Rethinking the Urban Landscape, a (free!) exhibition curated by The Building Centre and Landscape Institute, presents a case for a landscape-first approach to city design and regeneration. The show, which is on view at The Building Centre in London until end of February and then tours, focuses on six problematic areas - from environmental issues to financial planning - and shows international projects that, due to the early procurement of landscape architects, deliver unique solutions.
Small-scale urban parks and community initiatives such as Growing Spaces in Glasgow sit alongside high profile landscape-led developments, such as London’s Olympic Park and the unbuilt Garden Bridge project. Post-earthquake regeneration in Christchurch, New Zealand, adjoins the new central park for Valencia, Spain. Several projects to restore environments in China are also included. The overall message is that all the projects featured have greater environmental and economic benefits because of integrating broad ‘landscape-first’ ideas ahead of imposing piecemeal architectural solutions.
