Ambition and Reality for Young Landscape Architects

Within the Academy, in our research and teaching activities we believe in the strategic role of the landscape project for relevant and urgent global challenges: climate change, loss of biodiversity, risk mitigation and resilience, environmental regeneration, social inclusion. However, if we looked beyond the classroom window, we realise that the landscape project does not always have the same consideration. Our graduate must confront with this external world, facing the gap between ambition and reality. It is important to stop and think about the real or perceived limits of the landscape project, the difficulties we encounter in letting “others” understand its potential, the real possibilities of action for young landscape architects. With “others” I mean the clients, in particular the public ones, who at least in Italy, tends to underestimate the landscape project; secondly professionals from other disciplines and, last but not least, architects who deal with building and urban design.