This atlas is the result of a self-funded four-year research project based in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). The project was conceived and directed by Richard Weller who is the Martin and Margy Meyerson Chair of Urbanism and Chair of the Department of landscape architecture at UPenn. The coauthors of the Atlas are Claire Hoch and Chieh Huang both recent graduates from the Department of Landscape Architecture at UPenn, now practicing landscape architecture in Australia and the United States.
The initial scoping of the research question was conducted by Dr. Tatum Hands and formative analysis was conducted by Mathew Wiener. The mapping and related research were almost entirely accomplished by Claire Hoch and Chieh Huang who have been with the project throughout. The mapping and research pertaining to the Hotspot Cities section was conducted by Nanxi Dong, Zuzanna Drozdz with assistance from Rong Cong and Joshua Ketchum.
Shuo Yan helped research some of the world maps and some minor graphic preparation was contributed by Yang Zhang and Guangsi Lin. Mike Biros, Krista Reimer and Katie Black served as occasional research associates to the project.
We are grateful to all the researchers, institutions, foundations, NGOs, and governments who make their mapping and related data freely available and we have made every effort to accurately and comprehensively credit the sources from which we have constructed the maps, images, and data in this atlas.
The authors particularly wish to thank Tatum Hands, Joey Hays, Judith Tschirgi, Steve Hoch, Kang-Hsiao Huang, Lin-Huei Wang, Yi-Nung Lin and Chia-Hsing Pi for their support and encouragement.
We also wish to thank Renhui (Robert) Zhao for contributing his artwork 'Guide to the Flora and Fauna of the World'.
This website was designed and constructed by the visual artist and Administrative and Academic Coordinator in the Department of Landscape Architecture at UPenn, Darcy Van Buskirk.
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This Atlas is dedicated to Ian L. McHarg (1920-2001), former Chairman of the Department of Landscape Architecture at UPenn.