About the LI

The gardens at Royal Stoke Hospital by Colour Urban Design Ltd, winner of the Design for a Large-Scale Development Award at the LI Awards 2016. Image: Kristen McCluskie Photography

The Landscape Institute (LI) is the chartered body for the landscape profession. It is an educational charity that promotes the art and science of landscape practice.

The LI’s aim, through the work of its members is to protect, conserve and enhance the natural and built environment for the public benefit.

The LI provides a professional home for all landscape practitioners including landscape scientists, landscape planners, landscape architects, landscape managers and urban designers.

Find out more about LI membership, and the benefits of joining.

Supporting landscape practitioners

The landscape profession is as diverse and dynamic as the landscapes they work on, but our focus stays the same: to support and represent all landscape practitioners.

We support our members through advocacy programmes, events and numerous networking activities, many of which are organised through our branches across the UK.

Our professional development programme helps our members achieve the highest standards in landscape practice. Chartered membership of the Landscape Institute (CMLI) is only awarded to those who reach the highest standards in landscape education and practice.

CMLI is a mark of excellence that tells prospective clients and employers that a landscape practitioner is the best in their field.

Representing landscape professionals

We work with governments to ensure the voice of landscape professionals is heard on a range of policy issues.

We represent landscape professionals and want landscape to be at the top of the agenda when national and devolved governments are developing initiatives and strategies. We are the voice of the profession on topics such as housing, flooding, public health, sustainability, farming and much more.

Our staff team

The LI represents a membership of over 5,000 landscape architects, landscape and parks managers, urban designers and more, who through their everyday connect people, place and nature on every level, at every scale. Supporting them in this crucial work is our talented and dedicated staff team.

Promoting landscape practice

We champion the great work done by landscape practitioners through the press, broadcast and digital media along with our events and exhibitions.

Our case studies library is a collection of contemporary landscape projects ranging from global-scale projects like Olympic parks through to neighbourhood schemes.

The LI Awards

One of the biggest events in the landscape industry is our annual awards, which celebrate the scale and scope of UK and international landscape practice.

Protecting the natural and built environment

As an educational charity, we support current thinking and actions that promote the use of landscape for the benefit of the public. For instance, we welcome initiatives that promote public health, sustainability, and tackle climate change.

But our focus stays the same: to conserve and enhance the natural and built environment for the public benefit.

We support landscape practice that creates thriving communities through the design and management of inspirational places. The skills of landscape practitioners, across environmental, planning, management and design, can enhance the quality of human life.

For instance, the work of our members can reduce air and noise pollution, increase the profitability and sustainability of places – and lead to more relaxing and healthier spaces to enjoy.

Library and archive

The LI’s library and archive collection was donated to the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) at the University of Reading in 2013.  The landscape collections at MERL include the drawings and professional papers of leading landscape practitioners such as urban designer Michael Brown, Syliva Crowe and Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe. The collection also houses sketches, drawings and illustrations by artist and landscape architect Peter Shepheard.

Please contact MERL with any queries about the collection by email: merl@reading.ac.uk.