‘The Role of Future Landscape Researchers and Designers’ – by Professor Wolfgang Wende

The transformation of our society towards truly sustainable development will necessarily have a huge impact on our landscapes. Clearly, their appearance is set to undergo large-scale changes; equally, the protection of the ecological functions of nature, landscape and ecosystems will become more central to our discipline of landscape architecture than previously. Regenerative energy landscapes, industry 4.0 landscapes and the large-scale restoration of ecosystems and habitats for biodiversity are all developments that pose major challenges for landscape architects. Who else, apart from landscape architects, with their expertise, can deal with the spatial planning of thousands of wind turbines and new power lines for energy supply? Who else, apart from landscape architects, should and can, for example, restore 20% of degraded ecosystems in every EU member state? Who else, apart from landscape architects, can make a substantive and positive contribution to future landscape transformations?

Professor Wolfgang Wende, Head of Research Area Landscape, Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Technische Universität Dresden (Dresden University of Technology)