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Thursday Opening Presentation
'Wanted - one magic wand in good condition '
Transforming the perception of the role of landscape architecture
Sarah Gaventa is to set the scene for the two day conference with an entertaining twist to the conference themes.
Sarah will set out a quest to be taken up throughout the subsequent presentations and discussions and optimistically well beyond the close of the conference.
In an age where many of the most pressing enviromental and social issues could have landscape based solutions, what is the role of those in the sector, both in terms of professional practice, as well as the promotion of the value and role of the sector?
How do we ensure the right approaches are adopted by key decision makers and ensure that we make the case for landscape led approaches to address many of the issues that our cities are struggllng with?
What are the obstacles and challenges and where are the tools and arguments to be found to enable a transformation?
Sarah will provide a journey through some of the CABE’s successful ideas, highlight some of the UK’s approaches to public space, cast a spot light on the hot issues and the importance of the profession in the current economic, social and environmental climate.
Sarah will adapt this opening presentation to be more like a fairy story about a kingdom far far away (at least 24 hours by plane).
Sarah’s approach will be less than serious, will emphasis a few biases, and will pull no punches. Her presentation, guaranteed to contain no information gleaned from mobile phone hacking, will set a scene to be challenged and debated by delegates.
Sarah Gaventa was the director of CABE Space - the UK government’s advisor on public space from October 2006 until April 2011 when CABE (the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) ceased.
Sarah’s role included advocacy, thought leadership and advice on the design and management of public spaces including parks streets and civic spaces.
CABE Space helped public, private and voluntary organisations to understand the benefits of well designed public space.
Whilst at CABE Sarah was also the director responsible for inclusive and sustainable design and created a ground breaking project Sightlines with the Helen Hamlyn Foundation to explore the barriers faced by visually impaired people navigating urban environments. Sarah was also Director of Seachange, a three year £40 million capital grant programme for the cultural regeneration of seaside resorts – which involved support for many new public space projects.
Since April 2011 Sarah has been working as a public space, urban design and cultural regeneration consultant for clients such as Somerset House and The Sorrell Foundation.
She has just been appointed to chair the Regeneration Forum for the Elephant and Castle area of South London– the biggest urban regeneration project in the UK.
Sarah is a member of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Expert Panel, Transport for London’s Design Review Panel, is a founding member of the London Architecture Festival, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and in 2010 was made an Honorary Fellow of the Landscape Institute for outstanding contribution to landscape .
Sarah has a B.A. from University College London and an M.A. from the Royal College of Art. She is the author of thee books including ‘New Public Spaces’ for Mitchell Beazley. Sarah lives in the Barbican in London.
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