Including Diverse Voices in Sustainable Landscape Design

Key Discussion Points:

• Sustainability encompasses more than just conservation; it involves meeting all societal needs without favoring one value over another.
• Landscape design is a proactive rather than reactive approach to work towards sustainability.  
• Engaging diverse stakeholders around common values rather than perceived threats on the landscape.
• Identifying compatible objectives between diverse stakeholders is key to designing sustainable landscapes. When aligned properly, different reasons driving actions can still lead to mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Inclusivity is crucial – ensuring that underrepresented groups have a voice at the table helps avoid repeating historical patterns of inequity and environmental injustice.
• Tackling historical patterns of inequity through inclusive decision-making processes involving underrepresented communities.
• The importance of sustainability in designing landscapes that meet societal needs without compromising ecological values.

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Resources:

·         Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy Partnership

·         Southeast Conservation Blueprint

·         Global Biodiversity Framework

·         Landscape Sustainability Science (paper)