Sandra Costa

Landscape architecture, landscape planning and urban design  
Health and wellbeing  
Urban agriculture and productive landscapes (socio-spatial experimentations, impact on urban fabric, temporary urbanism)  
Landscape perception and user experience (walking, embodiment,  urban experiences)  
Participant engagement and participatory approaches

PhD in Landscape Architecture, User Experience and Wellbeing
MSc in Urban Planning and Design
Licenciatura in Landscape Architecture

Landscape Institute
European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools
LE:NOTRE Institute
International Federation of Landscape Architecture

Designed Geographies
Landscape Culture and Nature
Collaborative Practice (Co.LAB)
Personal Research
Design Theory and Practice
Synthesis to detail
Thesis Design Project

Landscape, User Experience and Wellbeing

This subject investigates the choreographies of landscape experience associated with how urban experiences and place dynamics are sensed and negotiated towards positivity/wellbeing and the role of the environment in contributing to such achievements. It explores the in-depth emotional and physical person-place interactions, revealing experiences represented by self-defined choreographies that are modelled through a process of engagement and interaction, including movement, bodily engagement and introspection. The research seeks to further our understanding of the connections between the built environment and human health and wellbeing. Her methods have involved immersive walking, self-narrated walks and diaries, and she is keen to continue developing methods that acknowledge the user point of view.

Urban Agriculture and Food Urbanism

This second subject emerged from Sandra’s involvement in a multidisciplinary EU COST project from 2012-2016, addressing productive landscapes and urban agriculture in European cities. Growing food in cities is becoming a global movement, changing derelict spaces into engaging, exciting and green places for people to use. These socio-spatial experimentations have an impact on planning cities, whilst have potential for engaging marginalised social groups in the city life and advancing environmental-friendly and healthy lifestyles.

Coles, R., Costa, S. & Watson, S. (eds), (2018). Pathways to Well-being in Design. Examples from the arts, humanities and the built environment. Routledge

Costa, S. and Coles, R. (2018). The Self-Narrated Walking. A User-led Method to Research People’s Experiences in Urban Landscapes. Landscape Research, pp. 526-540

Coles, R. & Costa, S. (guest editors), 2018. Food growing in the city. Special Issue. Landscape and Urban Planning. Vol. 170, February 2018. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01692046/170/supp/C

Coles, R. & Costa, S., 2018. Food growing in the city: Exploring the productive urban landscape as a new paradigm for inclusive approaches to the design and planning of future urban open spaces. Landscape and Urban Planning, 170, pp.1-5 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204617302669

Cabral, I., Costa, S. and Bonn, A. (2017). Urban gardens as multi-functional nature-based solutions for societal goals. In Kabisch, N., Bonn, A. and Stadler, J. and Korn H. (eds). Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change in Urban Areas and their Rural Surroundings - Linkages between Science, Policy, and Practice. Book. Springer. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-319-56091-5.pdf

Coles, R., Costa, S. and Watson, S. (eds.) (2016). Co-creating Pathways to Well-being. Book of proceedings, Well-being 2016 conference. The third international conference exploring the multi-dimensions of Well-being. Birmingham City University, UK.

Costa, S., Fox-Kaemper, R., Good, R. and Séntic, I., (2016). The Position of Urban Allotments Gardens within the Urban Fabric. In Bell, S. et al. (eds). Urban Allotment Gardens in Europe. Routledge.

Costa, S., Coles, R. and Boultwood, A., (2015). Landscape Experience and the Speed of Walking. In Niin, G. and Mishra, H. (eds), ECLAS Conference 2015, Landscapes in Flux, 20-23 September 2015, Tartu, Estonia, pp.123-127.

Costa, S., Coles, R. and Boultwood, A., (2014). Special Places and Attachment as Drivers for Cultivating Well-being. In Silva, I., Marques, T. and Andrade, G., (eds), ECLAS Conference 2014, LANDSCAPE: A Place of Cultivation, 21-23 September, Porto, University of Porto, pp. 131-133.

Costa, S., Coles, R., and Boultwood, A., (2014). Walking Narratives: Interacting between Nature and Self. In Sörensen, C. and Liedtke, K. (eds) SPECIFICS: Discussing Landscape Architecture. Jovis, pp.40-43.

Meeres, S. (ed.), Sarlov-Herlin, I., Fetzer, E., Costa S., Perez Beverinotty, D., Ton Man Ahn, T., Karadeniz, N., Benliay and A., Vortaçesme V., (2013). Rural change: landscape and lifestyle. In: Stiles, R. et al (2103). Antalya’s Landscape.LE:NOTRE Landscape Monographs.

Costa, S., Silva, A., Rodrigues, F.M. and Marques, T., (2010). Landscape Art in Douro Cultural Landscape: Recreation Gardens of Quintas. In ECLAS Conference 2010 Cultural Landscapes, 29 Sept.-2 Oct, Istanbul, Istanbul Technical university, pp 263-273.

Marques, T. P., Costa, S., Rodrigues, F. M., Silva, A., Silva, L., Bicho, J., Silva, A. S., Monteiro J., and Lameiras, J. M. (2008), [Landscape Art in the North of Portugal (Portuguese)] [Electronic pub.: www.artepaisagista.utad.pt], UTAD; FCT, Science & Innovation Program 2010.

Sandra Costa

Academic lead for Landscape Architecture & Course Director MA Landscape Architecture

Birmingham School of Architecture and Design

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