No. 70April

2007

NewsletterInternational Federation of Landscape ArchitectsFédération Internationale des ArchitectesPaysagistes

IFLA

IFLA website

online journal

In this issue

Raising the profile Diane Menzies 1

Interview with founder Elise Sørsdal Tore Edvard Bergaust 2

International Landscape Architecture Month…in Argentina 3

Writing for IFLA News John Clemens 3

Global Restoration Network Darwina Neal 4

New park meets old park Sarah Siegel 5

Interview with Pat Caughey Diane Menzies 8

Report from ISOLA, Pune, India Anjali Kumthekar 9

Report from CSLA, Havana, Cuba James Taylor 11

Conferences and Competition notices 12

Raising the professional profileTaking advantage of attending a wedding in the USA, IFLA President Diane Menzies madevisits in Washington to the World Bank in March. She also visited the US National ParkService to discuss their International Affairs Program and work on the Historic AmericanLandscapes Survey (HALS), US/ICOMOS, the US Landscape Architecture Foundation,and the ASLA headquarters to meet with Nancy Somerville, the CEO. She also gave apresentation to the Potomac Chapter of ASLA.

The World Bank visit had been an important aim. It had been Diane’s view, not contestedby those she met at the World Bank, that if landscape architecture policies were included inloan documents, then other organisations would also respond and that in turn would havebeneficial effects on natural and cultural landscapes. Kathy MacKinnon, the leadbiodiversity specialist of the environment department of the World Bank gave useful advice,encouraging submission of case study information on best practice landscape assessmentand other relevant material. She agreed to circulate this to her colleagues dealing withenvironmental assessment and World Bank funded projects. Susan Everitt of theLandscape Architecture Foundation had recently published a report on biodiversity thatprovided case study examples, and agreed to forward a copy immediately to the WorldBank. Nancy Somerville of ASLA also agreed to provide the World Bank with information.

Delegates and associations who have useful examples of best practice landscapeassessment are urged to send them to IFLA’s Secretary General for forwarding to theWorld Bank.

The meetings were organised and also attended by Darwina Neal, Vice President,Americas.

Darwina NEAL

Tong-Mahn AHN

John CLEMENSEditor IFLA News

john.clemens@canterbury.ac.nz

info@iflaonline.org

www.iflaonline.org

www.iflajournal.org

IFLA EXECUTIVECOMMITTEE

PresidentDiane MENZIEScommissioner.menzies@justice.govt.nz

Secretary GeneralRadmila FINGEROVAsecgen@iflaonline.org

Vice-PresidentAmericas Region

darwina_neal@nps.gov

Vice-PresidentAsia/Pacific Region

ahntm@snu.ac.kr

TreasurerJames HAYTERjhayter@oxigen.net.au

-Vice PresidentEuropean RegionTeresa ANDRESENmlandres@fc.up.pt

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Elise SørsdalOur matriarch andfounding member

Elise Sørsdal was born in 1912 and is an honorarymember of the Norwegian Landscape Association.She is also a founding member of IFLA, which iswhy I am paying a visit, together with ProfessorEmeritus Magne Bruun, who was the IFLANorwegian delegate from 1970 to 1978.

Despite problems buying foreign cash andgenerally straitened means, there were about 10members from the Norwegian Association whoparticipated at the conference in London in August1948 where also Sigurd Hoff gave a lecture.

The idea about an international association was atopic and was already discussed before World WarII, but was not put into practice until thisconference, which was organized by the BritishInstitute of Landscape Architects. Planning andreconstruction were important keywords in thosedays, and it was in this atmosphere that the infantprofession of Landscape Architects began to claiminternational importance. During the post-conference tour, an important step forward wastaken. On the 14th of August, Elise Sørsdal wasseated at a meeting held at Jesus College,Cambridge, as a delegate from Norway, and was infavour of founding of an international body, an ideawhich had been supported by the NorwegianAssociation.

Many years have gone by, but from her stay at themeeting Miss Sørsdal remembers that she wasimpressed by the number of clever women withbrilliant professional qualifications who contributedgreatly to the programme. Among these womenshe remembers in particular Brenda Colvin andSylvia Crowe. She noticed differences in the waysof living and of socializing, and she remembers withjoy a trip on the River Thames, a reception atJellicoe’s, and a visit to the opera house of CoventGarden, where she saw A Midsummer Night’sDream.

Elise Sørsdal continued as a Norwegian delegateuntil 1952, when she was replaced by anotherwoman, Ingegerd Stenersen. Even though EliseSørsdal withdrew as Norwegian delegate aftersome years, IFLA is not forgotten. She has duringall these years paid attention to the development ofthis federation. This is proved by all the editions ofIFLA yearbooks, Newsletters and many clippingsfrom articles in the Norwegian professionalperiodicals. Miss Sørsdal points out the importantrole IFLA has played in order to achieve recognitionof the landscape architect profession at a levelequal to the status of architects. She also pointsout the importance of diversity in the professionsand fields of work.

