The New Landscape Declaration: A Brief Review

In 1966, Scottish landscape architect Ian McHarg and a small group of others drafted “A Declaration of Concern”. The statement highlighted a growing concern for the natural environment, commenting on the imminent impact of human development; from air pollution to water insecurity. Unlike today, the devastating impacts associated with anthropogenic climate change were not widely discussed, nonetheless, it is alarming to read that over 50 years ago, designers were already beginning to acknowledge a “sense of crisis”. Today, our state of environmental degradation is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. We are no longer able to disregard the inevitable. We are in a state of environmental emergency. 

At the time, the Declaration of Concern hoped to provoke long-term positive change, claiming that landscape architects have the knowledge and expertise to help solve the environmental crisis. The statement urges that landscape architects are “essential in maintaining the vital connection between man and nature.”  

In 2016, 700 landscape architects with a shared concern for the future gathered for the LAF (Landscape Architecture Foundation) Summit on Landscape Architecture and the Future. The aim was to forge a new vision for landscape architecture in the context of the 21^stcentury. To build upon and renew the 1966 declaration. In 2017, the ideas discussed were published under the title “The New Landscape Declaration”. The book features 32 inspiring essays from influential designers, discussing the role of landscape architects in addressing defining issues such as climate change, urbanisation and global inequity.  

 

As outlined by Richard Weller in Chapter 1, there is often a clear gap between what landscape architects say and what they actually do. It is hoped that the revised declaration will help to define the ways in which we can measure our successes. As emphasised in the associated documentary (The New Landscape Declaration, Landscape Architecture Foundation) it is not enough to simply beautify places, “we have to make landscape pay”. 

 

Of particular significance to myself, a student, the declaration acknowledges the value of young, aspiring landscape architects. As outlined by Richard Weller, students must aim to be “more ambitious and more adventurous”. Without arrogance, we, as landscape architects, have a duty to communicate our global potential. Both through research and design. Personally I found Chapter 30, written by American landscape architect Nina Chase, a rather interesting read. From an urban design perspective, Chase discusses the importance of communicating what is possible for our cities and our profession’s future. 

 

In particular, Chase highlights the power of tactical urbanism to impel long-term, meaningful change. Gathering support for urban environmental projects is often difficult; long-term projects require time, money and patience. However, low-cost, temporary interventions embody the “test before you try mantra”, ultimately they create a dialogue around what works and what does not. Through tactical urbanism “we can show, not just tell” what is possible for the future.  

 

Ultimately, the declaration acknowledges that we have entered an age of extreme climate change and that the consequences “will impact everyone, everywhere”. For decades we have exploited our natural landscape; today we suffer the consequences. Humanity and nature are intrinsically interconnected, “what we do to our landscapes we ultimately do to ourselves”. Today, landscape architects have a central role to play in shaping the world of the 21^st century.