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Emma Oldroyd

Senior Lecturer

Emma Oldroyd is an experienced chartered Landscape Architect with a background in practice and academia gathered over 20 years working mainly in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

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About

Emma Oldroyd is an experienced chartered Landscape Architect with a background in practice and academia gathered over 20 years working mainly in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Emma Oldroyd is an experienced chartered Landscape Architect with a background in practice and academia gathered over 20 years working mainly in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Her project experience spans regeneration, masterplanning, strategic planning and working in partnership with public, private and community clients and groups.

Emma has an arts background and delights in the design process, interdisciplinary work and enabling others. She is passionate about the delivery of excellent, responsive, and nature positive outcomes.

Previous Landscape Lead at Arup, Ireland, and Course Leader of the BALAD course at Leeds Beckett, Emma has now joined Leeds Beckett University as a Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture contributing to BA and MA Landscape Architecture and Design programmes.

Research interests

Emma's current research focuses on the development of Nature-based Solutions and Blue Green Infrstructure Frameworks that reflect and improve places for people and nature. The work she is involved in is influencing planning authorities and local government at a national level in the Republic of Ireland and across Europe.

Publications (25)

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Design

Masterplanning and Urban Design Projects

Featured 31 August 2023

Between 2018 and 2023 I worked on several landscape planning and design project in The Republic of Ireland while employed by Cunnane Stratton Reynolds (2018-2021) and Arup (2021-2023). The projects listed below are all themed under the topic Masterplanning and Urban Design Projects. Projects with published outcomes are listed under an independent outcome as well.

Design

Neighbourhood Planning and Housing

Featured 01 August 2023

Between 2018 and 2023 I worked on several landscape planning and design project in The Republic of Ireland while employed by Cunnane Stratton Reynolds (2018-2021) and Arup (2021-2023). The projects listed below are all themed under the topic Neighbourhood Planning and Housing. Projects with published outcomes are listed under an independent outcome as well.

Design

Landscape Planning and Policy, Green Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions

Featured 30 January 2025

Between 2018 and 2023 I worked on several landscape planning and design project in The Republic of Ireland while employed by Cunnane Stratton Reynolds (2018-2021) and Arup (2021-2023). I have also begun working on The Chevin Forest Park with students whilst at Leeds Beckett university (2023-2025). The projects listed below are all themed under the topic Landscape Planning and Policy, Green Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions. Projects with published outcomes are listed under an independent outcome as well.

Conference Contribution

Backyard permaculture in the City

Featured 11 April 2012 Leeds Permaculture Network Leeds, UK
Exhibition

Food, Futures and Climate Change

Featured 01 May 2012
Conference Contribution

Food Focused Front Gardens; A Changing Culture?

Featured 09 September 2011 Ethics & Aesthetics | European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools annual conference Sheffield
AuthorsOldroyd ELT, Clavin AA
Exhibition

Castleford Queens Mill Stakeholder Design Workshop: Community design workshop on behalf of Castleford Heritage trust

Featured 26 March 2013
AuthorsOldroyd ELT, Appleyard G
Chapter

Nested scales and design activism: an integrated approach to food growing in inner city Leeds

Featured 2012 Sustainable Food Planning: evolving theory and practice Wageningen Academic Publishers
AuthorsAuthors: Oldroyd ELT, Clavin A, Editors: Viljoen A, Wiskerke JSC
Conference Contribution

Back to Front

Featured 25 March 2011 Leeds Climate Change Conference | Actions for Food Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK
Conference Contribution

Nested Scales and Design Activism: an integrated approach to food growing in inner city Leeds

Featured 31 October 2010 AESOP Sustainable Food Planning Conference Brighton, UK
AuthorsOldroyd ELT, Clavin AA
Exhibition

Back to Front exhibition at Shine

Featured 25 March 2010
Conference Contribution

Back to Front

Featured 20 June 2011 PULSE Pudsey, Leeds
AuthorsOldroyd ELT, Summers R
Exhibition

Design and Community Exhibition of student work on 8 live projects in West Yorkshire

Featured 31 January 2013
AuthorsOldroyd ELT, Heywood S
Exhibition

Castleford Queens Mill Exhibition: Community engagement exhibition on behalf of Castleford Heritage trust