Elise Sørsdal is impressed by the increase in thenumber of professionals, and the number of cleverwomen among them, and especially by an everincreasing number of women who are to be found inhigh ranked positions. It is overwhelming andgratifying. So for her own account as teacher shehas contributed to stressing the importance of theprofession. M. Bruun did not hesitate to remind usthat it was women who initiated the field ofhorticulture, the very base for the profession. But isthere work for everybody, Elise wonders?Confronted with the fact that the Norwegian RoadAdministration 20 years ago had no landscapearchitects at all and that now there are 65employed, she was struck with amazement.

IFLA sends Elise Sørsdal the best of wishes as shenow approaches 95 years of age. Congratulations!

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It is a dark and rainy evening beforeChristmas. I have an appointment withElise Sørsdal, who lives in themunicipality of Lier just outside Oslo,Norway. She lives in her own light, butsnug flat, which is a contrast to theweather outside.

Written by Tore Edvard Bergaust, Landskapsarkitekt,MNLA IFLA delegate; image thanks to Ole Billing Hansen

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InternationalLandscapeArchitectureMonthApril 2007

What colleagues were doing …inArgentina

On the 30th April, Virginia Laboranti, 1st CAAPVice-President and IFLA Regional Secretary for theAmericas, and Ana Maria Demo de Fiore, CAAPPresident, are to speak at the closure ofInternational Landscape Architecture Month inBuenos Aires City after 30 days of intenselandscape architectural activity in their country. Thiswill have included:

o Commemorative tree planting

o The 8th Landscape and Decoration Fair,“Pilar Style 2007”

o Conferences on several themes including“Public Space and Landscapes”,“Sustainable Landscape”, and”Professional Practice in LandscapeArchitecture”

o A seminar on “Cultural Landscapes inArgentina” organised by ICOMOS ofArgentina and the National University ofRosario

o Round table session on green roofs

Writing forIFLA News

New editor

I have never written for IFLA News before, and hereI am doing it. Hello, Good Morning or GoodEvening. My name is John Clemens. I take overfrom a long line of distinguished and experiencedlandscape architects who have looked after theIFLA News Editor’s job in the past. I have anemployment history, mainly studying, teaching andresearching from archaeology and ancient history,through organometallic chemistry, to plant biologyand landscape ecology. Recently I venturedformally into landscape architecture by completingthe degree of Master of Landscape Architecturewith Distinction at Lincoln University, in Canterbury,New Zealand. When I say “recently”, I mean Igraduated this month, which seems highlyappropriate in International Landscape ArchitectureMonth!

There are many challenges facing the world and theprofession of landscape architecture worldwide. Inthis very month, we saw the launch by the UnitedNations of the Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange’s (IPCC) assessment of present and futureimpacts of climate change. The foreshadowedchanges, which apparently do not factor in possiblymassive alterations to Antarctic ice cover, willundoubtedly have impacts on peoples worldwide,and the on the ways in which we carry out our ownwork in the service of those peoples and theenvironment.

Submitting material

IFLA News is usually produced six times annually. Itis a compilation of topical news, viewpoints, reports,and notices about IFLA activities and the arena oflandscape architecture and related fields worldwide.Its content is as riveting as the topics canvassedand the insight and understanding of itscontributors. I will try to make sure yourcontributions appear quickly in IFLA News so that itreally is the world NEWS of this profession. Emailme at the address shown on the cover. Pleaserestrict yourself to 500-1500 words, composed inEnglish, written in Word, and submittedelectronically. Dedicated people will translate yourcontributions into several other major languages.Minor editing for length and style might be applied.Images should be high resolution JPEGs forprinting. No PDFs.

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Further details at: www.caapaisajistas.org.ar

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Global RestorationNetwork launchedChanging the practice of ecologicalrestoration around the world - in threeclicks or less

Darwina NealIFLA Vice-PresidentAmericas Region

Tucson, Arizona, March 15, 2007. The Society forEcological Restoration (SER) Internationallaunched an innovative industry tool, the GlobalRestoration Network (GRN) - a free, online hub forcomprehensive information on ecologicalrestoration at www.GlobalRestorationNetwork.org.A unique industry resource, the interactive websiteis rich with data, information, expertise and thelatest techniques and innovations in restoration.Freely accessible to anyone in the world who hasan Internet connection, users can now find theexact information they need to research, implementand improve their ecological restoration projects inthree clicks or less.

"The root of ecological restoration is information,and the Global Restoration Network is SERInternational's answer to the rapid development ofthe science and practice of our comparativelyyoung environmental field", says SER InternationalBoard Chair, Keith Bowers. "We've gathered amassive amount of information in a few shortdecades, but had been lagging behind in our abilityto make that information accessible. We now knowquite a lot about the complex scientific, economic,and social factors that lead to successful,sustainable restoration projects; the GRN makesthis information freely available to everyone whoneeds it."

