[URBANTH-L]Call for Papers - 3rd International Conference on Landscape Architecture X-LArch III 2009 Landscape-Great Idea!

[Eva Schwab]

3rd international Conference on Landscape Architecture, ILA Institute of
Landscape Architecture, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life
Sciences, Vienna, Austria.

LANDSCAPE - GREAT IDEA!  X-LArch III 2009
April 29th  – May 1st , 2009 , Vienna, Austria

In the year of 2008, 50% of the people worldwide are living in cities,
and this number is yet to increase, changing urban landscapes at an
accelerated pace. Edward Soja and Miguel Kanai announce the global urban
age consisting of the urbanization of the globe on the one hand and the
globalization of urbanism as a way of life on the other. Globally the
structures of landscapes and settlements are converging - resulting in
types of urbanity which are hard to distinguish. In the context of
spatial development landscape plays a crucial role (at least) in the
professional discussion.

The production of landscape has always been based on a construct of
ideas. As ideas shift along societal changes, the meaning of landscape
is subject to constant mutation.  Designed and built landscapes function
as a catalogue of interpretations of nature, of society, of economics,
of cultures.

What role can landscape play to restructure our decision and
design-processes, our environment and our perception?

The conference wants to foster exchange and debate among researchers
from across Europe and beyond. It provides a forum for cross-national
and cross-disciplinary debate on the future of urbanity and landscape
and acts as a bridge between research and practitioners.

The conference LANDSCAPE – GREAT IDEA! is looking for contributions on
the ideas behind landscapes and landscape architecture. Which is the
background for the hype of landscape in a wide range of disciplines? Can
landscape work as an instrument, as an example and if so, how?

Call for Papers: The call for papers is structured in 2 main topics,
which constitute the base for organising the individual sessions. The
conference LANDSCAPE – GREAT IDEA! is looking for contributions on the
ideas behind landscapes and landscape architecture and the impact of the
manifestation of those ideas in design and development of landscape and
open spaces. The conference addresses all disciplines dealing with
spatial and societal phenomena of landscape. We welcome scholars from
diverse disciplines as well as practitioners: landscape architects,
artists, geographers, architects, urbanists, sociologists and others.
The selection will be based on an abstract proposed by the author(s).

Topics:
1. Scale matters

Landscape Architecture projects vary in size. Scale, however, seems to
increase in two ways: On the one hand projects themselves become bigger,
on the other hand the relational framework increases in size and
complexity. Also the concept and design of small projects are related to
the larger landscapes they are situated in.

Is there a connection between the way of interpreting, designing,
producing and using landscape and the scale of the related framework?
How can we investigate ideas and meanings through design or site
analysis? Is urbanization or de-urbanisation a reason to adapt the scale
of thinking landscape?

Key words: new approaches to site analysis, landscape research
methodology, non sites Landscape Urbanism, urban landscape, landscape as
framework, project size.

2. Landscape as a model
The frequency in which the term ‘landscape’ is quoted in the context of
(urban) development suggests that it is taken as a means for
improvement. In which way can landscape act as a model or an instrument
to enhance spatial qualities? How do ideas interact with the built
outcomes? Ideas and ideologies change, they seem to become
interchangeable due to globalised mechanisms. Can we identify ideas
behind “new landscapes”, or the way they were developed?

Key words: innovative design strategies, design analysis, landscape
ideas, historical landscapes, public spaces, changing landscape uses,
cultural context of landscape and open spaces.

Deadline forPlease e-mail your abstract to: greatidea at boku.ac.at

Or submit via the conference homepage

http://x-larch.boku.ac.at/index.php/x-larch/greatidea09/schedConf/cfp

For any questions concerning the conference, please feel free to contact
us at: x-larch at boku.ac.at 

DI Eva Schwab
Institut für Landschaftsarchitektur
Department für Landschaft, Raum und Infrastruktur
Universität für Bodenkultur Wien

Tel: +43/1/47654-7235
Mob: +43/650/9436203