elp:rdu is a UK based research unit concerned with exploring the relationship between human experience and its spatial expression in urban open spaces. It develops, publishes and applies tools for the analysis and design of urban settings based on the innate human need to

• attach significance and value to preferred places
• find their way around
• know and identify their homeground

elp:rdu was formed by Dr. Kevin Thwaites of the Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield and Ian Simkins who practices as a Chartered Landscape Architect and freelance Landscape Consultant, IMS Landscape Consultancy based in North Yorkshire, UK.

Kevin and Ian are also active members of UStED (Urban Sustainability through Environmental Design) an International network of urban design theorists and practitioners formed to research, co-ordinate and disseminate tools of sustainable urban design, with special emphasis on urban public space and its value to sustaining fulfilled lives (www.usted-urbandesign.org). Click here to read extracts relating to The 21 Century Urban Problem

The UStED book: Urban Sustainability Through Environmental Design: Approaches to Time, People and Place Responsive Urban Spaces, is available from Taylor and Francis, a synopsis can be viewed by clicking here.

The book is edited by Sergio Porta, Ombretta Romice, Kevin Thwaites and Mark Greaves with contributions from: Mark Greaves, Sergio Porta, Ombretta Romice, Kevin Thwaites, Nastaran Azmin-Fouladi, Carole Després, Graeme Evans, Jo Foord, Hildebrand Frey, Barbara Golicnik, Vito Latora, Florent Joerin, Alice Mathers, Eugenio Morello, Aurore Nembrini, Peter Newman, John L. Renne, Dr Carlo Ratti, Ian Simkins and Dr Geneviève Vachon.

We are also actively involved with the international association for people-environment studies (iaps) where Kevin is a joint network convenor for the Restorative environments network: www.iaps-association.org/networks with Terry Hartig of the Institute for Housing and Urban Research at Uppsala University.

"Without understanding how our daily routines form and inform the goodness of our designs, the likelihood is that we at best perpetuate our own value laden opinions, and at worst our momentary whimsy, on the everyday lives of an unsuspecting public.” (Bob Scarfo, University of Maryland, 1992)

Experiential Landscape Place is an approach to urban landscape architecture which stresses the importance of place experience to the planning and design of fulfilling urban open space settings.

It is based on increasingly compelling evidence that quality of human life depends, in part, on there being a close bond of association between open space and human experience. Although this is known to be an important contributor to the psychological health of individuals and communities, it is not always given the same level of attention in the planning and design of urban landscape as, for example, technical, aesthetic or economic considerations.

The Experiential Landscape Place Research and Development Unit has been established to research the relationship between human experience and its spatial dimensions and explore how this can be applied to the design of better urban landscape.

The work, as it develops, forms an integral part of our educational practice and consultancy and is widely disseminated via conference presentations and papers in academic and professional journals.