The Global Restoration Network improves thequality of restoration work worldwide with the clickof a mouse. A specially designed database nowallows users to conduct efficient searches byentering specifications such as the type of biome(wetland, grassland, etc.), region of interest, sourceof degradation, and more. Search results includeannotated links to the most relevant resourcesincluding literature, case studies, data sets, whitepapers, organizations, government resources, andrestoration experts. The GRN also offers endlesslists of potential funders, educational and volunteer

opportunities, video and audio feeds of RestorationRadio programs/interviews, descriptions of currentand past restoration projects, thousands of links torestoration websites and blogs, and a growingdirectory of industry experts.

"Most professionals are vaguely aware of theimpressive amount of restoration happening aroundthe world. There is now a central hub of informationwhere practitioners, communities, businesses, andgovernment agencies can benefit from oneanother's experience and hard work", says SERInternational Executive Director, Mary KayLeFevour. "The Global Restoration Network makesit easy for everyone to find the exact informationthey need about any type of ecosystem orrestoration challenge. Our hope is that it will make iteasier for people to create sustainable restorationsand stop wasting time, money and energyreinventing the wheel."

The GRN has been endorsed by leaders of theWorld Conservation Union (IUCN), the Conventionon Biological Diversity, the Ecological Society ofAmerica, the Center for Biodiversity andConservation at the American Museum of NaturalHistory, and the International Union of ForestResearch Organizations. [Visitwww.GlobalRestorationNetwork.org to read fullendorsements.] Sponsors of the Global RestorationNetwork include the U.S. Forest Service,Biohabitats Inc., Chevron, Temper of the TimesFoundation, Blackwell Publishing, and Island Press.

The mission of SER International is to promoteecological restoration as a means of sustaining thediversity of life on Earth and reestablishing anecologically healthy relationship between natureand culture. SER was founded in 1988, by a diversegroup of people including biologists, ecologists,philosophers, ethicists, community activists, andothers. Today SER has more than 2,000 membersworldwide and 14 Independent Chapters throughoutthe U.S., Mexico, India, Latin America, and theCaribbean, Australia, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

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The mission of the Society forEcological Restoration

International (SER) is to promoteecological restoration as a meansof sustaining the diversity of lifeon Earth and re-establishing anecologically healthy relationship

between nature and culture.

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x

As a recent graduate of the University ofToronto, I write about the profession as iflooking in from the edge of a large, dense forest– armed with a good amount of naiveté, andhopefully some amount of insight (being able tosee most of the forest and at least a few of thetrees?)

Throughout my studies I have focused ondesign through landscape management. I havebeen drawn to the problems of larger urbansites. This led me to my thesis project onFlushing Meadows Park in Queens, New York.It is in the context of this site that I want to writeabout landscape architecture, a site bothsingular in its characteristics and exemplary ofmany older North American urban parks.Flushing Meadows is a park with a story, muchof which was written by Robert Moses - saltmarsh to ash dump, to 1939 World’s Fair, to UNheadquarters, to 1964 World’s Fair, and finallyto park. It is a site that seems to deal with manyof the key current issues central to landscapearchitectural research: pollution, degradedecological function, consequences of theindustrialization of landscape processes, hybridurban ecological systems, limited economicsupport, and new recreational needs for achanging city. While there is contemporaryinterest in similar problems at reclaimed sites ornew sites, Flushing Meadows stands out in thatit had to be re-imagined not from industrial ruinto park, but from dysfunctional park to greatpark. During my research it became clear to methat urban parks, particularly in disadvantagedareas, present many of the same opportunitiesfor innovative design as reclaimed sites. Forone reason or another, they have not made asignificant appearance in contemporarylandscape architectural discourse.

It is clear that the interest in larger sites is beingdistracted by a focus on the new waste-landscape of both de-industrializing andsprawling cities. Post-industrial sites within citieshave become available for new uses – theypresent exciting possibilities to designers. Thesesites have a richness to them (their industrial pastintrigues us perhaps as Arcadian landscapesinspired 18th century England?) They are nothowever tied down to a historical preciousness,locked into replicating a singular moment in time.They are to take on entirely new uses, and arethus open to ecological considerations andprogramming possibilities - which have in turn ledto new aesthetics. An example of this can beseen in Latz and partner’s Duisburg NordLandschaftspark in Germany – a steelworksturned into a park. Here concrete tanks becomewalled gardens informally colonized by the plantswhich are able to grow on the altered soils. I amnot suggesting that these projects and lines ofresearch are not valuable. On the contrary I feelthat they have great potential. My concern is thatthese ideas are being applied only to reclaimedsites, and not to existing parks. While many of ournewly acquired brownfields, such as Fresh KillsPark on Staten Island, seem best suited fordecades of being more or less left alone – gentlyguided into phytoremediation and ecologicaldevelopment (preserved for new public use at alater date) – urban parks continue to suffer fromlack of innovative thinking. As our cities change,our parks should also change. This change is notalways about vertical or horizontal growth;changes in demographics and new ways of livingmust be accompanied by changes in parks.These parks represent the cultural, social, activesoul of a community. While new parks potentiallykick-start new communities and developmentopportunities, older, existing parks rarely presentsuch possibilities. With no reciprocal relationshipto new real estate development, they do not enjoythe same support from cities or developers.

