February sees the launch of the LI’s ‘Why Invest in Landscape?’ campaign showing how UK towns and cities are seeing a positive benefit by investing in landscape

Why investing in landscape makes economic sense

At the start of this year the Landscape Institute focuses on two key themes: the case for investing in landscape and the importance of making green infrastructure work at local level in order to address the government’s localism agenda.

February sees the launch of ‘Why Invest in Landscape?’ a new campaign that shows how towns and cities around the UK are seeing a positive benefit by investing in landscape. From revitalising a small public square to planning for massive new estates, the economic benefits are clearly demonstrated.

LI members will receive copies of the campaign booklet together with the next Journal which will carry two articles dedicated to this topic. The Journal will explore the background to the economics of landscape and the booklet will showcase six case studies that demonstrate that, when landscape is placed at the heart of the development process, developers profit while businesses and communities reap the economic benefits. The campaign focuses on the positive impact on business and communities of investment in landscape.

The campaign kicks off with a day of seminars in London at Ecobuild on 2 March, including a lunctime surgery from WRAP, and continues with a full day of seminars at Street Design at the end of the month.

At Ecobuild, Dick Longdin from Randall Thorp and developer Neville Stebbing of Taylor Wimpey will be speaking about long-term investment in the landscape and green infrastructure of Cambourne, Cambridge. Neil Homer of LDA Design and Melanie Taylor of Leeds City Region will be presenting their work in Leeds City Region.

Dominic Watkins from Chris Blandford Associates will present the Milton Keynes South Midlands Green Infrastructure Design Guide; and Sion Neesam from the Landscape Partnership will be talking about The Cambridge SuDS Design and Adoption Guide which won this year’s President’s Award.

Ian Phillips, a member of the Landscape Institute Policy Committee will outline the way in which GI can be implemented at all scales of landscape and provide an explanation of how landscape architects can support  developers, planning authorities and communities in responding to the localism agenda.

To book your place at Ecobuild 2011, click here

At Street Design, Alastair McCapra, cheif executive, Landscape Institute, outlines the  the LI’s new campaign and Dafydd Warburton and Paul Connolly, landscape architects, LDA Design, present two important case studies from Why Invest in Landscape? – Diglis Water and Pontypool Regeneration Strategy. Jill White, formerly at Devon County Council, outlines the thinking behind The Square, Barnstaple; and Tot Brill, executive director, Transport, Environment and Leisure Services, The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, presents their work on Exhibition Road, which is linking South Kensington’s Museum District with an outstanding shared space.

The afternoon seminar looks at the The Landscape of Shopping.
 Oxford Circus is at the centre of London’s West End, Cheapside was the market street for the City of London. Peter Heath, technical director, Atkins, presents the major improvements carried out at Oxford Circus, which include a diagonal crossing; Victor Callister, assistant director Environmental Enhancements, City of London Corporation, outlines the changes to Cheapside which are turning this once more into the City’s major shopping street and Paul Osborne, environmental improvements officer, Exeter City Council, on the importance of a high-quality public realm to commercial retail development in Exeter.

To book your place at Street Design 2011, click here

Full details of seminar programme for Ecobuild 2011 and Street Design 2011:

Ecobuild Seminar Programme
2 March 2011, ExCel, London

Chair for the day – Jo Watkins, president, Landscape Institute

10.30 Seminar 1 – the case for investing in landscape

  • Why Invest in Landscape? – Alastair McCapra, CEO, Landscape Institute

An introduction to the Landscape Institute’s new campaign.

  • Green Infrastructure from the ground up – Paul Mathers, Programme Manager, Landscape and Regeneration, WRAP

The business case for using onsite materials to manufacture new soil; how to capture cost savings; and an explanation of the environmental benefits.

  • Investing in Cambourne – Dick Longdin, landscape architect, Randall Thorp and Neville Stebbing, Project Director for Cambourne and Major Projects Director for Taylor Wimpey

Cambourne, a new settlement near Cambridge is what many consider to be a model Eco Town. In this, the first of two sessions looking at Cambourne, Dick and Neville will demonstrate that environmentally sensitive design needn’t cost the earth and can save developers millions of pounds in addition to creating places that are good for people and good for wildlife.

Followed by Q&A.

