The phenomenon of urban sprawl has caused radical changes in the spatial structure of cities and rural areas all around the world. Syria is among the developing countries that have experienced this phenomenon. Some of the resulted processes of urban sprawl like urbanization and counter-urbanization have had a clear impact on the land use and lifestyle in both cities and the countryside of different regions in Syria. This research focuses on the coastal region and the spatial changes that affected the nature of social life, such as the rapid growth of the population, the expansion of cities, and the new developments, which in turn have led to considerable changes in the relationship and scale of the house, garden, and landscape. The research studies the development of the rural housing model in the coastal region and its relation to the surrounding landscape. It tracks three phases of the housing unit’s development and conducts a comparative study on four villages using a questionnaire to evaluate the performance of those units. The results of this research show significant change in the relationship between rural and urban areas resulting from the new residential developments, as well as the relationship of land use and the historic plot structure and that of the garden and the house into the overall character of the landscape.

The master plan has been a critical instrument for shaping the development of cities worldwide. This article delves into the impact of a well-designed master plan on shaping and transforming the structure of a city, while also exploring the various aspects that can be adapted in different contexts and conditions. The article aims to highlight how an effective master plan can drive development, guide urban growth, and offer a comprehensive framework for decision-making. Specifically, this study analyses the Latakia (SY) master plan, which was proposed in 2008, and compares it with the master plans of Barcelona (ES) and Montpellier (FR), two cities with significant experience in master planning. The analysis was conducted using several key criteria, such as general vision, housing policies, urban mobility, and green network. The results showed that urban development strategies in the Latakia master plan were of limited efficiency range compared to the other case studies, as it focused on tourism and economic development rather than providing an approach for sustainable city development. Therefore, this study recommends revising the development strategies of the Latakia master plan and addressing its limitations to improve the city’s structure, increase its sustainability, and quality of life. This article contributes to the existing body of knowledge on master planning by providing a critical evaluation of urban development strategies and offering a roadmap for future master plans.

Szeklerland is a historical-ethnic region located on the eastern border of the Carpathian Basin, in the central region of Romania. In Szeklerland, thanks to its varied topography and a network of small settlements, landscape management is still carried out using traditional methods. Szeklerland is a macro-region rich in natural resources. Among its natural treasures, the mineral water springs with healing properties are of particular importance: around 40 percent of Romania’s mineral water resources are found here. This richness in hydrogeological features is due to the fact that the post-volcanic activities in the young tertiary mountain ranges in the region still produce large quantities of carbon dioxide, which dissolves beneficial minerals from the earth. When dissolved in water, these minerals produce mineral waters that can be used to cure various types of diseases. For centuries, the medicinal properties of the mineral waters of Szeklerland have been regularly used by the local population. In addition to their consumption, small and larger vernacular baths were built in the settlements with medicinal springs, and their regular use led to the development of a traditional, local cold-water bathing culture in the region. However, the vernacular baths were destroyed in the world wars, and their traditional use was abolished by the apparatus of the 20th century communist regime, which had no respect to natural and cultural heritage. After the political change in 1989, the attention of the society turned back to tradition and values. Alongside (or as part of) nature and landscape conservation initiatives, the reinterpretation and restoration of the intangible and practical values of vernacular baths in Szeklerland also began. Over the past decades, the renovation of vernacular baths, which started as a professional–civic initiative, has grown into an independent heritage conservation programme: dozens of vernacular baths have been renovated in Szeklerland over the past twenty years with public participation initiated and led by professionals. In the course of the renovations, baths used by local communities have been rebuilt using nature- and environment-friendly techniques, materials and in a way that they are also related to the physical environment and the mythology of the region. The project has won prestigious awards both in Romania and internationally, and has become a successful and exemplary movement in landscape heritage conservation.

Although some exotic tree species, new to the country at the time, had already been introduced at the turn of the 18th and 19th century in the Hungarian landscape gardens, using foreign tree species in the space composition became widely popular only from the second half of the 19th century. This research focused on determining the date of appearance and compositional role of exotic trees in Hungarian landscape gardens. We can still find aged exotic woody taxa which determine the historical spatial structure in numerous landscape gardens nowadays. The nationwide distribution of these species, and their location within the gardens, can be an important addition to the questions of the revitalization of historical gardens, the more so because they may be indicative of the climate adaptability and, therefore, resilience of built heritage environments. An experimental approach to the introduction and use of new exotic tree species in historic gardens where this approach can be proven to have existed is also discussed as an opportunity to use these gardens in search of new foreign taxa to adapt to climate change.

Individual trees and tree compositions provide a wide range of cultural ecosystem services, including playing a key role in defining urban character. In Hungary, urban landscape protection tools have recently been expanded, bringing the topic into the spotlight. However, the significance of natural elements (and particularly trees) in relation to the urban landscape is still under-researched. In this paper, using a novel methodology, the character-forming significance of trees and tree-compositional elements of historic gardens in Hungary that define the urban character is analysed and evaluated. The urban landscape protection tools that establish the current recognition of green elements within the urban landscape are also analysed. In addition, the spatial situations and characteristics making certain trees in historic gardens defining character elements within Hungarian settlements are studied. Reasons behind the lack of significant tree features in certain historic gardens, as well as the external and internal characteristics of tree elements that determine their visual impact have been categorised. The results reveal that visually important trees, while diverse, show distinct trends in terms of visibility and are subject to constant change. The results imply that a paradigm shift is necessary to maintain, design and regulate green infrastructure in relation to visually important trees.

The aim of this article is to find, scientifically define, and locate the most frequent occurrences of the gardens of Transylvania in the Late Renaissance period (17–18th centuries), and to collect and prepare a comprehensive plant list of these gardens. During our investigation, based on archival and literary sources, as well as field studies carried out, we identified 81 Late Renaissance residency gardens located in Transylvania. We defined the most typical garden types for the region and we delineated the most characteristic ornamental, fruit, and vegetable plants, including fodder plants, used at that time in residential gardens. Meanwhile, the article intends to give a general overview of the first decisive time period in the Carpathian Basin, represented by the Late Renaissance garden art, from a garden and landscape architectural point of view.