Landscape architecture process to think the energy transition at school : a spreading concern
Abstract

To fulfill the COP21 objectives, both public sector and energy professional field must install energy transition on territories. Methods had emerged to prepare the shift to more sustainable energy value chain and spatial planning is beginning to set. Inhabitant perceptions and sensitive approaches are frequently used in order to « reduce » visual impacts from infrastructure changes, often programing on the edges of the project planning, as a decorating step. Spatial aspects of energy transition, especially on large easement for transport infrastructures, are treated in separated ways then excluding thinking the complex influences of these aspects. However, thinking beforehand perceptions leads at taking into account projectual visions of territories by the stakeholders. Then,it is possible to suggest a more sustainable project, inspiring from sharing (or not sharing) visions of the infrastructures. The studios driven at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Paysage of Versailles Marseille constitute a laboratory to develop the energy transition analysis of young landscape architects by theirs skills in landscape project process. Based on the 6 first studios in 2012-2016, which were built with energy firms also partners of the Landscapes and Energy Chair, we propose a transversal reading of these first results. The graphic analysis on the studio productions and the stakeholders reactions (verbatims) are used to describe this new perspective on energy transition. What we found is an increasing interest in landscape architecture tools from energy transition stakeholders, in local authority as much as in energy firms. Indeed, environmental stakes dealt with social ones ; the synthesis by aesthetic aspect of drawings and maps gives the vision of how could be considered infrastructure areas in the making of energy transition. The example of the landscape project process created on ground easement under high voltage lines brings to consider the connection of spaces and the existance or creation of ecologic corridors, answering social needs as public areas free from access, which comprises new common goods. This affirms that living landscapes could be enhanced by integrated infrastructures. Feed backs from partners underline how this practice distances them from their studying and makes them thinking it different, reflecting their considerations for infrastructures in their environment. Landscape project process seems part of the recipe to provocate modifications of perceptions, essential ingredient to think and trigger the change.

Video
Keywords
Landscape architect ; energy transition ; studios ; landscape project process