Link to knowledge resource
The Report "Urban landscapes and climate change: the contribution of landscape architects to improving the quality of life" is concerned with the practice of Landscape Architecture to improve the quality of life in cities. It outlines the context of climate change in terms of the science, the politics and aspirations, both in Europe and globally. The Report discusses how cities are changing, how their resident populations are at risk, and how Covid-19 has further complicated the situation, perhaps advancing even more urgently the need for action. It notes two major studies commissioned by the European Union, undertaken by the European Environment Agency and the Eklipse Working Group, both of which directly relate the quality of city life to landscape and the environment. Seven subject areas are examined which demonstrate the range of science, design, planning, implementation and management of landscapes in the cities of several European States. Education at primary, secondary and higher/university level is also discussed, in relation to creating both greater awareness and improved professional expertise. The report comments on strategies relating to the importance of landscape equity and human rights, which are central values of the Council of Europe. The report highlights opportunities and problems, and notes fundamental challenges, in order to establish a European viewpoint on the climate crisis, and the role that landscape and Landscape Architects can play.