, the stories behind them, and the impact that these project have had on their communities. Importantly, Coast. Country. Neighbourhood. City. is the first published compilation of works detailing the output of one New Zealand design studio with a strong record of innovative landscape architecture practice.