Designing public landscapes is only half the story. This symposium asks how we manage, garden, and sustain them so that people, plants, and places can flourish together over the long term.
In partnership with Landscape Institute London, The Land Trust, The Peabody Trust, and Care not Capital.
Following the success of our recent Urban Greening Symposium: From Pavement to Plants at the Garden Museum, our second gathering turns to a pressing theme: the long-term stewardship of public spaces to deliver biodiversity and community wealth in public spaces.
Designing Green Spaces is only the beginning. The true success of green spaces lies in how they are cared for, nurtured, and sustained over decades: supporting ecological processes, enhancing biodiversity, and improving connections to nature. Yet the challenge is clear: while capital funds flow into build costs, long-term financing for skilled management and maintenance is often lacking.
This symposium will explore how we can address this gap, asking:
– Session 1: What is happening now?
– Session 2: What skills are missing, and how can we build them?
– Session 3: What frameworks and resources are needed to secure effective long-term management?
Across three sessions, participants will hear from practitioners and leaders who are tackling these questions head-on. We will also get to share our knowledge and experiences in workshops.
Expect:
– Understanding the real costs of maintenance versus outcomes.
– The drivers for investment in caring for the landscape versus the capital costs
– Case studies of long-term stewardship.
– Discussions on monitoring landscapes over 30 years, and what it really takes.
– Exploration of the direct links between gardens, health and wellbeing, pollinators,
– How to lever investment from biodiversity net gain, climate mitigation and other public and private funds
By focussing on horticultural practice, biodiversity, and community engagement, this symposium aims to reframe maintenance as an investment in resilience, social value, and ecological success.
Expected outputs include: Summaries, Key take homes and action plans plus a briefing paper for the development of proposals as a result of the symposium.
Join us to help shape a future where public spaces are not only designed well, but the investment required for long term performance and sustainability is a priority from the outset.
