Introducing alternative project frameworks through landscape design: IFLA World Congress Singapore 2018

In an era of globalisation and environmental instability, the ?landscape? is often perceived merely as the physical context rather than as the core element to establish a vision for a whole region, create values, share memories and play a key role addressing the global challenges we face. The focus of this paper is to enhance and emphasise the impact that spatial strategies have in sustainable design and how landscape practice can be instrumental in future-proofing and protecting our cities. The paper forms part of a wider research project examining innovative landscape strategies across Europe, assessing the extent to which low carbon, sustainability and spatial quality can be delivered effectively at the urban and strategic scales. We argue that a sophisticated process needs to be put in place in order to be able to deliver landscape schemes that appropriately identify and address current environmental and social challenges. This paper discusses the outcomes of two major pioneer landscape infrastructure projects in the Netherlands (the ?Room for the River? and the ?New Dutch Waterline?) that have demonstrated new ways of engaging with both climate and aesthetic elements during the conceptual and implementation phase of a strategic scheme. The Room for the River is a landscape adaptation programme addressing water level management, while the New Dutch Waterline aims to regenerate inundation sites by introducing cultural and social activities while preserving the landscape infrastructure. Exploration of the impact that policy and legislation have on the landscape demonstrates that governance plays an important role in ensuring the success of a strategic landscape project. An investigation of urban and rural projects dealing with climate adaptation through these two projects shows that a multidisciplinary focus is a significant factor in the development of an effective project framework. We conclude that the establishment of a project framework, clearly supported by legislation and policy, will make a real difference in the way that professional practice and politics deal with landscape infrastructure. The integration of environmental and quality concepts from the early stages of the project process, and the attention to the importance of design, can ensure effective implementation and smooth communication during the development of a landscape scheme, leading to future resilience.