Landscape palimpsest: Layers of meaning in the Dallas built landscape

摘要

The primary question of this thesis is whether meaning in built landscapes as defined by their designers is transferred to those that use the spaces.;Through the use of Jungian analysis, psychological processes, references to mythologies, and the works of contemporary authors, the literature review documents that psychology, religion, science and chaos theory can be employed to explain a resurgent interest in meaningful landscapes.;Landscape architects are positioned to become leaders in the transference of meaning within modern society with regard to its physical spaces. A qualitative analysis conducted through in-depth interviews with experts in the fields of psychology and mythology, interviews with the designers of specific spaces in Dallas, and on-site questionnaires in selected outdoor, built-spaces in Dallas constitutes the research methodology. The questionnaires include both a semantic differential scale as well as in-depth questions designed to evaluate non-verbal communication from the respondents. In the pre-test survey, the selected sites in Dallas are Pegasus Plaza, Thanksgiving Square, Dealey Plaza, and Fountain Place; an additional site, Williams Square, which is located in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas is also included. The spaces selected for the final comparison ate Williams Square in Irving, Texas and Fountain Place in the Central Business District of Dallas.