Designing With People: How Participation Shapes Sustainable Landscapes

At LAND, we believe that great landscapes are not only designed for people—they are designed with them. Participation is not an accessory to our practice; it is a cornerstone of our methodology. Across Europe, from Alpine valleys to coastal lowlands, we are actively integrating participatory processes into our design approach to ensure that our landscapes are inclusive, resilient, and rooted in local identities.

Our LAND Research Lab, through its involvement in EU Horizon-funded projects, is at the forefront of innovative co-design. With HeritACT, we are redefining public spaces in Milan by involving cultural institutions and communities in transforming heritage sites into inclusive, green, and vibrant urban commons. Different participatory formats are tested to ensure accessibility, safety, and vitality are not abstract goals, but shared priorities.

Similarly, in GreenIn Cities, we collaborate with local governments, students and citizens to develop Nature-based Solutions tailored to urban needs, fostering dialogue to prioritize human and non-human well-being. Inclusivity, transparency, and shared decision-making are prioritized through a structured co-creation methodology.

Participation also plays a key role in our recent work in South Tyrol, where we support municipalities like Schenna, Brixen, and Tirol in their sustainable development programs. These projects are driven by a desire to listen: to local stories, needs, and ambitions. The resulting visions are shaped not only by data and design principles, but by shared aspirations for livable futures — where landscape, settlements, mobility, and tourism evolve hand in hand.

Further north, in Cuxhaven, our role as landscape consultants in the Geeste lowland demonstrates how participatory tools can support climate-adaptive transformation in territories with a strong agricultural identity. Engaging stakeholders at every scale helps us reconnect fragmented environments and communities, turning ecological challenges into shared opportunities.

 

Participation is not just a method—it is our way of making design a living process. It’s how we ensure that the landscapes we imagine are not only sustainable, but meaningful and truly shared.