Hur motiverar man beställare till att ge utrymme för landskapsarkitekten att arbeta med brukare i en planerings- och projekteringsprocess?

Sammanfattning: Residential estates are created without any adaptation to the users who will use them. Clients wouldprofit on involving users in an early project stage to create housing estates adapted to the user’s needsand wishes. Clients of the housing estates that require missions from consultants should realize that noone exclusive can represent other people's needs, regardless of the theoretical expertise they possess. TheSwedish million programme in the 1970s is an example of how objective expertise gained control, whichled to the creation of outdoor environments where few wanted to stay and live. A residential yard is partof a home, it is the urban man's garden and a meeting place for social interactions. Landscape architectshave a responsibility to help create a long-term development and a better adaptation for user needs. Itrequires that the landscape architects adapt their professional role, that they combine their knowledge andexperience and that they work together with users. A change in the clients’ role as a constituent is alsoneeded and a continuous dialogue between users and clients have to be maintained.The purpose of this work is to deepen the understanding of landscape architect's ability to motivateclients of housing estates, to make room for the landscape architect to work with users from the project'searly stage. The work presents the experience of what may affect attitudes towards working with users inthe planning- and design process of housing estates. Interviews with clients in the residential sector andlandscape architects point to the importance of communication are done by consensus. Understandinggives a feeling of security and a suitable language selection shows respect for the other operator’s role.Clients are motivated by arguments that they can absorb and when used the in the right context thesearguments receive a greater importance. Illustrative presented ideas in images or models inspire and arefor most people easier to relate to than a technical drawing. Clients are motivated by the commitment tofind the best-fit solution for their company. Interviewed clients and landscape architects believe thatusers should have the right to participate in the design of housing estates but the view of how involvedthey should be differs. Of those interviewed three out of five clients and four out of five landscapearchitects think that users should have the right to take decisions that affect their outdoor environment.Landscape architects agree that the client’s assignment can affect their ability to work with users. Clientsmay be inspired by projects which proved to be successful and be motivated by evaluations, research, thefounders behind them and by substantiated arguments that can show, for example, economic, timing orqualitative benefits. A well-planned resource allocation and schedule early in the project provides a solidfoundation for creating a balanced process. Clients who have social motives know that users 'participation in a process provides a qualitatively better and lasting results. The process can get users toenjoy and feel responsibility for the yard which leads to a more careful use of it, which can reducemaintenance costs. A housing company dependents economically on users as source of income and along-term saving strategy with users who live longer means a stable source of income.Interviewed client believes that landscape architects are well placed to lead users in a process and one ofthem stressed the landscape architect students' skills. All landscape architects do not have professionalskills or commitment to work with users and it is therefore not an obvious choice for a client.