The Landscape Institute's new President, Neil Williamson
The Landscape Institute has announced that Neil Williamson has taken up the office of President for the next two years.
Williamson, who began his duties earlier this month, is currently Head of Environmental Design within the Planning Service of New Forest District Council, and takes over from Nigel Thorne as the head of the chartered body for landscape architects.
He has almost 30 years’ experience as a landscape architect working for a variety of urban and rural authorities, including implementation and project management, community liaison, landscape planning, development control, public inquiries, policy development and promoting the design agenda.
Neil Williamson said: “I am delighted to take up office at such an exciting time for the Institute. The Institute has been changing very rapidly in recent years and it’s a very different organisation to what it was ten, five or even three years ago. A lot of changes have been set in motion – my intention is to embed them and to see them through to completion.”
Williamson identifies the shortage of landscape architects as the number one challenge facing the profession. "The shortfall is serious and likely to get more so,” he said. “We are responding to this and that’s why we have launched the ‘I want to be a landscape architect’ recruitment campaign and website.”
An LI Council member for the past six years, including two as Vice-President, Williamson chairs the Fellowship Admissions Board, led the recent comprehensive Membership Review and was a member of the Education and Membership Committee. He is a founding director of the Solent Centre for Architecture + Design, one of the UK’s newest and most vigorous regional design centres.
