Built environment

The term built environment refers to the man-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity. In landscape architecture, the built environment is identified as opposed to the natural environment, with the recognition that places like large public parks may have the look, feel, and nourishing quality of natural surroundings while being completely artificial and "built," thus blurring the line between the two.

Other concepts of the built environment

The term built environment is also used to describe the interdisciplinary field of study which addresses the design, management and use of these man-made surroundings and their relationship to the human activities which take place within them. The design of the built environment crosses the traditional professional boundaries between urban planners, traffic engineers, zoning authorities, architects, interior designers, and industrial designers.

In urban planning, the term connotes the idea that a large percentage of the human environment is manmade, and those artificial surroundings are so extensive and cohesive that they function as organisms in the consumption of resources, disposal of wastes, and facilitation of productive enterprise within their bounds.