The research centre for inclusive access to outdoor environments
In association with Landscape Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art
and the School of the Built Environment, Heriot-Watt University.
Open Space : People Space
Open Space: People Space, the international conference hosted by OPENspace research centre was deemed a great success by delegates and speakers alike. Boasting over 250 delegates from around the world, the array of expertise offered both experienced and novice delegates the chance to discuss and debate current issues, share information and gain specialist knowledge in their specific field.
The aim of the conference was to:
“Review recent research and debate current issues surrounding good
design for open space and social inclusion - spaces and places for the 21st
century.”
Search the conference proceedings ...
View photographs of the conference ...
Researchers, policy makers, designers, planners, managers, countryside and urban greenspace staff and students were encouraged to attend. The conference was of value to the design professions, social and environmental scientists, and those working in the social services, recreation and tourism, health care and community development.
Launching the Conference
The conference was opened by Barbara Doig, Chief Researcher for the Scottish Executive, who emphasized the importance of the conference themes in the context of Scotland’s future development. The opening day finished with a Civic Reception where delegates and accompanying guests were invited to attend the Edinburgh City Chambers. A welcoming address was given by Councillor Trevor Davies, Convener of Planning, in which he highlighted his support for the aims of the Conference.
Keynote and plenary speakers
Ken Worpole, Urban Social Policy Advisor, UK
Marc Treib, Professor of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Nilda Cosco, Natural Learning Initiative, North Carolina State University, USA
Judy Ling Wong, Black Environment Network, UK
Jan Gehl, Urban Designer, Copenhagen, Denmark
Catharine Ward Thompson, OPENspace, Edinburgh College of Art, UK
Sean Prendergast, Peak District National Park Authority, UK
Simon Bell, OPENspace, OPENspace, Edinburgh College of Art, UK
Anne Begg, MP Aberdeen South, UK
Peter Aspinall, OPENspace, Heriot-Watt University, UK
Terry Hartig, Institute of Housing and Urban Research, Sweden
John Zeisel, Hearthstone Alzheimer Care Ltd., USA.
View the photographs of the conference speakers...
Conference Themes
The conference covered four main themes, each theme represented by parallel and plenary sessions divided over 3 days.
Space to Grow: making space for children and young people
Urban lifestyles, which even rural children often live these days, place many restrictions on their freedom to explore and enjoy their environment. Topics under this theme embraced a range of issues from the benefits of natural environments for pre-school child development to aspects of autonomy and social identity in teenage experience of outdoor places.
Design for All: making space for social inclusion
People's perceptions of accessibility in the outdoor environment determine the success or otherwise of practical measures. It is important to understand the psychological as well as the physical dimensions of access, whether the focus is on older people, disabled people, minority ethnic groups or the public as a whole. Topics here included design for outdoor environments so that people feel confident and feel safe.
Healthy Places: making space to improve quality of life
Many studies have argued that being out in the landscape, whether in a city park, a town square or a countryside setting, is potentially good for people's health. The landscape can play a vital rôle as a "restorative" place, where people get away from stress, relate to natural seasons and elements and experience physical and psychological wellbeing as a result. Topics under this theme included the value and accessibility of nature on people's doorsteps as well as issues of healthy lifestyles in relation to the broader environment.
Tourist Places: making space for leisure and recreation
Developments in the tourist industry are focused on maximising the number of visitors who can access different environments in ways that are enjoyable and which do not damage the very qualities those visitors wish to experience. This applies equally to town and countryside, to provision for local people and for international visitors. It has a particular impact on historic and environmentally sensitive environments. Topics here included methods for high quality, inclusive landscape and urban design which are appropriate to local character and sense of place.
Search the conference proceedings ...
Field Trips
Participants were encouraged to take advantage of the following Field Trips:
'The Yard' adventure playground for children and young people with additional support needs, Eyre Place, Edinburgh: Established in 1986 as the Scotland Yard Adventure Centre on the site of a disused railway goods yard on the northern fringe of Edinburgh's historic Georgian 'New Town', this has an inclusive indoor play hall and outdoor play environment including sensory garden and water feature.
Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh:
Described as "Scotland's largest living encyclopaedia of plants with
rare and colourful treasures from around the globe", including Chinese
Hillside, rock garden, extensive glasshouses and exhibition areas. It has
an educational programme for children and young people.
Website:
http://www.rbge.org.uk
Hermitage House and the City of Edinburgh Council's Ranger Service,
Braid Road, Edinburgh: A visit to Hermitage House visitor centre,
Hermitage of Braid park and Blackford Hill. The Council's Senior Ranger
gave a talk about the city's ranger services and 4,500 acres of parks, open
spaces and woodlands.
Website: http://www.cecrangerservice.demon.co.uk
Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh: A visit
guided by Kenny Fraser, the landscape architect for Scotland's brand new
parliament building, designed by architect Enric Miralles and RMJM, Edinburgh,
close to Holyrood Palace, Holyrood Park and Our Dynamic Earth exhibition
centre.
Website: http://www.scottishparliament.uk
Water of Leith Conservation Trust Visitor Centre and Redhall Walled
Garden, Lanark Road, Edinburgh: Described as "Edinburgh's
hidden natural asset", the Water of Leith flows swiftly through west
and north Edinburgh down to the port of Leith. There was a presentation
at the Visitor Centre on its heritage and wildlife and how these are being
conserved and enhanced.
