13.06.2022

Rasmus Astrup: 'City Nature' - The 2022 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Lecture

In spring 2022, SLA partner and design principal Rasmus Astrup was invited to give the annual Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Lecture by the UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture in Vancouver.

In his lecture, Rasmus provides insights into SLA’s design process, thinking, and projects – and our ongoing work as Lead Landscape Designers for the QUAYSIDE development in Waterfront Toronto and the masterplan for the former Toronto airport DOWNSVIEW.

Cornelia Hahn Oberlander (1921-2021) was a trailblazing Canadian landscape architect who revolutionized mid-20th century urban play spaces, cleared the path for women in the profession, and designed several national and international projects of high natural, functional, and aesthetic beauty.

The filming of the 2022 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Lecture is provided by our generous clients Icona Properties:

Perspectives

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Cities are bad for us. Let's fix them

Cities can be inspiring places that bring out the best in us. But they’re often concrete jungles that make us ill and are still designed around the automobile. What if they were places in which you could thrive rather than simply survive? Another model is possible, writes Rasmus Astrup in the December 2024 issue of Monocle.

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Why Darkness Matters: Acknowledging the Rhythms of Nature

When did you last see a starry night sky? For city-dwellers, this experience may feel like a distant memory. Our extensive use of artificial light has turned ‘darkness’ into a diminishing phenomenon – not only affecting stargazers but also the health of humans, wildlife, and trees. As Pernille Bech-Larsen, lighting designer at SLA, will unfold, we have plenty of good reasons to let a little more darkness into our cities.

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