Welcome to 2011. All landscape architects this year need to start leading the discussions. We have lagged for too long on the sidelines, being creative and idealistic and watching other professions take the lead on numerous areas of design – sustainable design, urban design, water, low-carbon cities, eco-cities, food security, green architecture (vertical & horizontal) and many others. If it’s your passion, then it is time to start leading the discussion offline and offline, whether at conferences, websites, newspapers, blogs, Facebook, or Twitter. Stop waiting for governments and your professional organisations to start the conversation; they don’t have the time or people to talk about the issues we deal with daily and the solutions needed.
Landscape Architects have the skills, experience and ideas to push landscape architecture and design to new frontiers and into public awareness. So please start a blog, email newsletter, Facebook group, Twitter account. Don’t have time for this? well, you can start by commenting on other blogs or Facebook groups or email a colleague in another design field telling them what you’ve been doing. Most importantly, get involved and start the discussion about the ideas and solutions you’ve been creating in your school, office, firm, or studio. The world’s waiting to hear from you.
Damian Holmes, Editor – World Landscape Architecture
