Landscape architects are often seen in society only as landscaping or park design specialists, without thinking about their extremely wide and significant role in shaping not only spaces, but our environment in the broadest sense. Today, landscape architects are emerging as leaders in communities and looking at the environment more holistically than ever before.

"Traditional role of landscape architects, was that they were mainly focused on strategies, designs, projects. And although there was time allocated to consultation and giving feedback to draft plans. In many projects the needs of communities and local people were not really understood. This calls for processes of co-design and co-creation in which landscape architect have an important role in facilitating the process", says Jeroen de Vries, head of the LE:NOTRE Institute, landscape architect.

in 2000 the signing of the European Landscape Convention led to many changes in the field of landscape architecture: the association of landscape architecture schools was developed – ECLAS (European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools) was established, the network project "Le:Notre" was launched, which became the LE:NOTRE Institute, which operates as part of ECLAS and aims to develop interdisciplinarity in landscape architecture.

This fall, Jeroen de Vries visited Vilnius and shared his experience with Vilnius Gediminas technical University (VILNIUS TECH) Master's students in Landscape Architecture. J. de Vries drew attention to the applied practice in Vilnius: "In the city I saw a good development of public space, maybe a bit design oriented. What I saw is still missing is to design for good water management and climate mitigation. This calls for less hard surface, run-off systems in which the water is infiltrated, more tree canopies. In some areas there is still too much priority given to cars, car parking with narrow spaces for pedestrians".

According to the head of LE:NOTRE, contemporary landscape architects must develop interdisciplinary competencies and develop co-creative organisational skills: "Landscape architects must pursue the competencies necessary for democratic sustainability leaders. The Open Landscape Academy defines the concept of landscape democracy and the necessary skills: landscape democracy is the right of humans and non-humans to the landscape and the responsibility to act for equality, inclusion, healing, reparation, and justice".

VILNIUS TECH Master's students in landscape architecture together with Jeroen de Vries examine the topic of productive landscape in more detail. "Students are interested in new approaches. The programme of VILNIUS TECH really approaches cutting edge themes, such as sustainable energy, sustainable food planning, and this opens up new pathway for their personal and professional development", Jeroen de Vries shared his impressions.

This year, VILNIUS TECH started the Master's program in Landscape Architecture and welcomed the first Bachelors in Landscape Architecture. VILNIUS TECH is part of the ECLAS, actively creating a dialogue between members of the European landscape academic community and representing interests in a wider European context.