Formed at
what is now the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 1929, The Landscape Institute was
created 90 years ago with the key driver of supporting the evolving profession
which encompasses a wide range of talents covering horticulture, architecture
and planning.
For
the last nine decades the organisation has developed, having gone through many
changes and adapted to often seismic shifts in environmental, social and
economic situations in society.
It will be marking this important milestone rather fittingly with an
event on Friday 24th May at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The event will include past and present leaders of the landscape
profession, leaders from wider industry, related professions and organisations
with whom the LI collaborates will also attend. There will also be
leading members of the Norwegian Landscape Association, which also shares the
same landmark 90th anniversary this year.
Thanks
to the RHS, the event is taking place on Main Avenue in the RHS Back to Nature
Garden which has been co-designed by HRH The
Duchess of Cambridge with landscape architects Andrèe Davies and Adam White.
Adam is also the current President of the LI. The
garden aims to connect communities with nature and promote the health benefits
of spending time outdoors.
Eight
other LI members are also involved in gardens at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower
Show. They are Alistair Bayford, Chris Beardshaw, Sarah Eberle, Exterior
Architecture, Mark Gregory, Thomas Hoblyn, Joe Perkins and Andy Sturgeon.
In
order to chart the many changes in landscape and mark the 90th anniversary, the LI commissioned the
Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) at the University of Reading to create a
timeline reflecting the many changes in society over the lifetime of the LI and
the impact the landscape profession has had over the last nine decades.
Adam
White, LI President said: “During its ‘lifetime’ the LI has seen many changes
in the world, with each decade seeing great social change from the aftermath of
the First World War, the creation of the first council housing and the growth
of the suburbs to the creation of the welfare state, new towns, the impact of
major planning legislation and the growing awareness of the impact of climate
change.
“That
is why it is important we look back over the previous nine decades as many of
these changes have had an impact not only on how we live our lives, how we
work, where we go to school and how we stay healthy, but also on the way our
landscape is designed, planned and managed.
“But
whilst it is important we look back and celebrate the great strides we have
made, we live in a challenging times, faced with rapid change to our natural
environment, increased urbanisation, and the mounting pressures of living in
the heart of a modern city. That is why we will also be looking to the future,
and how in particular our profession can help meet the needs of our changing
world.
LI
CEO Dan Cook said: “This is one of series of #LI90 events that will be
held in a range of locations including Bristol, Edinburgh, Oslo and Leicester
that will both celebrate the our rich heritage and start to engage about the
future role of the landscape profession for the next decade and beyond.
“Our
next event will be a Landscape Festival of Ideas at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic
Park in Stratford, during June. It is now a destination that has been designed,
planned, delivered, managed and is still set to be further transformed through
the work of this profession.
“We
have invited leaders from inside and outside the profession to look at the
issues spanning places, people, climate change, technology and will look at new
efforts to reconnect with nature. We will be inviting debate and new
ideas for this profession, our institute and our partners to take
forward. We have taken a deliberate step to hold this special event over
a weekend to better encourage young people and families to participate.”
For the
full programme and to book visit https://www.landscapeinstitute.org/event/li90-festival-of-ideas/
