Prof. Spirn's basic principle in regional planning is based on her belief that cities are part of nature, since the atmosphere, soil and ground, water, and fauna and flora in urban areas are continuums from the surrounding nature: urban areas are not independent or separated, and do not conflict with nature: these areas are part of nature.

In 1984, she wrote and published a remarkable book, “The Granite Garden; Urban Nature and Human Design” (Japanese title: “Urban Ecosystem”), describing her basic principle. The publication won international attention in that it shed a new light on the relationship between urban areas and the natural environment. This helps to promote the concept of the prize “Harmonious Coexistence of Nature and Mankind”.

Prof. Spirn has stressed the necessity of a beautiful urban environment, and has also stated that an element of beauty is indispensable for urban areas to coexist harmoniously with nature. In 1998, she published another noteworthy book entitled “The Language of Landscape”. This writing provides explications on various landscapes all over the world that were formed through interactions between local residents and nature, in the context of their respective histories and local traditions. Moreover, she emphasizes that it is important to catch and understand what individual landscapes can tell us, so that mankind can sustain or create beautiful environments through better interactions with nature. This is a new approach for studying the relationship between nature and mankind.

Consistently underlying all of her achievements is her philosophy, “urban areas harmoniously coexisting with nature,” and new approaches aiming at the integration of nature, urban areas and art. These achievements, in agreement with “Harmonious Coexistence of Nature and Mankind”, the concept of the Cosmos Prize, have contributed to the future of human society in the 21st century.

Therefore, Prof. Spirn fully deserves the International Cosmos Prize.