I would like to address some of the key themes ofcurrent large scale landscape design, andconsider some of the many ways they might bebeneficial to older parks. Flushing Meadows Parkwill serve to demonstrate some of thesepossibilities. An interest in functional landscapesthat purposefully promote change over time; newideas about programming and public interactionwith landscape; the need for design pioneers; anda response to the changing structure of cities, willall be addressed.

(Continued on page 6)

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New park meetsold park:a re-discovery ofexisting publiclandscapes

Sarah Siegel

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(Continued from page 5)

Ecological function, aesthetics, and time

In many cases, designers have been inspired by theprocess of ruination itself; a neglected site canconcurrently represent a return to landscape health.This new, less manicured aesthetic accompanies astrong interest in functional landscapes. Thefunctional landscape encourages productive plantcommunities, effective hydrological processes, andsometimes even agricultural production. Theselandscapes are often achieved in part by innovativemanagement practices. The Parc du Sausset,designed by Michel and Claire Corajoud presentsan example of how agricultural and woodlandmanagement can be applied to an urban park. Thispark is composed of meadows and prairies,woodlands, wetlands, lawns, and farmlands. Thefarmland’s small fields are protected by hedgerowsand planted with wheat, sunflower, potato, etc. Theappreciation for management and the continuity oftime and process seems appropriate to the nature ofour city today.

Flushing Meadows Park lies at a very low elevation.Large areas of it commonly flood; it was formerly atidal marsh and obviously would still like to be one.As a former World’s Fair site, the land retains acrumbling, and no longer valid, street system as wellas some fantastic architectural landmarks; it is alsointensely used and thus severely compacted anddegraded ecologically. As it stands today, thelandscape is all treated in the same way. It is mostlyflat and all lawn. Some differentiation to bothtopography and maintenance practice could greatlyimprove the park. Simple re-grading could directflooding. During wet seasons slightly higher areascould be reserved for recreation, while lower areascould become wet meadows. Just because the parkretains an historical infrastructure from a former usedoes not mean that it should continue to bemaintained as it was in the past. Different schedulesof mowing in different areas could introducemeadows and wetlands to the park’s degradedlawns. Through appreciation for process andfunction, the park could live up to its potential as acultural space of continuous adaptation and re-use.

Programming for a changing city

Newly available post-industrial sites have alsoencouraged designers to reconsider how openspace is programmed. Traditional parkprogramming has been enhanced withcontemporary, landscape-supported recreation,nature appreciation, and sometimes directinvolvement with landscape processes. InDuisburg Nord, for example, one can scuba dive informer gasholders or rock climb on an old orebunker.

Queens, NY, is host to new waves of youngimmigrants. Flushing Meadows Park, thoughoriginally outfitted with baseball fields and tenniscourts, has new needs because of its new users:soccer and volleyball from Central and SouthAmerica; cricket, kite flying and dragon boat racingfrom Asia. Old infrastructure has also inspired newuses: skateboarding and rollerblading in old, dryfountains.

The traditional all-lawn park is supposed to allowfor multi-functional use, and it does - up to a point.We must reconsider how old parks can supportspecific new forms of recreation. Again, this hasled me to consider the increased functionalityprovided by a use of varied surfaces. Acombination of all-weather synthetic turf,meadows, wetlands, woodlands, and paved areaswould provide multi-use recreational surfaces aswell as the room for natural processes to occur.An all-lawn park cannot fulfil all of these roles atthe same time.

(Continued on page 7)

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(Continued from page 6)

Landscape architect as pioneer

One component of land reclamation is the idea ofthe landscape architect as pioneer. The designercannot wait to be hired to do these jobs. He/shemust find the sites and seek out the clients bydiscovering the actors and agents that influence thelandscape. Additionally, gaining new parks leads tothe necessity for creative new economic solutions toopen space. While a landscape architect workingwith a city is not a new thing, a landscape architectapproaching a city with his/her own ideas for adegraded, old park is much less common. Cost-efficient design solutions for severely impaired parksmay more quickly and easily fall into place thanlarge scale master plans and expensiverenovations.

The changing urban landscape

Cities are moving and developing in different ways.Landscape architects are attempting to understandhow landscape can contribute to new patterns ofurbanism. Some cities have increasingly dense,prosperous centres alongside new communities ofimmigrants in older suburbs. Urban design hasresponded in several ways. One example is thenew interest in waterfront development. Designershave re-developed formerly industrial waterfronts tocapitalize on recreational social space within theurban core. In New York, economically efficientdesign through management could greatly improvethe ecological function and beauty of older “lawn-and-tree” parks for the huge populations living inthe economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods ofouter boroughs. Inspired recreational programmingcould make the most of these limited, over-usedopen spaces.

