The countryside sustains our cities and towns and the people that live in them. It provides food, recreational space and opportunities to engage with natural processes but, is under extreme pressure. Many rural areas are becomingly increasingly suburban, accommodating large scale growth or change that erodes intrinsic landscape character.
‘Wildernesses' hold resources viewed by many as fundamental to the creation of a greener economy and their exploitation presents a major challenge to those wishing to protect the environment.
However, the countryside presents huge opportunities for reducing CO2 emissions, adatping to climate change and delivering a low carbon economy and the jobs of the future. Our expertise in energy and climate risk and opportunity mapping is at the forefront of creating landscapes and habitats that are resilient to climate change, while shaping strategies and providing important carbon sinks.
LDA Design has wide knowledge and experience of change management, conservation and planning in all types of landscape.
The practice has been involved in the designation and management of protected areas as diverse as the South Downs and the Giant's Causeway. We have pioneered new landscape planning techniques and brought together our development and environment experience to devise green infrastructure strategies for growth areas. We work to help small rural communities grow and provide affordable housing for local families. In our most exposed uplands and coastal areas we are seeking to influence and plan for sensitive development of renewable resources such as wind power.
Our ecology team leads on creative conservation and habitat management, helping the natural environment adapt to the challenges of climate change and rising sea levels.