11.45 Seminar 2 – Green Infrastructure – the economic argument

  • Leeds City Region – Neil Homer, LDA Design and Melanie Taylor, Leeds City Region

The Leeds City Region has one of the most powerful economies in the UK and covers some of the UK’s most cherished areas of natural beauty and landscape. Its new Green Infrastructure Strategy has identified how the city region’s natural environmental assets will become an increasingly important driver of its economic success. The strategy has informed the city region’s successful Local Enterprise Partnership proposals. These seek to attract private, public and civic society investment into enhancing, creating and managing its green infrastructure to create and sustain high value jobs and economic development that is resilient to the costs of climate change. The seminar will summarise the strategy’s key proposals and explain how the new LEP intends to deliver them.

  • The Milton Keynes South Midlands Green Infrastructure Design Guide – Dominic Watkins, Chris Blandford Associates

Chris Blandford Associates were commissioned to illustrate how GI can benefit communities. Delivering quality sustainable development in a harsh economic climate is difficult, so one of the successes of this award-winning publication was in demonstrating how investment in GI also makes economic sense. The guide shows how GI can transform urban spaces – from cooling cities, to filtering out pollutants, to creating attractive places for people to live and work.

  • The Cambridge SuDS Design and Adoption Guide – Simon Neesam, the Landscape Partnership

When Cambridge City Council decided to adopt sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in the open spaces of its Growth Area development sites, the Landscape
Partnership created an innovative and accessible guide. Winner of the Landscape Institute’s President’s Award 2010 and the first of its kind in Britain, the guide prepares for many of the changes laid out in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Followed by Q&A.

1.30 WRAP lunchtime surgery on the use of quality compost in landscape applications.

2.45 Seminar 3 – How Green Infrastructure works at local level

  • Green Infrastructure at national, regional and local levels – Ian Phillips, member of the Landscape Institute Policy Committee

An introduction to the way in which GI can be implemented at all scales of landscape and an explanation of how landscape architects can support developers, planning authorities and communities in responding to the localism agenda.

  • Green Infrastructure at Cambourne – Dick Longdin, Randall Thorp

In addition to being an excellent example of how investing in landscape makes sound economic sense, Cambourne also demonstrates the principles of creating a multifunctional and connected green infrastructure.

  • Bury Mount – Camlin Lonsdale

Bury Mount is the first phase of a regeneration project centred around the Moat Lane area of Towcester in which Moat Lane is to become the civic and cultural focus of the town with opportunities for retail, office and residential development as well as cultural and leisure activities.

  • Thames Gateway Parklands–Delivering Environmental Transformation – Brian McDonald, Natural England

The Thames Gateway Parklands Programme is on track to deliver 15 key projects across East London, North Kent and South Essex by the end of this financial year.  This is delivering over 600 hectares of new green space, over 2000 hectares of enhanced green space, 7 kilometres of Thames Estuary Path, 110 hectares of SSSI improvements, and more. This will lead to the environmental transformation of one of Europe’s largest regeneration areas, where the conflict between development and environmental improvement is an ongoing challenge.

Followed by Q&A.

Street Design seminar programme
30 March 2011, NEC, Birmingham

The Street Design seminar programme highlights key case studies and arguments for investing in the landscape of our streets and squares as part of the LI’s Why Invest in Landscape? campaign

Chair for the day: Jo Watkins, president, Landscape Institute

10:30  Seminar 1 – Why invest?

Alastair McCapra, Chief Executive, Landscape Institute, outlines the Institute’s new campaign and Dafydd Warburton and Paul Connolly, landscape architects at LDA Design, present two important case studies from Why Invest in Landscape? These are Diglis Water and Pontypool Regeneration Strategy.

11:45–12.45 Semianr 2 – Feet first – building space for people

Jill White, formerly at Devon County Council, outlines the thinking behind The Square, Barnstaple; and Tot Brill, Executive Director, Transport, Environment and Leisure Services, The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, presents their work on Exhibition Road which is linking South Kensington’s Museum District with an outstanding shared space.

2:00 – 3:30 Seminar 3 – The Landscape of Shopping

Oxford Circus is at the centre of London’s West End, Cheapside was the market street for the City of London. Peter Heath, technical director, Atkins, presents the major improvements carried out at Oxford Circus which include a diagonal crossing; Victor Callister, assistant director Environmental Enhancements, City of London Corporation, outlines the changes to Cheapside which are turning this once more into the City’s major shopping street and Paul Osborne, environmental improvements officer, Exeter City Council, on the importance of a high quality public realm to commercial retail development in Exeter.

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