Let's G R E E N Our Land.............

ATTENDING IFLA-APR 2012 CONFERENCE IN SHANGHAI

Posed at Minhang Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Tongji University), Shanghai,

after presenting the paper

What is IFLA?

The International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) is the body representing Landscape Architects worldwide. Its purpose is to coordinate the activities of member associations when dealing with global issues, and to ensure that the profession of landscape architecture continues to prosper as it continues to effect the design and management of our environment.

The organization represents the landscape architectural profession globally, providing leadership and networks supporting the development of the profession and its effective participation in the realization of attractive, equitable and sustainable environments

The values IFLA promotes include professionalism, integrity and accountability. As an organization, we celebrate the contribution landscape architects make to our quality of life and the importance our profession has in the sustainability of our planet. Now, IFLA has Member Associations representing 61 countries.

What is IFLA-APR?

IFLA APR stands for IFLA Asia-Pacific Region. Asia Pacific is one of geographic area within IFLA. The whole geographic areas of the world within IFLA are defined as:

Africa-Mid East Region
Americas Region
Asia-Pacific Region
the European Region

IFLA-APR Shanghai 2012

The Congress theme, “Better Landscape, Better Life” presents landscape architects in the region with an opportunity to focus on, and publicize, what we as landscape architects inherently believe – that one of the key elements in creating enhanced quality of life is the quality of the landscape that we live in, work in and recreate in.

Shanghai has been chosen as a host for this IFLA-APR Conference. I think that is a perfect choice. Shanghai is one of the highly civilized open cities that is well-known for its beautiful urban parks, suburban forest lands and wetlands integrated into one green space system contributing to the eco-harmonic modern city development concept. Shanghai is cultural city with many historic and cultural heritage gardens throughout the city like Yu yuan (yu garden) in down town, Qushui yuan (Gu Shui garden ) in Qingpu District, jiangnan water town , etc.

Zhujiajiao water town with the cruise sailing along the river. It is well-known as Shanghai's Venice. There are so many water town in China well-known as Jiangnan water town.

In Chinese, Jiangnan means South of the Yangtze River. It is one of a place

Tom Cruise used as a Film setting for Mission Impossible.

Yu Yuan (Yu Garden) at down town. Water element enriches the

harmony atmosphere among noisy city

Yu yuan garden. It is located in the middle of noisy and busy Shanghai's City. It creates

a very relaxing atmosphere that citizens should have for their well-being

My Participation

Fortunately, I was chosen as a presenter and a host in IFLA-APR Congress in Shanghai. On October 20th, 2012, I flew to Shanghai with proud ..:). It is a high-level professional conference. This is a great chance as well for me to see another world outside my own country, Indonesia. I presented my paper on Cultural Landscape Planning in Kampung Batik Laweyan, Surakarta, Indonesia. And of course, this is a great opportunity for me as well to introduce culture in Indonesia, especially matters relating to batik.

I brought batik as central point in my research because batik is an intangible cultural heritage officially established by UNESCO. Batik has been traditional clothing in Indonesia for centuries. We, Indonesian, are so proud of batik culture. Batik is a cultural heritage that must be protected and preserved very well to keep it exists for the next generation. Every motif of batik has its own meaning. Our ancestors expressed their philosophy through batik motif. They want to pass their message on their descents to share the wisdom, experience, and of course culture.

Of course, I wore batik clothing when presenting my paper to promote it in front of audiences around the world. I'm so proud of it. Batik has become popular as national cloth across Indonesia, from Sabang (West) to Merauke (East). No one among Indonesia people who never wear batik. Moreover, Government employee must wear batik on Friday, and this has been followed by another private office and corporation in Indonesia.

With Chairman of IALI ( Ir. Hengky, next to me) and participants from Indonesia. We wore batik to introduce our cultural heritage

Back to the IFLA Congress, the theme is "Better landscape, Better life".

Theme "Better Landscape, Better Life" is proposed on purpose. This congress is held in order to gather landscape architects around the world and provide them to share their knowledge, experience, and creativity each other in an international-scale forum. This is a great chance for me to get myself involved. I can see another professional landscape architects around the world with their great own work. I can see the brilliant idea, outstanding research, and great attempts to make the world so harmony, so beautiful, so comfortable with high quality of environment and landscape. They absolutely right that landscape architect has responsibility to realize the better life by creating the better landscape.

We posed after presenting our paper and after being chosen as host in session "Landscape

Resources and Cultural Landscape" with Dr. Jieqiong Wang from Tongji University,

Shanghai, and Liu Hailong PhD (Harvard GSD University visiting scholar.

Me and Zhaozhao Wu

During the congress, I had been surprised by one thing. After presenting my paper, I went out and met someone who became keynote speaker at the opening ceremony. He is popular with his name Zhaozhao Wu. He became one of favorite for all participants because of his published book about Chinese garden. He is a professor who has long engaged in landscape architectural planning and design. His project "Qingyin garden" has been given great golden award of 93 International Garden Expo. And one thing that had been surprising me was...He made a drawing of me with pencil sketch during my presentation! He gave me the drawing when we met by chance in corridor as a gift. what a surprise! I am so honored with that!

Posed in front of his publishing book at Jiao Tong (Tongji) University

Posed with Prof. Zhaozhao Wu with his sketch pencil of me. This is a valuable

gift because there is his sign on it. I should frame it very well. Very kind of you, Prof.

The Hotel We Stayed in

Rainbow hotel was chosen by committee for all participants to stay in. This is a four-star hotel located in Hongqiao development zone. It is close to Shanghai International Conference, a building we held the IFLA-APR conference in, with about 5 minutes distances by bus provided by committee. All participants got their discount to stay in this hotel and that really helped us to overcome the budget constraints. One thing I loved about Rainbow hotel was the view I had through my hotel room's window. I can see cityscape in different angle at day and night very clearly.

Unique building architecture decorating the Shanghai's city. I pictured

this view at dusk from my 14th floor hotel room. They looked so romantic and attractive

The Cityscape I captured at night gave phenomena of lively

Shanghai city that continually wakes up and never sleep all the time

The Cityscape I pictured in the morning. This is a face of

Shanghai when it warmly welcomes the morning sun.

Landscape architecture is a field of knowledge combining both art and science. landscape architecture produces an arrangements of forms, colors, textures and masses in outdoors by combining both natural landscape element and man-made landscape element, in any way horizontally or vertically, and takes account of many activities within the environment. We use the knowledge of landscape architecture to create enjoyable environment which is practical and artistic. It makes the environment more beautiful, harmony, balance, well-organized, and orderly. In the end the environment will satisfy the needs of human being and all of living creatures live in it, both spiritual and physical.

Much of landscape architecture's theoritical development has drawn heavily upon other disciplines as architecture. One important area of differentiation, however, is the central importance of the aesthetic and symbolic configuration of geological, and biological forms and processes, and their ecological interrelationships.

According to Garret Eckbo, An American landscape architect - notable for his 1950 book,-Landscape for Living, he believes that landscape architecture could and should combine both art and science. He said that e good theory of landscape design, then, must be a theory of form as well of function. It must be artistic as well as practical, in order to produce the maximum for those who will experience work influenced by it.

Landscape architecture must be distinguished from landscape design. A landscape architect possesses a higher level of skill, usually reinforced by a degree, than is possessed by a landscape designer. Landscape architecture calls for a broader skill base and sometimes carries greater responsibility. for example, a city or town ask a landscape architect to design a park. A landscape designer, by contrast, is more likely to work on residential landscaping than on landscaping for a park.