The demands on our cities’ open spaces are far-reaching.
They should be ecologically valuable and adapted to climate change, as in view of the global climate crisis, the habitats of people, animals and plants are increasingly under threat.
Open spaces should also strengthen interaction and community building in the urban environment, be multifunctional, aesthetically pleasing and health-promoting.
Publication Sustainable Landscape Design and Development @ Baukultur NRW, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, 15 September 2024
University of Applied Sciences OWL
The master’s program combines the long tradition of integrative consideration of open space and landscape planning with innovative design and development approaches for urban and rural areas. The program focuses on the challenges of the 21st century, such as climate change, water-sensitive urban development, biodiversity, gender equal cities, energy landscapes, healthy cities, food security, urban shrinkage processes and increasing urbanization and migration. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and their principles provide the framework for the content of this master’s program.
Sustainable
Landscape
Design
and
Development
The demands on our cities’ open spaces are far-reaching. They should be ecologically valuable and adapted to climate change, as in view of the global climate crisis, the habitats of people, animals and plants are increasingly under threat. Open spaces should also strengthen interaction and community building in the urban environment, be multifunctional, aesthetically pleasing and health-promoting.
The planning of urban open spaces is mostly the task of landscape architects. They design green and open spaces such as squares, streets and parks, sports facilities and local recreation areas – with the highest demands on aesthetics, functionality and the considerate use of natural resources. In doing so, they make a significant contribution to the quality of life and future-proofness of our cities and regions.
How to foster climate resilience and climate justice in cities? What are strategies for upgrading open spaces and adapting them to climate change? How can attractive spaces for pedestrians and cyclists be designed? Landscape architects are therefore more in demand than ever, as they are one of the few creative professions that specifically develop new climate-friendly solutions!
Ecological change in cities requires an integrative approach that thinks far beyond national borders. After all, the strongest population growth and the highest urbanization rates are to be found in countries outside Europe. According to a study by the International Rescue Committee, the countries most affected by the consequences of climate change (the “Most Affected People and Areas”, also known as MAPA) are primarily in the Global South.
It is therefore particularly important to raise awareness of the need for ecological transformation in an international context. This also requires a paradigm shift, as different worldviews and experiences must be included in order to meet global challenges.
The English-language Master’s degree course in Sustainable Landscape Design and Development is aimed at an international target group and focuses on the challenges of the 21st century. The Master’s program deals with issues such as climate change, urban biodiversity, water-sensitive urban development, gender-equal cities, energy landscapes, healthy cities, food security, urban shrinkage processes and increasing urbanization and migration. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and their principles form the frame of reference.
The Master’s students work on projects from a German, European and international context, such as “Walkability and Climate Adaptation for Dhaka Streets” in Bangladesh, “Sustainable Landscape Typologies for the Nile City” in Egypt or “Pollinator Gardens as Urban Green Infrastructure” in San Francisco, USA. They are being qualified to think and act systemically and to consider the various dimensions of open space and landscape design in a large, long-term context.
The course thus promotes creative exchange between international students from all over the world. In an intercultural dialog, the Master’s program opens up new transdisciplinary approaches that enable innovative perspectives on pressing future issues.
Prof. Elizabeth Sikiaridi is initiator and heads the International Master‘s Program „Sustainable Landscape Design and Development“.
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