This presentation attempted to evaluate the first year of a three-year project funded by the Erasmus + strategic partnership program funded by the European Union. The LED-Landscape Education for Democracy project aimed at developing a new online/on-site course that would fill a gap in current design and planning education regarding issues of landscape and ecological democracy, social justice and democratic design theories and practices. The presentation was given at this year's 5th Fabos Conference that took place in Budapest June 30-July 2nd.

1. 5th FABOS CONFERENCE ON LANDSCAPE AND GREENWAY PLANNING
Deni Ruggeri, PhD | Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Kristin Faurest, PhD | Szent István University
30.6.2016

2.  Frederick Law Olmsted | urban parks as egalitarian places for socialization/health
 Greenway planning| environmental justice and equitable public open space access
 European Landscape Convention | landscape as infrastructure for community
life/identity
 The ‘right to landscape’ | Landscape as democratic resource
 Participation/stewardship | Necessity to involve citizens in design/planning
 Spatial planning education | lack of opportunities to engage in participatory
planning and processes in design and curriculum
 Service learning | learning through partnering with communities Citizen science|
from expert knowledge to native wisdom
LEDProject|
Theoriesandrelevance

3. LEDProject|
Partners
http://d-maps.com/m/europa/europemin/europemin09.gif
Szent István University
University of Bologna
Norwegian University
of Life Science (coordinator)
Nürtingen- Geislingen University
University of Kassel
LE:NOTRE Institute (NGO

4. Online Course |
Pedagogical goals
 cross-culturalism | To engage students from diverse geographical areas to engage in
 cross disciplinarity | problematizing and investigating landscape democracy as a
collaborative effort across environmental design fields
 alternative pedagogies| working creatively and efficiently in a virtual environment
 leadership | enhancing future design and planning professionals‘ competence in the
context of a globalized practice
 Enhancing knowledge of participation | lectures involving practitioners and scholars
in community design, landscape architecture and planning worldwide

5. LED project |
Methods
 Twelve live interactive online sessions with international lecturers/invited speakers
 Interdisciplinary and international group work with students from Norway, Germany,
Italy, Hungary and other European/world countries
 Pre-post surveys and reflection
 LED certificate upon successful participation
Summer sessions
2016, 2017, 2018
On-Site Workshop
5 ects
Online Course
5 ects
Spring semesters
2016, 2017, 2018
 Project begun in 2015 to fill a gap in landscape architecture and planning curricula
 Funded by EU Erasmus + strategic partnership funds (€ 309,000)

6. Online Course |
Seminar Structure
April- June 2016
PLENARIES
ASSIGNMENTS
&
ACTIVITIES
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1
31.03.-21.04.16 28.04.-05.05. 12.05.-19.05. 26.05.-02.06. 09.06.-16.06.
19.06.-29.06.2016
On-site intensive workshop
in Zingonia, Italy
A B C D E
Theories and
practices of
Participation
READINGS AND SYNTHESIZING CORE TERMINOLOGY
Community
& Identity
The Design
Process
Communi-
cation
F
2
Landscape & Democracy:
Mapping the Terrain
ROLE PLAYING OF MOVERS AND SHAKERS
LANDSCAPE SYMBOLS
3
4
5
YOUR LANDSCAPE DEMOCRACY CHALLENGE
PRESENTATIONS

7. Online Course |
The LED classroom

8. Online Course |
The LED classroom

9. Online Course |
The LED classroom

10. Online Course |
Theories and conceptual
framing
of landscape democracy

11. Online Course |
Theories and practices
of community
participation
TOP
DOWN
PARTNERSHIP
BOTTOM
UP
•Pro-bono design
•Collaboration and cooperation
•Socially responsible design
•Design-Built
•web-gis
•Ecoliteracy efforts
•barnetråkk
•Participatory planning
•Service learning
•Community Mapping
•Community Design
•Community organizing
•Community development
•Environmental justice
•Urban agriculture/ community
gardening
EXPERT
KNOWLEDGE
Science/objectivity
Social Sciences/
phenomenology
LOCAL
KNOWLEDGE
IMPETUS AND
POWER FLOW
FORMS OF
ENGAGEMENT
KNOWLEDGE
PRODUCTION
Co-created Design
High-design

12. Learningactivities|
Reflectingonthe
symbolic/democratic
importanceoflandscapes

13. 06/07/16
Learningactivities|
Role-Playing.Moversand
shakersin community
participation

14. The on-site design workshop focused on the application theories and methods from the on-line course to
envision sustainable redevelopment strategies to solve a landscape democracy challenge. The workshop will
engage students to partner with municipalities, community groups and residents
Intensive Program |
Zingonia
19th -29th June 2016

