Abstract 3148 Title: Repositioning Landscape Architecture: Can Green Infrastructure (gi) Support the Profession's Evolution?

3148 Michael Lennon1 Karen Foley2 1. School of Planning and Geography, Cardiff University, Wales 2. UCD School of Architecture, University College Dublin, Ireland. Theme: Cultivation of Ideas (Reflective paper) Title: Repositioning Landscape Architecture: Can Green Infrastructure (GI) support the profession’s evolution? ABSTRACT While scientists continue to debate whether-or-not we have entered the geological era of the anthropocene (Crutzen and Steffen 2003), the challenges that we face as a consequence of our impact on the global ecosystem show no sign of abating. Such complex environmental issues demand input from a range of different discipline areas. Within the framework of the landscape architecture profession, this paper looks at the shifts in the concepts of “landscape” and “green infrastructure” (GI) in the current century. This paper describes a multidisciplinary Irish research project (ECO-Plan research http://www.ecoplanresearch.org/), which seeks to provide an evidence-baseWhile scientists continue to debate whether-or-not we have entered the geological era of the anthropocene (Crutzen and Steffen 2003), the challenges that we face as a consequence of our impact on the global ecosystem show no sign of abating. Such complex environmental issues demand input from a range of different discipline areas. Within the framework of the landscape architecture profession, this paper looks at the shifts in the concepts of “landscape” and “green infrastructure” (GI) in the current century. This paper describes a multidisciplinary Irish research project (ECO-Plan research http://www.ecoplanresearch.org/), which seeks to provide an evidence-base for the effective integration of ecosystems services and nature conservation with spatial planning by applying the GI concept as an integrative tool. This project is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency’s STRIVE programme. Some initial findings from this research are discussed below, with particular attention given to their potential implications for repositioning the landscape architecture profession.