International keynote speaker announced for Place Forum: Thinking big, Thinking beyond

In a changing climate, challenges to our infrastructure and pressure on finances, how do we support a big vision for our infrastructure and landscapes? How do we take a place-based approach ensuring that the investments and changes are people-centred?

In the third Place Forum, Architecture and Design Scotland, Scotland’s design agency, will explore large-scale projects that are rooted in local communities.

The event will be chaired by Heather Claridge, Architecture and Design Scotland’s Director of Design, who said, “Our Place Forum series has already looked at place through the lens of its impact on child poverty and delivering net zero carbon buildings and neighbourhoods. In this next event, we want to explore places at a larger scale – Scotland’s landscapes. We have invited a diverse range of speakers to share their approaches on working with others to respond to issues and opportunities rooted in place but with national and global relevance.” 

The keynote speaker at the event will be Dr Liljana Jankovič Grobelšek who is the head of Planning of Ljubljana City Municipality. Dr Liljana Jankovič Grobelšek is an architect who is working for the thriving and vibrant capital city of Slovenia, determined to always put public interest in the forefront.

The other presentations include:

• Renewables powering communities - Brendan Turvey of NatureScot will talk about this bold new approach to embracing the energy landscapes of the future.
• Climate Action Coastlines - Landscape Architects Lisa MacKenzie and Anaïs Chanon of ESALA will present on their Climate Action Coastlines project looking at natural coastal adaptation.
• Falkirk Greenspace Strategy - Alistair Shaw of Falkirk Council will provide an overview of the award-winning Falkirk Greenspace Initiative which links towns, villages, waterways and greenspaces in a coordinated and collaborative way.
• To see ourselves as others see us - Morag Bain, Architecture and Design Scotland, will talk about what lessons from Scotland we have been able to bring to the international scale, including through the Scotland + Venice project.

This free event is held online on Microsoft Teams.
22 November 11:00-13:00

At Architecture and Design Scotland we work to make the Place Principle an everyday reality – to transform how Scotland’s places are planned, designed, delivered and sustained.  

The Place Principle is where people, location and resources combine to create a sense of identity and purpose. It asks that all those responsible for providing services and looking after assets in a place work and plan together, with local communities, to improve the lives of people, support inclusive and sustainable economic growth and create more successful places.  

To do this successfully we must find opportunities to learn from each other and to make connections. This is why we have introduced the Place Forum. Very much in line with the Place Principle we wanted to make sure that there was a place where practitioners and decision-makers could meet.

Image of Conexus Douglas West credited to 3REnergy