LI conference

The subject of the conference this year was 'housing, land use and community'. It was a lot of talk about the role of a Landscape Architect and the recognition of the role of the Landscape Architect. Or the lack of recognition of the Landscape Architect. How small amount of landscape architects are involved in housing and street design. Partly down to the developer - but also down to Landscape Architecture. Housing is not a good interesting project for a lot Landscape Architects.

For me personally I am not bothered about recognition for the Landscape Architect, as long as what we do affects people and places in a positive way. I do agree with the fact that we need new innovative landscape around housing in this country and landscape that works with housing and not against it.

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Good housing that has been around for while - The Lane, Blackheath.

Swedish cool housing in Stockholm - Hammarby Sjostad (Go Sweden - it has been around for years!)

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(Below is list of challenges and questions that came up in the conference or things that I think might relate to it.)

Challenges and Questions to consider

Can good landscape help the life time costs of estates?

Promoting trees in urban landscape - see them as an asset and not a liability

Community spirit linked to good proud landscape

Density - Intensity and landscape

Space before architecture and landscape

Giving residents confidence in managing / taking charge of their space - challenges of jealousy, increase of costs?

Gated developments - good or bad?

Pushing the boundary of the estate

View onto the landscape from the buildings instead of looking in - can create a new angle of landscape

Managing a housing landscape - increase in costs, giving tenants a share - promoting a proudness in the surroundings

Food growing - allotments - keeping chickens etc.

Importance of infrastructure relating to landscape

Importance of landforms and natural environment to be considered more in landscape

The importance of playing fields for kids to play

Opportunities to promote and teach kids about local biodiversity in the landscape

The importance of bringing the natural environment back into peoples life

Housing and the natural environment

Natural estates??

Link between an increase in green space and a decrease in vandalism and violence

Active - Natural - Interacting Landscapes