Other cities are dealing with a loss of people livingin the centre, as they sprawl horizontally. Here wehave been presented with possibilities for re-defining under-used land as low intensity naturalopen space. In these cities urban parks presentslightly different opportunities. Again, these spacesrequire new thinking. As the city moves, the parkshould be able to gracefully move as well: playingfields become meadows; succession is allowed totake hold of an edge. Rather than grasp at anantiquated idea of park as lawn until itunceremoniously falls into uncontrolled neglect,could we not help these urban centres capture anew kind of beauty and improved ecologicalfunction? Landscape architecture may not be ableto forcibly change the way American cities grow,but it may be able to direct sprawl urbanization toinclude cohesive, green space networks.

Urban parks may be a good place to startexperimenting with these ideas. Because theyalready belong to the public, they introduce thisnew “informal” aesthetic, while remaining socialspace in the public consciousness.

In conclusion, I feel that existing urban parkspresent problems and opportunities which havenot been fully embraced. In recent yearslandscape architects have invented completelynew typologies in the urban landscape. They havedeveloped efficient and inspired tools for dealingwith these sites. Notably, they have in some casesbroken design’s reliance on the continuous cycleof wasteful degradation/renovation, to deal withthe material of time and process. Like brownfields,older parks do not need to be completely erasedand re-built in order to substantially improve theirservice to the city dweller (human, wildlife, andvegetal). They should be reconsidered as thecity’s needs change, and re-thought nimbly andefficiently to better serve both the urban dwellerand the earth itself.

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Sarah Siegel won the 2006 IFLA Student Design Competitionfor her submission Flushing the Meadows – relaxing a post-World’s Fair urban landscape.

Sections: Flushing Meadows Park

The partnership of Wimmer Yamada and Caugheyhas a fifty-three year history of practice in SanDiego, California. Principal in the firm, Pat CaugheyFASLA, has followed their half-century celebrationswith induction as President of ASLA for 2007.

I met Pat in his San Diego office (pictured below) inlate March and was shown the panels celebratingthe interesting history of the firm. While Pat hascontributed 20 years of service to ASLA, thefounders of the firm also made distinguishedcontributions to the profession through ASLA.

Pat has selected three themes for his year-longpresidency: stewardship of the land, professionalleadership, and promotion of the profession. Whilethere, we discussed a favourite topic of Pat’s, whichhas also been the theme of Landscape ArchitectureMonth in the USA this April, that is, landscapearchitecture as a career. Thirty ASLA chapters haveresponded with projects and events throughoutApril, including the design and construction of localparks with students.

“The United States is not graduating enoughstudents to meet the growing demand for landscapearchitecture services”, he told me. “We are in direneed and we want to get more kids involved inlandscape architecture.” He is representing ASLAon the national board of the Architecture,Construction and Engineering (ACE) MentoringProgramme, and has been an ACE mentor in SanDiego. The programme works in high schools toincrease student awareness of design andconstruction professions, and to encourage them tostudy and take up a career in this industry. Thereare some 75 mentoring programmes active throughACE. He said that the profession needed to workmuch harder to attract students, and urged morementoring and scholarship programmes. For everyfive practitioners retiring only one graduate iscurrently entering the profession in the USA.

Pat called for IFLA to address educationalstandards globally as well as standards forprofessional licensure. His concern was that withinsufficient students graduating to respond to the20% a year increase in demand in the UnitedStates, practices would be searching elsewhere forskills. They needed to be confident with thestandards of education in other countries. This is aproblem which already affects a number of othercountries and IFLA’s chair of Education, ProfessorJim Taylor is working with his team on the issue,with recent meetings in Europe, where accreditationstandards have been on the table for several years.

On stewardship Pat said that sustainable designhad crossed the range of professions and all weretrying to be “green”. Issues currently beingaddressed are renewable energy, recycling, andcareful design for reduced water use. Communitiesare attracted to water he said, but transplantedlandscapes which require irrigation and watering, inareas of low rainfall, create a burden for futuregenerations. His message was to educate peopleabout indigenous plants and local needs.

A love of horticulture led Pat into landscapearchitecture. Yamada, a previous leader of his firm,gave a lecture to his school. Pat was hooked andlater joined the firm. Pat was also a Sierra Clubmember and absorbed their philosophy on which henow bases his design philosophy: “leave onlyfootprints, take only memories, use only what isneeded”.

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An interview withPat Caughey,President of ASLA

Diane MenziesIFLA President

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Public spaces: experiences and expressionsexamined the role of public spaces, especially theopen spaces in the city, focusing on their valuesand the myriad overlaps and interweavings thatcreate this multi-faced, multifaceted, multi-layeredpotpourri of usage, behaviour, culture, architecture,and art. The onus was on designers to protect andrevitalize the inherited spaces, which are facingneglect and deterioration, and to set into motion apositive cycle of creating effective public spaces.The two days were completely charged by fourteeninsightful presentations by eminent speakers fromvarious countries and fields, the early morningheritage walks through the core part of Punelinking the proceedings.

