Figure 6. Proposal for Downsview Park, Toronto, 1999. Images by James Corner Field Operations with Nina-Marie Lister
theory and synthesizing these with other issues to fit into a design, the designer may not fully reflect on the meaning or the theory of those outcomes. As seen in the case of Downsview Park, the theory of ecological succession was evoked as the basis of the design (Figure 6). However, arguably, the design is more appropriate to the theory of island biogeography including habitat patches and corridors, and less relevant to succession. When designers weave ecological concepts into design there is no peer review to ensure that they accurately reference underlying ecological theories. For ecologists, peer review is relied upon to critique ecological research methods, outcomes and analysis. They collectively build on peer-reviewed work to seek and develop a shared understanding of ecological theory (e.g. Boone et al. 2012). The loss in translation and lack of a peer review process in design constrain the ability of designers to address gaps in scientific knowledge. While this translation and synthesis can be seen as an imminent constraint particularly from the ecologist’s perspective, being able to synthesize multiple variables is a valuable process for designers. The synthesis of multi-disciplinary concepts, together with social cultural economic and environmental conditions is fundamental to creative design. In some cases, designers may re-evaluate ecological concepts for their aesthetic or representational value, and not so much for their operational or functional value. This repurposing of the concepts has given rise to the concept of “designer ecologies� (Marie-Lister 2007). For the purposes of ecology and ecological design, these Felson 119