collaborative design & protected landscapes
“the Countryside Agency recognises the
importance of good design in achieving a better quality countryside in
social, economic and environmental terms – making places
attractive for people to live in, work in and visit so that communities
are sustainable in the long term.”
Sustainable design principles for the
Landscape Access and Recreation Division of the Countryside Agency, May
2006
Protected landscapes in the UK are the site of many interests. People
who wish to use land and water for its recreational use, scientific
interest, economic benefits, heritage worth and not least their
aesthetic value. Balancing these, often conflicting, interests makes
their management a challenge.
Questions that arise include: How is it possible to reconcile
protection of environmental assets with the fact that they are living
cultural landscapes which face significant economic and social
pressures like the decline in traditional agriculture, loss of
tranquillity and changing social make up of villages and towns ? How
can local economies be developed without significant impact on
resources and how can visitors be encourage to use the land in a
sustainable way ? In the face of these issues land managers must
continue to look for new ways forward and engage communities in the
process.
Strategies involving artists in this area have ranged from the staging
of spectacular events that retain a sympathy with the environment to
the use of art in interpreting the mythologies and stories of places.
Artists have also been asked to assist in consultation with
communities, finding out what their hopes and aspirations are for the
future. As part of this new partnerships are being forged with
organisations like the Forestry Commission, British Waterways and the
National Trust that develop innovative approaches to conservation in
the 21st century. A key success factor in these new relationships has
been collaborative working, bringing in a wide variety of expertise
from scientists, designers, educators and managers.
Areas where art and design can contribute include:
• Developing new spaces for leisure and
recreation in the countryside which accommodate both people and
eco-systems
• Enhancing renewable energy structures, waste
management or other facilities to address visual impact, or other
design concerns
• Allowing spaces for play as well as purposeful
recreation for health or education
• Enhancing understanding of the importance and
irreplaceable nature of our historic environment through new
interpretative strategies.
Rural Roads Protocol
Road for the Future
Links
Collaborative processes in public art projects
This section of public art online contains specially commissioned reports of the collaborative process written from personal experience by respected practitioners in the public art field, artists, architects, engineers and many others
Natural Partners: Arts in the Protected Landscape (2006)
This publication is designed to encourage those working in protected landscapes and in the arts to explore innovative ways of working together for mutual aims. It outlines the contribution the arts already makes to the rural agenda, illustrated with case studies that demonstrate good practice. Published by Arts Council England, South West (ACESW) and the South West Protected Landscape Forum (SWPLF).