The chief guest, IFLA President Dr DianeMenzies, inaugurated the event. She captured themood of the audience perfectly with her openingremarks by saying that we are the stewards of ourlandscapes, and that we should do our job withdetermination. She elaborated on the role of alandscape architect and the way in which theprofession is moving ahead: the green citymovement, the concept of green roofs, theconservation of biodiversity, water managementand water harvesting, and heritage conservation.The most important point she said was thesymbiotic communication between the decisionmakers and the designers, which can lead towardscreating the dream of spaces for people.

On behalf of Pune Chapter of ISOLA, Ms VarshaGavandi, landscape architect from Pune,welcomed all the honourable IFLA and ISOLAdignitaries, distinguished speakers, invitees anddelegates. All were then eager to hear the keynotespeakers Professor KT Ravindran, urbandesigner and Dean of SPA, New Delhi, andProfessor M Shaheer, senior landscape architect,New Delhi, who had been the teachers of many ofthe audience present.

Their presentations gave glimpses of the richand multi-layered experiences of Indian culture,the celebrations, the public spaces, theirtypologies, their uniqueness, and theirunprecedented transformation, and also aboutthe urgent demand for our attention towards theprotection, reclamation and creation of publicspaces integrating with new development.

Eminent speakers from other countries sharedtheir view and experiences in the afternoonsessions. Professor Tong-Mahn Ahn of theSeoul National University of the Republic of Koreaand Vice-President of the Asia/Pacific Region ofIFLA, demonstrated how in Korea they havetaken up the challenge of providing adequatepublic open spaces for the explosively growingurban areas, which accommodate 80% of thepopulation. He referred to various approachesbeing used, such as the implementation ofmandatory regulations on new developments,providing incentives and subsidy for creatingpublic spaces, and encouraging the donation ofland or voluntary development by individuals. Hementioned the key role of their government ingenerating and providing public spaces with manyexamples of sanitary landfills, several factorysites, and a large military base in Seoul beingturned into large city parks.

In the next presentation Mr James Hayter, IFLATreasurer, landscape architect and urbandesigner, demonstrated how the context and theassociations of the imaginary and physical worldmake spaces meaningful. He shared his thoughtson some of his original and distinct works inAustralia. Professor Peter Latz, seniorlandscape architect and town planner, Germany,talked about his work on post-industriallandscapes in Europe. He described how naturalprocesses are restored in the transformation ofthe large industrial campuses into public spaceswhere the boilers, windmills, and steel columnsbecome the sculptures in a green background. Itwas a process of metamorphosis of landfills tolarge public parks.

The work of Dr Subodh Kerkar, an avid land artistfrom Goa, India, left everyone enthralled. Hispassion for the sea made the seashore thebackdrop of all his works. The installations, sodramatic and unreal, were directly from his heart!

(Continued on page 10)

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Public spaces:experiences andexpressions

Report from the conference of theIndian Society of Landscape Architects(ISOLA) held with the 1st Asia PacificRegional Conference (APR) of IFLA, 9-10 February 2007, Pune, India

Anjali Kumthekar

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(Continued from page 9)

The last presentation of the day was by Mr KiranKalmdani, urban designer and conservationarchitect. His work on the restoration of ShaniwarWada, an important historic monument in Pune, is asuccess story for the team of urban designer,visionary bureaucrats, and politicians. It was allabout the process of revitalizing the historicalmonument, making it a happening public space forthe city. The day ended with a brief audiovisual workon Mumbai Locals, the rapid mass transit system ofMumbai City, perceived as a mobile public place bythe students of architecture, Mumbai. Theevening was made special by the vibrant KathakDance performance, choreographed on abstractand contemporary themes by Ms Shamatai Bhate,distinguished classical dancer from Pune.

Day two of the ISOLA Conference started with aheritage walk around Shaniwar Wada through the oldcity centre. And in the same spirit the morningsession began with Professor K B Jain, senior urbandesigner, Ahemedabad, India. The focus was tounderstand the intent and content of public spaces intheir spatial and temporal context with layersconsolidating time and space.

Then Professor Anuradha Mathur, landscapearchitect and Associate Professor, School of Design,University of Pennsylvania, shared her work on theterrain of the Lower Mississippi, and of the SouthernDeccan Plateau in India. Her work goes beyondobjectifying the landscapes as, say, river or plateau,to draw out a more dynamic and layered landscapethat demands negotiation more than control. Sheexplained a new way to look at the maidan, a widelyprevalent form of open space in India and itsmeaningful existence.

The afternoon panel discussion featured aneminent architect from the city, a leading landscapearchitect, and a senior bureaucrat, all talking abouta better tomorrow: architect Narendra Dengle,landscape architect Kishore Pradhan and MrRamanath Jha, Municipal Commissioner, Pune in1995-1997.

