The Importance of Education in Terms of Environmental, Visual and Cultural Values from Perspective of Students in Croatia

Abstract

Rapid urban growth is causing environmental stress and degradation of green spaces at alarming rate. Landscape architects face, and have the ability to solve, a variety of landscape related challenges, and thus actively participate in shaping and maintenance of landscapes, as human environments. In present-day, nature can no longer be considered as a separate notion from human structures, hence landscape architects create efficient landscapes that facilitate both environmental protection and human well-being, what is achieved by producing and sustaining the boundary between human and natural systems. Landscape architecture is a profession with versatile definitions, but they can be summarised as follows – it is a value-laden profession concerned with creation of sustainable and productive landscapes. This study compiles basic theories regarding landscape architecture and landscape, and puts it in the context of landscape architecture value system. Firstly, study provides brief overview of landscape architecture history, and evolution of human-landscape relationship. This relationship is further discussed from the perspective of values, specifically environmental, visual and cultural values. Moreover, raising issue of landscape architecture recognition among similar professions was addressed and linked to landscape architecture curriculum, which has responsibility to train landscape architects capable of critical thinking, and with necessary knowledge and skill-set to deal with both theoretical and practical challenges of the profession. Lastly, this study provided overview of landscape architecture in Croatia, in the past and today. Issues such as inadequate landscape architecture curriculum, lack of public recognition, and unfavourable position among similar professions were also discussed. Semi-systematic literature review was followed by qualitative survey with undergraduate and graduate students attending the Landscape Architecture Programme in Croatia. The purpose of the survey was to collect students’ understanding of the importance of value system in landscape architecture, collect their opinions regarding landscape architecture education about value system, and gather their suggestions for improvement of landscape architecture curriculum, specifically about environmental, visual and cultural values. Survey was conducted via online software Google Forms, while participants were gathered by combination of purposive and convenience sampling methods. Results were processed with thematic analysis, aided by Taguette software. Raw data was coded inductively in two stages – descriptive coding followed by pattern coding. This study identified basic definitions of landscape architecture and landscape, and addressed issues regarding professions’ recognition due to fragmented theory base. Furthermore, it compiled various value concepts in relation to human-landscape relationship, and identified basic functions of landscape architecture value system, such as framework for definition of landscape architecture and its scope, and a role of a guideline for landscape architects in decision-making and solution-seeking processes. Moreover, it identified occurring problem in landscape architecture education in Croatia. Additionally, based on Croatian landscape architecture students’ responses, this study provides comprehensive suggestions for the improvement of curriculum regarding environmental, visual and cultural values in landscape architecture. Even though, this study has limitations, it can be used as a reference for programmes similar to the Landscape Architecture Programme in Croatia. Further, it raises several issues related to the link between landscape architecture theory and practice, thus it can be used as a starting point for future research. KEYWORDS: landscape architecture curriculum, landscape architecture value system, landscape architecture in Croatia