Adaptable Landscapes in Housing Renovation: A Tool for Activating Local Territorial Communities

Abstract

Based on the basic theoretical principles and the existing practices of community involvement into planning, the article explores the ways of improving urban landscapes of residential territories, especially in the process of housing renovation. Researchers of different countries increasingly focus their attention on adaptability of landscape in the process of housing renovation and identify the main actors in this process. Local communities are strongly motivated players in the process of improving residential areas, providing the planners and architects with the ideas for programming, designing and implementing diverse housing projects on different scales. At the same time, the local communities themselves get strengthened by consolidating their interests towards achieving common goals in the territory of their interest. Housing renovation process is a perfect sphere where local communities could express their goals of improving living standards in the existing area of residence. The main interest areas of local residents for better living space and the surrounding area are presented, where landscape is seen as an important consolidating element. As a physical resource, landscape is important for local communities for its recreational function in a close environment also in connection to wider urban landscape. Providing green links for the residents among local, urban and suburban areas is a way to develop an integrated landscape system. As a visual element, landscape has an impact on visual identity of the residence that is perceived and memorised by residents. The article gives a set of recommendations on the ways of improving the methods and practices of complex urban renovation underlining community-based landscape development plans.