The landscape has been described as a ‘blind spot’ when examined in light of regional strategies. The immense potential of peri-urban and rural hinterlands to counter the climate emergency is therefore also overlooked. The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)Climate-KIC’s (Knowledge and Innovation Community) System and sustainable Approach to virTuous interaction of Urban and Rural LaNdscapes (SATURN) aims to address this short-sightedness. The reason why we do not see or value the landscape is complex, but part of the problem relates to its multiple ownership, numerous types and scales of conflicting designations, governance structures, policy requirements, and regulatory frameworks. This leads to an approach that is fragmented and sectoral and, therefore, fails to see the bigger picture or recognise the value that the territory has in order to deal with current environmental challenges. With partners from across Europe, the pan-European Orchestrated Ecosystem research project co-funded by EIT Climate-KIC, SATURN aims to develop new integrated strategies which will increase awareness of the capacity of the landscape, which is seen is seen as a vital way to address the deepening climate emergency. SATURN anticipates that the outputs will build capacity across Europe to help nation-states meet the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and respond to the environmental challenges. This paper, reporting on interim findings, sets out the next phase of the project and concludes with lessons learned so far, including an initial identification of processes that can be applied in regions across Europe and an evaluation of the significance of exchanging knowledge between different countries.
This paper identifies innovative methods of strategic spatial design to demonstrate the sustainable outcomes that can be achieved by adopting landscape practices to future-proof our cities and regions. A range of strategic landscape-led models and methodologies are investigated to reveal the structure, administrative processes and key elements that have been adopted in order to facilitate the integration of climate change environmental design and landscape quality. We have found that a strong established framework that demonstrates innovative project management and early integration of environmental ideas is critical in order to be able to deliver landscape schemes that appropriately identify and address current climatic and social challenges. Furthermore, to make a real difference in the way that professional practice and politics deal with landscape infrastructure, the project framework and key concepts related to landscape design and planning, such as low carbon design and spatial quality, need to be clearly supported by legislation and policy at all levels. Together with close attention to the importance of design, this approach is more likely to ensure effective implementation and smooth communication during the development of a landscape scheme, leading to higher levels of sustainability and resilience in the future.
This paper aims to discuss the importance of the climate crisis and embodied carbon in the landscape architecture sector. The study was carried out in a multiprofessional team with the collaboration of the Landscape Institute (LI) Chartered Body of Landscape Architecture, UK, and experts in the field. Using the expertise and knowledge of professionals as well as existing landscape examples and pioneering tools on carbon, this review paper focuses on the importance of low/net-zero carbon landscapes for our cities and regions and the ways in which these can contribute to the broader health and wellbeing of our communities. Examining the current situation on carbon methodologies and the latest knowledge on carbon calculations through a landscape lens, the paper explores why embodied carbon is important for open spaces/landscapes and the necessary policies to support a more efficient implementation of these concepts. The intensity of recent environmental challenges demands action. This review highlights the need for holistic approaches that integrate embodied carbon calculations on large-scale landscape design. Using the innovative example of the Pathfinder App, a carbon calculation tool, as well as other similar software, this paper argues that more steps are needed towards the calculation and adaptation of CO2 emissions resulting from design, construction and materials in landscape schemes. The low availability of carbon calculation tools, specially developed for landscape schemes, is a major concern for the profession as it creates several issues with the sustainable development of the landscape projects as well as fragmented policies that exclude spatial and open spaces. Even though carbon calculation and embodied carbon are being calculated in buildings or materials, it is a relatively new area when it comes to land, the landscape and open and green space, and therefore, this study will present and discuss some of the pioneering carbon calculation tools focusing on landscape projects.
This paper argues that, in order to deliver sustainable urban and regional landscapes, an integrated approach of individual elements such as legislations, design thinking and biodiversity needs to be considered. It forms part of a wider research project, examining the extent to which low carbon and sustainability can be delivered effectively in landscape strategies, which covers examples from the 'Landscape Observatory' (Spain), the 'Room for the River' and 'New Dutch Waterline' (Netherlands) and the 'HS2LV' project (UK). The Netherlands case study, presented in this paper, consisted by two large scale landscape projects is used to illustrate this approach. The 'Room for the River' and the 'New Dutch Waterline' are used to demonstrate how the idea of landscape, low carbon and design quality can shape the effective implementation of landscape strategies. Key elements and effective ways of delivering sustainable places have been identified through a series of real time visits, interviews and observations. The development of procurement processes, legislation, and understanding of the role of landscape sustainability and landscape quality as well as the importance of spatial representation of these ideas will be presented and discussed in order to illustrate a sustainable holistic approach and the tremendous impact that this has on the landscape and the region.
Climate emergency, landscape connectivity and rapid urbanization are among the major challenges of the 21st century. This paper discusses ways in which cities can respond to the changing climate and put in place a sustainable vision. It uses the garden city concept as a vehicle to investigate the future of our cities in relation to the climate emergency and the elements that urban centres need to provide. Cities and their wider regions are recognised as key actors in supporting systemic change and climate change governance, and therefore the scope of this paper is to explore contemporary models of garden cities and the ways in which these might be able to address climate emergency as well as the concepts of zero carbon and sustainability. The study uses the 2014 Wolfson Economics Prize, which was based on a garden city question. Taking an environmental perspective on the delivery of future cities, and using the competition essays and masterplans, this study produces analytical drawings aiming to unpack the concepts of sustainability and low carbon. This research concludes that the garden city concept can support the future needs of our settlements, but a 21st century approach needs to be developed. The social and economic ideas originally introduced at the end of the 19th century need to be updated as a holistic vision, including nature and biodiversity, climatic conditions, climate emergency adaptation and mitigation processes as well as community health and wellbeing, to be able to fully respond to the needs of the future.
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