Landscape architect Sara Korkeamäki received the Lappset scholarship

The prize-winning thesis Land use based on habitat types – Implementing natural habitat types in the spatial planning of Petas, Vantaa presents a habitat-wise design method in which different habitat types are used as the starting point for land use planning. The method challenges human-centered planning and shifts the focus to the needs of habitat types and the relationships between them.

Korkeamäki describes the method as a thought experiment in which habitat types are placed at the center of planning.

"This method suggests that habitat types are literally characters that support all life, including humans. This illustrates their importance—all life on Earth depends on vibrant habitat types", Korkeamäki underlines. The idea of personalizing habitat types originally arose during a studio course prior to her thesis work, together with Nea Vesterinen.

The aim of the thesis was to determine how habitat types could be better incorporated into land-use planning. The method was applied to Petas district in City of Vantaa, where its potential for improving the consideration of habitat types in the area was assessed.  The idea for the thesis topic came from Korkeamäki, and City of Vantaa made it possible to carry out the work as a commissioned project.

Habitat types to the focus of planning

The award citation states that the thesis offers a concrete and interdisciplinary planning method for the current challenge of biodiversity loss, combining ecological impact with changes in values and attitudes.

The strengths of the work were considered to be, in particular, the development of the method and its credible application in a real planning context in collaboration with city experts. The thesis was carried out through workshops, field trips, and scenario analysis, which makes the results directly applicable in practical planning.

Korkeamäki emphasizes that the purpose of the work is not to provide a model that can be adopted as is, but above all to inspire new ways of thinking about habitat types as part of future planning systems. 

According to her, involving habitat types can generate solutions that support biodiversity as part of a broader, comprehensive response to biodiversity loss.

The thesis was supervised by Associate Professor Elisa Lähde and guided by The Chief Landscape Architect of Vantaa Laura Muukka and Park Planning manager and Landscape Architecht of Vantaa Sirpa Mäkilä.

The Lappset scholarship is a prize for the year's best thesis in landscape architecture. It is awarded annually to the author of a meritorious thesis in the Landscape Architecture programme at Aalto University. The prize amounts to EUR 2 000 and is donated by Lappset Group Oy.