Details of annual Landscape Institute conference unveiled

Regeneration Wed, Mar 23, 2016 9:20 AM

The Landscape Institute’s annual conference on 3 and 4 March 2016 will focus on ‘beauty, function and sustainability in the age of austerity’.

The conference in partnership with the Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield, will consider the challenge of how we value beauty and whether we can afford it in an age of austerity.  

An impressive line-up of speakers includes Caroline Julian, deputy director of think tank ResPublica, Professors James Hitchmough and Nigel Dunnett, from the University of Sheffield, who were co-designers of the planting at the iconic London Olympic Park, Andrew Grant, who led the design team on the award winning Gardens by the Bay project at Bay South in Singapore, as well as Professor Brian Evans of The Glasgow School of Art.

CPD sessions also include:

• fractured landscapes - hydraulic fracturing and other new energy technologies in the LVIA with Olaf Schroth of the University of Sheffield
• natural play with Adam White of Davies White Associates
• the sublime and the picturesque in the contemporary context with Professor Brian Evans of The Glasgow School of Art
• drawing for landscape architecture from sketch to screen to site with Edward Hutchison
• soil specification and testing with Institute of Professional Soil Scientists’ council member, Tim O’Hare of Tim O’Hare Associates
• using green walls in the urban environment to deliver ecosystem services with Professor John Dover of Staffordshire University
• benefits that trees can bring to Urban Futures with Professor Alan Simson of Leeds Beckett University
• building green bridges with Kate Ahern of LUC and Clare Warburton of Natural England.  
• inclusive design with Helen Allen from hada/David Bonnett Associates
• closing the gap - how to select trees with Keith Sacre of Barcham trees
• CIRIA’s SuDS guidance with Suzanne Simmons of CIRIA
• proportionality guidance with Mary Fisher of LDA Design
• writing for Landscape with the editor Ruth Slavid
• plants for pollinators with Helen Bostock and Stephanie Bird of RHS
• economic benefits of investing in the environment with Thomas Harle and Tim Sutherland of Natural England.

The conference takes place at  the University of Sheffield over two days and will explore the balance between beauty and austerity.

Day two of the conference will consist of breakout Continuing Professional Development sessions, with site visits in the morning and indoor sessions in the afternoon. Sessions include a guided tour of the Gold Route and a guided tour of Sheffield City Council's 'Grey to Green' project.