ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that while ‘sustainable development’ is just one approach among many to ethical concerns about the environment, it seems to offer landscape architects a tangible way of relating their aesthetic, social and ecological values. ‘Sustainable development’, by virtue of its concern for human well-being, justice within and between generations, and for the integrity of supporting environmental systems, seems to offer a system of values which can, with some thought, be assimilated by environmental design professionals.
The extent to which the profession has already absorbed ideas of sustainability is then considered. On one hand, landscape architects may be open to the accusation that they have been complicit in the promotion of unsustainable development. On the other, they have demonstrated both a concern for the conservation, enhancement and creation of biodiverse habitats and a commitment to working with communities in ways which foster communal values. These are both valuable contributions towards sustainability. The chapter concludes by suggesting some of the directions landscape architecture must take if it is to place sustainable development at the heart of its concerns.