15. Osio Sotto
Verdellino
Verdello
Boltiere
Ciserano

17. Intensive Study Program|
Zingonia
19th -29th June 2016

18. 1970 2010

20. Intensive Program |
Zingonia
19th -29th June 2016
Listening
Partnering
Transforming
Co-visioning
Co-designing

21. Online Course |
Pre-post survey
Question (1=disagree; 6=agree) Pre Post Diff.
N= 74 N=35
I feel very prepared to lead a process that engages
communities and users in shaping their own
landscape designs and plans 3,16 3,91 0,75
Design and planning should be concerned with
access to all social groups, especially those who are
at the margins of society 4,95 5,60 0,65
I am able to recognize relevant stakeholders in my
community and to identify power structures 3,85 4,49 0,64
I am aware of problems regarding democratic
decision-making with respect to my everyday
landscape 4,26 4,77 0,51
Understanding the feelings and perceptions of users
toward their neighborhood landscapes can benefit
landscape management 5,18 5,66 0,48
I think that my education as a designer/planner has
given me all I need to lead design processes 2,68 3,11 0,43

22.  Greenway planning requires knowing about participation and engaging the
public, and there is a gap in our education in terms of the opportunities to engage
with these important issues
ID17_ could fill my gaps about designing with these topics lecture.
ID19_Coming from a design background which is a more of an expert background.
it was interesting to know things from the other side of the aisle
ID30_This topic is very much new to me and I feel it's really a good approach to
involve people in design process as it helps to know people's need.
Online Course |
Findings : a gap in
landscape and planning
education
Regarding the
level of your
previous
knowledge on
landscape
democracy
and
participation:
Which answer
applies to you?
N = 35

23.  Enhancing knowledge of participation | lectures involving practitioners and
scholars in community design, landscape architecture and planning worldwide
ID52_In the [landscape democracy challenge] we had the chance to design a
community strategy process. I really appreciated taking part in this seminar. It was
so enriching for me and hopefully I will apply new visions and technical tools to my
community landscape democracy challenge soon in real life.
ID2_On the whole the course was fine and will give me enough core material to be
able to process this later on in the year when I [will] write my thesis
Online Course |
Findings on the theories
and knowledge engaged
Which of our
seminar topics
contributed best to
further developing
your knowledge on
landscape and
democracy?
N = 35

24. Online Course |
Findings related to
collaboration
 To learn how to work creatively and efficiently in a virtual team – a relevant
future competence in the context of a globalized practice
ID2_People dropped out without informing other group members and one group
member would come and go.This left two of us to carry on and made it difficult for
us to incorporate the others, as we were unsure whether they would "turn up". It
also meant they were not a part of any ongoing discussions.This meant particular
problems for the other group member who was regularly participating when I
personally had emergency issues that had to be dealt with
Would you say that
your working group
has met the
objectives of the
seminar
assignments? 50%
30%
20%
Yes, absolutely
Mostly
We met the minimum
requirements
No, we did not
N = 20
(only active participants)

25. Online Course |
Findings about the
assignments  Which assignments were most important to you?
ID30_Reading resources are very rich. And by doing movers and shakers I came to
know about different designers and their way of work.
ID26_Because you applied the readings to your local environment, and started
reading differently your surrounding.You realized space is a social construct.
ID6_The assignment "Your Landscape democracy challenge" was interesting
because (it) permits us to investigate our landscape and the process that here are
taking place with new eyes!
Which
assignments
contributed best
to enhancing
your knowledge
about landscape
democracy?
16%
16%
16%25%
27%
Reading and Synthesizing Core
Terminology
Your Landscape Symbols
Role Play on Landscape Democracy
"movers and shakers"
Your Landscape Democracy
Challenge
Your Democratic Change ProcessN = 20
(only active participants)

26. Erasmus+ |
Lessonslearned
 Technology has allowed us to reach a greater than usual audience, both
geographically and socio economically
• landscape architects were the majority, architecture students were the
second largest group, planning the smallest
 The course has succeeded in raising awareness in design and planning students
about landscape democracy challenges
 This core knowledge is valued as an asset in their professional life
 Greater confidence in those who participated to become agents of change
 The course shifted their values toward greater democracy and respect for
participation
 Pre-post survey was a key instrument
• Self reflection
• pedagogical “responsiveness”
About the course
 Collaborations require commitment and challenging in a long distance setting
 Students valued assignments that tested their strategic skills
 Students appreciate the intercultural context and the multiple perspectives
 Role playing and the ethics of participation
 Students asked for greater interactivity and dialoguing in future courses

27. Moreinfo?|
Led-project.org
or
info@led-project.org