When urban design and architecture lose theirdirection, landscape design brings balance toecology, sustainability, and the urban fabric. This iswhat Ar Christopher Benninger, urban plannerfrom Pune, illustrated in his comprehensive workfor the new complex at Thimpu, Bhutan. PralhadKakkar, advertising film director, revealed a wholenew world under the ocean. He hoped landscapearchitects would come together and battle forhealthier environments and a healthier world.Martha Schwartz, the renowned landscapearchitect and artist from the USA, presented herrecent works from various countries, conceived andexecuted at the highest artistic level. Her workswere unconventional, bold, and graphic statements.

The conference concluded with a question andanswer session conducted by Dr Shishir Raval,landscape architect, Vadodara, and Ms AnjaliKumthekar, landscape architect, Pune. This gavean opportunity for the enthusiastic student audienceto interact with all the speakers. This was followedby a vote of thanks by Mr Jayant Dharap,Chairman of the local organising committee ofISOLA in Pune. To judge by the positive feedbackfrom the speakers and the delegates reaching thePune Chapter of ISOLA, the conference was asuccess. The achievement lies in the relevant andtimely theme, the extremely insightful and diversepresentations, and the great teamwork of the localorganising committee.

Landscape and people. Photo: James Hayter

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11

The 2007 Congress celebrated the long standingprofessional interaction and friendship between Cubaand Canada. The programme was developed inpartnership with the Union of Engineers and Architectsof Cuba. Representatives from IFLA were present andPast President Martha Fajardo was invited as a specialguest.

Speakers and sessions. The keynote speakersaddressed the three conference sub-themes: Heritageand Cultural Landscapes, Parks and NaturalReserves, and Sustainable Coastal Development.Carlos Jankilevich of Costa Rica provided an overviewthe context of the Caribbean region, and providedexamples of his work in tourism and coastal planningin Central America and the Caribbean. Dr Orestes delCastillo presented the Cuban heritage context andJames Dobbin showed his work in developingcountries of Africa related to environmental andlandscape planning, as supported by the World Bank.

Technical programme. An important aspect of theCongress was to present the profession of landscapearchitecture to members of the Union of Engineers andArchitects of Cuba. Landscape architecture is not yetrecognized by the central government and theeducational institutions in that country. Two afternoonsessions were dedicated to presentations by membersof IFLA and the CSLA regarding the profession of

landscape architecture in terms of organization andpractice. James Taylor and Martha Fajardo presentedan overview of IFLA activities and programmes. CarlosJankilevich, Americas Region Chair of Membership forthe Meso-American Region discussed professionaldevelopment and educational opportunities in theregion. There was considerable interest in theprofession from the architects and engineers present.However, some barriers to the recognition of ourprofession in Cuba do exist. The group of presentersalong with the leaders of the Cuban Union is picturedbelow right.

Design charette and tours. The Congresscelebrated professional interaction throughcreativity and design in the form of a DesignCharette. This exercise involved Canadian andCuban professionals, Masters students in Regionaland Urban Planning from the Instituto deplanificacion fisica, as well as children and otherusers of the space. The focus of the charette wasPlaza del Cristo in old Havana, and was led byRaquel Penalosa CSLA of Montreal. The Plaza ispart of the Historical Centre network of publicplaces identified by the Plan Maestro, therevitalization plan of Old Havana.

Both walking and bus tours were an important partof the programme and provided conferenceparticipates a view of heritage and contemporarysites, a major park restoration project, and localneighbourhoods. In the evening Cuban music,wonderful food and dancing was enjoyed by thedelegates.

Conclusion. The final banquet was held outside inthe plaza in front of the beautiful baroque churchpictured above. It was a wonderful conclusion to theconference that provided those in attendance withthe feeling of heritage and the Latin ambience ofthis beautiful island. All left Havana with a greaterappreciation of the local culture, the heritagebuildings and plazas, and the challenges facing theCuban people. Our Cuban colleagues now have abetter understanding of landscape architecture andwe hope that through the efforts of IFLA and theCSLA we may be able to further nurture ourprofession in Cuba in the future.

Landscape synergy:an exchange ofculture, ideas, andopportunities

Report from the Annual Conference of theCanadian Society of LandscapeArchitects, 28 February-3 March 2007,Havana, Cuba.

James Taylor

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1st IFLA Regional Conference of theAmericas:Landscape Design in the 21st

Century

24-27 May 2007 at the Camino Real Hotel,Mexico City, Anzures

Keynote SpeakersDiane Menzies (New Zealand) IFLA PresidentFernando Chace (Brazil)Kongjan-Yu (China)Mark Treib (USA)Thorbjörn Andersson (Sweden)Mario Schjetnan (Mexico)

Student, member, and non-member registrationsrates differ before and after 10 May. Seeregistration form attached.

Students Design Competition on thetheme Urban Ecotourism

Organized by IFLA, the Mexican Society ofLandscape Architects (SAPM) and UAAP, theLandscape Architecture Programme at the NationalAutonomous University of México (UNAM).

