HOGENT researchers wrote book about 'The future of estate landscapes in Europe'
The common perception of historic estates is that they are static. Yet today, as in the past, a number of historic estates have become leading innovators. Within the HOGENT research centre Futures Through Design, these historic estates are one of the research themes. Four researchers wrote a book on the subject: 'The future of estate landscapes in Europe' .
Research shows that historic estates can be small, larger or sometimes even extensive dynamic cultural landscapes, with a great deal of potential for owners, society and researchers alike. They are often breeding grounds for an integral, holistic approach across different functions, sectors and stakeholders.
Dynamic country estates have in common their entrepreneurial and cooperational mindset. They challenge the status quo. They open up new ways of dealing with heritage and nature preservation, sustainable food production, social inclusion, sustainable tourism, climate change and renewable energy.
Integration in education
In the HOGENT research on which the book is based, interactions with private and public owners, civil society organisations and policy-makers through workshops and living labs have revealed many innovative themes, such as water management and food production. The expertise was also integrated into the curricula of the bachelor in Landscape and Garden Architecture and the advanced bachelor Landscape Development, where students worked on the theme of historic estates from different scales - from garden to region. The confrontation of their practice and refreshing views on the research results was a perfect example of interplay between research and education, a key focus within HOGENT.
The book 'The future of estate landscapes in Europe' brings together this expertise in four main themes: management, policy, design and the innovative perspective of food forests. Each theme is introduced by an article that puts the general trends, principles and challenges into context.
For each theme, the authors demonstrate approaches, opportunities and limitations in relation to the theme in question, using various cases of historical estates in the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium. The book is illustrated with informative maps and very nice photography.
The Future of Estate Landscapes in Europe
Editors: Steven Heyde, Sylvie van Damme
Co-editors: Bert De Roo en Stefanie Delarue
Publisher: Blauwdruk Publishers, april 2022
Pages: 160
Price: 37,50 euro