Research commissioned by the Landscape Institute has found that public interest is now focused more on green spaces, with how buildings themselves look taking a back seat
Public interest in construction has dramatically shifted, with the vast majority taking more interest in greener spaces, better connections, and planned housing developments.
This shift will inform contemporary conversations in the sector, and how local planning is undertaken.
Green features were at the top of the wishlist
90% of survey respondents said that green features between buildings and pavements are important, and 89% said that access to communal green spaces matters when choosing a home. Another 83% said that nature conservation is important in housing development, and 78% valued features to better manage rainwater.
These results reflect a shift in value in public interest, with recognition being given to landscape, transport, place quality, and climate resilience.
Access to communal green space and green features within streets were ranked higher than architectural design when people were asked what they consider essential in new housing.
Carolin Göhler FLI, president of the Landscape Institute, said: “The findings of this public poll underline that placing landscape at the forefront of any development is a necessity for creating places that people want and can thrive in. Landscape is the foundation of healthy nature, thriving communities and long-term economic and environmental resilience. To build not only the quantity but also the quality of places that people deserve today, the poll confirms that a shift in thinking is needed to consider the whole area and the natural system in which a development is taking place.
“A ‘landscape-first approach’ to development delivers places with real value. Through consideration of the existing landscape and features, integration of nature into planning and fostering community involvement, a landscape-led development, driven by chartered landscape architects, creates places that benefit both people and the planet.”
The Landscape Institute has resources for carbon reduction
Published in January, the Landscape Institute released a set of carbon reduction tools for professionals to reduce carbon, adapt to climate change, and tackle aspects of public health and wellbeing.
Expanding on the RIBA Plan of Work, the resources include:
- Landscape Carbon Tools Database and Summary Report – Providing a searchable overview of publicly available tools for carbon assessment in landscape projects, with tools for project stages, scales, and landscape elements
- Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Product Category Rules (PCRs) Overview and Factsheets – EPDs support the standardised, transparent, and evidence-based material selection, while PCRs bring consistency and credibility to calculating impacts for product selections
- EPD Databank Database and Summary Report – Provides an overview of EPD data for landscaping and related products
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