Objectives

o To recognize the skill of landscape architecturestudents in creating imaginative but feasibledesign proposals that contribute to makingurban spaces more livable.

o To promote the profession as an essentialdiscipline to improve the quality of urban life.

o To recognize and showcase the high standardof students´ proposals.

Awards

First prize includes sponsorship of study and $700USDSecond prize includes sponsorship of study and$350 USDThird prize includes $175 USD

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Conferencesand Competitions

Further information at: www.sapm.com.mx

Questions

To be received before 11 May 2007 at:paisaje@correo.arq.unam.mx

Proposals

To be received before 12 May 2007 at:Unidad Académica de Arquitectura de Paisaje,Facultad de Arquitectura,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,Ciudad Universitaria,Coyoacán,C.P 04510

Attn. M. en Arq. Amaya Larrucea Garritz

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REGISTRATION FORM Registration no.

Date: field for organizers

Name:Address: Firm No. No. Int.

Street

City Zip Code CountryTels: Fax.E-mail:Web Page

Invoice to:Address: Street No. No. Int.

City ZIP Code. Country

REGISTRATION FEES1

Before12 April

Before10 May

After10 May

Number Subtotal

Students2 $60.00 $90.00 $120.00Members $150.00 $180.00 $250.00Not members $200.00 $220.00 $300.00Technical toursThursday- May 24

J.1. DowntownJ.2. ChapultepecJ.3. Barragans housesJ.4. Bike Tour Chapultepec

Sunday, May 27D.1. Private GardensD.2. UNAM,Botanical GardenD.3. Tecno Parque, AntaraD.4. Tepotzotlán-XochitlaD.9. Bike Tour Downtown Coyoacán-University City

$35.00$35.00$35.00$35.00

$40.00$40.00$40.00$50.00$40.00

$35.00$35.00$35.00$35.00

$40.00$40.00$40.00$50.00$40.00

$35.00$35.00$35.00$35.00

$40.00$40.00$40.00$50.00$40.00

Welcome Cocktail Reception $20.00 $20.00 $20.00Congress Closing Dinner $60.00 $60.00 $60.00

Payment Total:

1 All prices in US Dollars. Please send check to Sociedad de Arquitectos Paisajistas de México, A.C., Sombrerete 507, Col.Condesa, 06170 México, D.F., MEXICO. Tels: ++52/55 5515 24 05, 52 40 86 11 and 12, Fax:++52/55 52 72 82 77Email: desiree@netvoice.com.mxFor Money Transfer (please send deposit slip via fax or email):Depo-sits in

Corresponding Bank City SWIFT/ABACODE

Beneficiary Bank Account no. FinalBeneficiary

Account no.

USD JP Morgan Chase New York 021000021 BMSXMXMM BANCOSANTANDER S.A.

400047144

CAD Toronto DominionBank

Toronto TDOMCATT BMSXMXMM BANCOSANTANDER S.A.

0360012271668

EURO Banco SantanderCentral HispanoMadrid

Madrid BSCHESMM BMSXMXMM BANCOSANTANDER S.A.

BMSXMXMM

Sociedad deArquitectosPaisajistas deMéxico, A.C.

8250020289-3

2 Please enclose copy of student ID

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTSSOCIEDAD DE ARQUITECTOS PAISAJISTAS DE MEXICO, A.C.1st CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAS -V NATIONAL CONGRESS

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The International Urban Landscape Award 2007

The International Urban Landscape Award 2007 will honour a ground-breaking, newly designed orredeveloped urban space. Relevant urban design projects – residential blocks or mixed-use areas,neighbourhood developments, estates, and urban districts – implemented in EU countries including Norway,Iceland and Switzerland, in the USA, Canada and Mexico will be considered.

The award comes with 50,000 Euro prize money. The prize money should benefit the community in which thewinning project is located. Deadline for entries: 31 May 2007. The sponsors of the International UrbanLandscape Award are: Eurohypo AG (Eschborn, Germany) in association with Topos – International Review ofLandscape Architecture and Urban Design (Munich, Germany), and A&W Architektur&Wohnen (Hamburg,Germany).

Malaysia welcomes the world to the 44th IFLA 2007 World Congress in Kuala Lumpur

IFLA 2007 World Congress Registration Starts NOW!Venue: Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala LumpurDate: 27-30 August 2007Log on: www.ifla2007.com for Congress Registration & Hotel Booking

IFLA 2007 World Exco & Council Meeting (for IFLA Exco & Council Members ONLY)

Venue: Shangri-La Hotel, PutrajayaDate: 24-26 August 2007Log on: www.ifla2007.com for Meeting Programme and Hotel Booking

IFLA2007 Student Charette and International Student Design Competition

Venue: D-Ark Resort, Janda Baik, PahangDate: 24-26 August 2007Log on: www.ifla2007.com for Student Programme and Registration.

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International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) World Congress

For more information visit http://www.ifla2007.comConference notice: IFLA 2007 World Congress Kuala Lumpur August 2007

Further information at: http://www.iflaonline.org/news/EH_IULA07.pdf