All landscapes are complex systems which are continually changing as a result of relatively simple interactions. This condition of adaption and evolution is called emergence. Related to chaos theory and self-organising systems, emergence highlights the ever changing and developing urban and natural world - and the need to work flexibly within this.

Just as an aborist must understand the development and functions of a tree in order to fully understand his actions in relation to it, so must a landscape architect understand the ecological functions of a specific terrain in order to...