What is this “nature” that McHarg proposes we design with? 

McHarg’s evolving ecological systems are chiefly geological, hydrological, meteorological, zoological, and botanical. His “nature” is primarily external space at 40,000 feet. 

Understanding this scale of natural systems is undoubtedly critical to addressing global problems like climate change. However, recent developments in biology have opened a window onto internal space– the literal nature of the human landscape at the molecular scale. 

Environmental conditions determine how human genes are expressed. Everything from the food we eat to the landscapes we inhabit are epigenetic factors that shape which of our genes are activated to give us unique physical and psychological characteristics. Epigenetic change can take place over a life span and can even influence future generations. It can also shape the progression of diseases like cancer, and influence child development and aging. In short, landscapes play and even greater role in shaping human health than previously understood.
Fast forwarding McHarg’s neologism–design with nature–to present times means considering the epigenetic landscape.

We literally are what we eat! And where we live!

Epigenetic modifications challenge the binary of heredity versus environment. They also expose how the very materiality of the landscape to which humans are exposed is critical to a conception of design with nature now. Epigenetics is a new frontier for landscape architecture. It designs with nature from within.