Regenerative therapeutic and sensory gardens: a new paradigm
Author
Staniewska, Anna
Release date
2025
Place of publication
Göttingen
Publisher
Cuvillier Verlag
Published in
Regenerative Landscapes. Designing the Transition / edited by Ellen Fetzer
Language
English
ISBN
978-3-68952-834-8
Comments
This book presents selected proceedings of the 2024 Conference of ECLAS, the European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools. Regenerative Landscapes – Designing the Transition, has underscored the critical role of landscape architecture in navigating the complexities of climate change, biodiversity loss, and societal transformation.
1ˢᵗ edition
Shaping landscapes that are adjusted and adapting themselves to a climate change scenario can have huge innovation potential based on the powers of nature embedded in landscapes. Landscapes prove that not only nature can regenerate neglected or destroyed areas through a succession of pioneering plants but also research into therapeutic gardens shows that landscape can contribute to the mental well-being of people and regenerate us – the users. So landscapes can be regenerative in the way that they influence our behaviour.
The paper explores the aspect of regenerative landscapes in the context of historic therapeutic gardens and sensory gardens that need changes in their redesign, maintenance, and care related to climate change. This relates to several aspects. Firstly, a re-evaluation of planting choices is needed regarding their resistance to changing climate and extreme weather conditions while keeping the therapeutic features. Secondly, reducing the environmental impact of numerous costly and energy-consuming maintenance practices means that emphasis should be placed on nature-based solutions embedded in design to ensure its ecologically balanced functioning and systematic regeneration.
Furthermore, including the social context of regeneration can bring numerous benefits and advocacy for improving historical healing gardens and creating new sensory therapeutical gardens. Social engagement may be connected with involving people in the maintenance activities carried out as various green therapies. Also, an opportunity to use regenerative therapeutic spaces may contribute to a better understanding of the changing aesthetics and a shift from highly manicured representative green areas towards more naturalistic spaces that are more sustainable.
Such an approach can bring numerous benefits for both the heritage therapeutic gardens as well as their users activating hidden potential of the place and communities.
