Teaching landscape architecture: a discipline comes of age

Abstract

Two new books on landscape (architecture) teaching, provided the rationale for this paper. It aims to place these into the context of the development of the landscape architecture discipline in Europe. A description of the beginnings of European university education follows an outline of the genesis of the profession. Moves towards European integration in the 1980s supported the establishment of an institutional framework, allowing the creation of a critical mass of academics, giving new impetus to teaching and research. An EU-funded Thematic Network supported the preparation of a common education guidance document, responding indirectly to the European Landscape Convention’s call for university courses for landscape specialists. The Convention also stimulated a renewed focus on landscape in other fields of study. This has also broadened the horizons of landscape architecture teaching to encompass approaches from related disciplines. Finally, the paper discusses how landscape architecture education should respond to emerging societal challenges.