Landscape Continuity: Ecology, Power and Social Order in Environmental Planning

The concept of landscape continuity has guided a great deal of contemporary environmental planning. Landscape continuity strategies are often situated as a response either to urban sprawl, or to the need to protect ecological features and functions over vast, connected terrains and multiple jurisdictions. While the concept is rooted in the natural and physical science of landscape ecology, its interpretation and deployment in environmental planning often hinges on the landscape ideals and preferences of those active in planning processes. This research employs discourse analysis to examine the interpretation of landscape continuity along the fringes of Toronto, Canada, and finds a strong current of social injustice flowing through efforts to preserve nature and "legacy landscapes." The research reveals important ways in which the concept of "nature" becomes invested with power through planning.