This volume looks at twenty-three remarkable examples of designed open spaces–found throughout the United State, Europe, Asia and the Middle East–that portray the surge of creative activity in contemporary landscape design. The projects range from innovative reinterpretations of the traditional town square to large parks, often built on ground reclaimed from obsolescence or degradation as cities remake and redefine their outdoor spaces. An essay by Peter Reed, Curator, Department of Architecture and Design, examines the many approaches taken by today's architects and landscape architects as they explore the relationship between the artifice and nature in designs that resonate with a postindustrial landscape.