Does the landscape profession need professional societies? Yes. Institutes, societies and similar bodies have a vital role: in promoting landscape architecture, in maintaining standards - and in raising standards.  

This podcast is about the past, present and future of the Landscape Institute - and about the term ‘landscape architecture’. Though it’s focus is on the UK, I’m also thinking about the wider, and international, questions of WHY landscape architects NEED professional institutes and of WHAT their main objectives should be. There is an illustrated version of this podcast on YouTube.

Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe had a significant role in shaping the UK Institute of Landscape Architects (which became the Landscape Institute) and founded the International Federation of Landscape Architects in 1948. He had the same idea about both institutes: their central role should be in  promoting landscape architecture.