Website: http://www.wateroflieth.edin.org.
Redhall Walled Garden is run by the Scottish Association
for Mental Health to provide a supportive environment for people with or
recovering from severe and enduring mental health problems.
SAMH Website: http://www.samh.org.uk
View photographs of the field trips...
Gala Dinner
To conclude, the Gala dinner was held at Our Dynamic Earth, a permanent exhibition and education centre, designed by Michael Hopkins & Partners to facilitate a better public understanding of the processes that have shaped the Earth. It is one of the Millennium Commission’s largest projects in Scotland to date, completed in 1999. The old red sandstone basement of the former William Younger brewery forms the base with a concrete frame structure above topped with eight 24m-long steel masts covered in a tensioned, white, fabric membrane. It is sited next to Holyrood Palace and Enric Miralles’ new Scottish Parliament building, all set against the dramatic topography of Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags.
Our Dynamic Earth’s interactive and virtual environment exhibits which simulate earthquakes, volcanoes and other earth-forming processes were made available to dinner guests to explore.
View photographs of the Gala Dinner...
Student Design Competition
Judging Panel
Chair: Professor Kathryn Moore, President of the Chartered Landscape Institute,
UK
Nilda Cosco, Natural Learning Initiative, North Carolina State University,
USA,
Judy Ling Wong, Black Environment Network, UK
Jan Gehl, Urban Designer, Copenhagen, Denmark
Marc Treib, Professor of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley,
USA
Students of landscape architecture, urban design, planning or architecture were invited to design and submit drawings and other presentation material for a public open space that is shared between individuals and groups of people with different needs and preferences. Designs were invited that welcome people of all ages, including children and teenagers, people of all abilities, including people with sensory, mobility or cognitive impairment, and people of all backgrounds, including different cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
The challenge was to design a public open space that is not only accessible
to all but which addresses the needs and preferences of its users to make
a place that is attractive to all. This required an understanding of the
different requirements of users and the constraints which deter use; it
also required an understanding of site programming and flexibility of use.
All in all 43 entries were submitted from around the world. The Student
Competition Committee chose four short-listed entrants who were invited
to attend the conference. The final judging was carried out by a panel of
experts from the keynote speakers, chaired by Landscape Institute President
Kathryn Moore.
First Prize
The first prize of £1,000 was awarded to Li Lung-Chieh, Niu Chun-Chian, Wu Ying-Ting and Ting Chien-Jung of Shih Chien University, Taiwan for their project entitled ‘Community is Your Home’. They were given financial assistance to attend the conference with their instructor, Chiu Yung-Teen Annie, and to receive the award plus books worth £100 from Spon Press.
Commendations
3 prizes for the shortlisted entries were awarded to:
Clare Tebbs, David Hoschenhau and Chandra Lesmeister from the University of British Columbia, Canada for their project ‘Urban Youth Garden’
Lydia Fass of the Rhode Island School of Design, USA, for her project ‘A Democratic Backdrop for Urban Occupation’
Övünç Tarakçyoölu, Duygu Sener, Elçin Ertügrul, and Basak Ucar of the Middle East Technical University, Turkey, for their project ‘A Gateway to Inclusive Univercity’.
View photographs of the student competition award winning entries …
Post Conference Tours
Post conference tours to the following places were enjoyed by many participants:
Glasgow Parks, Playgrounds and Public Space
Portrack - Charles Jencks’ Garden of Cosmic Speculation
Re-Union Community Barge canal boat trip and Ratho Adventure Centre
Hopetoun House, South Queensferry and Culross, Fife
View photographs of the post conference tours...
Feedback
The response we have received has been overwhelmingly positive and delegates have suggested that OPENspace hold another conference in future.
“I hope there will be a next Open Space conference some time later”
“The conference as a whole was excellent. There should be more of this kind of international conferences. It is always good and important to ‘see beyond the end of your own nose’, to get to know what researchers and planners are working on in the whole world and what is state-of-the-art in different countries.”
“…the combination of plenary presentations, session presentations, workshops and field trips was very good and inspiring. The workshops were nice because there you had the opportunity to discuss and get into one single project in detail.”
“Overall the conference was very enjoyable with delegates from a range of disciplines and nationalities. The venue was superb. Everything was well organised and the general quality of presentations was good.”
“I found it very useful that the conference was truly international and there was an opportunity to get to know the different aspects of some problems or research topics from different counties. I also found the parallel sessions very useful because they provided the opportunity to discuss and debate some topics and exchange opinion.”
“The opportunity to meet prominent speakers in the field of open space was a memorable experience and such exposure allows one to update their current info with regards to the topics.”
Conference Kites
The conference gift to each participant was a kite; we have been sent some great photographs of participants flying their kites in their home territories – please keep them coming!
View photographs of conference participants flying their kites ...
Conference Partners and Sponsors
OPENspace are grateful for the support received from their partners, the International Play Association (IPA), and the City of Edinburgh Council and from sponsors of the conference: VisitScotland, the Scottish Executive, the Forestry Commission, Scottish Natural Heritage and Spon Press.
