Education for sustainability: a focus for landscape architecture

Abstract

We are nearing the end of the United Nations decade of Education for Sustainability. The aim of this initiative is to explicitly incorporate learning about sustainable development in educational programmes as a contribution towards a sustainable future for our planet. The Education Charter of the International Federation of Landscape Architects refers to the improvement of landscape architectural education, and encourages the adoption of Education for Sustainability as a significant component of all accredited landscape programmes. Spicer et al. (2011, 2012) identified four key aspects of a full curriculum of sustainability: the science of sustainability; questioning of current norms; looking towards a sustainable future; and reasons for variable progress in meeting the goals of sustainability. A focus for accredited landscape programmes is proposed which incorporates these aspects to provide a comprehensive grounding in sustainability, enabling landscape architects to contribute in a meaningful way to the achievement of a sustainable future.