Featured July 2013
AuthorsOldroyd ELT, Appleyard G
Book

Back to Front Manual for Growing Food in Front Gardens

Featured 2012 Leeds, UK Infrapress
AuthorsOldroyd ELT, Summers R, Clavin AA, Andrews J
Conference Contribution

Back to Front Spring Fun Event

Featured 16 April 2011 Shine Harehills, Leeds
Conference Contribution

Food, Futures and Front Gardens

Featured 23 November 2010 LIYHB | Landscape at Leeds Research Night Leeds Metropolitan University
Conference Contribution

Back To Front workshop

Featured 17 January 2011 TINWOLF Headingley, Leeds
AuthorsOldroyd ELT, Thompson N
Design

Community Participation Schemes

Featured 01 August 2023

Between 2018 and 2023 I worked on several landscape planning and design project in The Republic of Ireland while employed by Cunnane Stratton Reynolds (2018-2021) and Arup (2021-2023). The projects listed below are all themed under the topic Community Participation Schemes. Projects with published outcomes are listed under an independent outcome as well.

Design

Parks, Playgrounds and Public Realm Design

Featured 01 August 2023

Between 2018 and 2023 I worked on several landscape planning and design project in The Republic of Ireland while employed by Cunnane Stratton Reynolds (2018-2021) and Arup (2021-2023). The projects listed below are all themed under the topic Parks, Playgrounds and Public Realm Design. Projects with published outcomes are listed under an independent outcome as well.

Internet publication

Our Green Region | Blue Green Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions Framework

Featured 01 June 2022 Southern Regional Assembly Southern Regional Assembly Author Publisher
AuthorsOldroyd E, Arup I

This framework aims to provide a resource for Local Authorities, decision makers and developers working in the Region to guide the implementation of BGI and NbS. Of critical importance are our Region’s Local Authorities, at County and City level, who ensure the implementation of BGI and NbS in the Region through decision making, development control, and planning.

Internet publication

Design and Delivery of Soft Landscape Treatments in Urban Transport Environments

Featured 01 May 2024 GE-ENV Transport Infrastructure Ireland Author Publisher
AuthorsOldroyd E, Arup I

Urban transport environments, including roads, streets and greenways, and the places and spaces along them all have very different characteristics. Fine grain town and village centres, lowdensity residential areas and urban fringe developments merge into industrial areas and the rural hinterland, each shaped by the landscapes and townscapes in which they reside and therefore requiring a different set of design solutions and soft landscape treatments. This Document outlines which landscape treatment is best applied to each of the presented scenarios, explaining how these treatments would contribute to achieve better functionality and an increased value.

Conference Contribution

Nesting Scales of Food Security: an integrated response to growing food in deprived Leeds neighbourhoods

Featured 02 June 2010 Urban Green Space Colloquium Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK
AuthorsOldroyd ELT, Clavin AA
Internet publication

Guide for the Implementation of Soft Landscape in Towns and Villages on National Roads

Featured 01 May 2024 Transport Infrastructure Ireland Transport infrastructure Ireland Author Publisher
AuthorsOldroyd E, Arup I

This Guide sets out the required approach to the implementation of soft landscape treatments in the following locations within and on the approach to Towns and Villages on National Road Projects and Greenways. This can be referred to as urban transport environments. In rural transport environments along National Roads and Greenways the required approach to the design, delivery and implementation of soft landscape treatments is provided in TII Publication GE-ENV-01102 and GEENV-01103. The term ‘Soft Landscape’ describes the wide range of vegetative elements established and designed within the constructed and semi-natural landscape and the infrastructure required for their establishment.

Report

Back to Front Food growing in front gardens

Featured 2011 Local Government Association Publisher
AuthorsLocal Government Association

Activities (7)

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External examiner / External advisor

Landscape Architecture

01 June 2011
External examiner / External advisor

Landscape Architecture

01 June 2011
Invited keynote, lecture, or conference chair role

Edge Debate

21 March 2024
Committee membership

Landscape Institute Yorkshire and Humber Branch

02 April 2008
Landscape Institute Yorkshire and Humber Branch
Committee membership

Irish Landscape Institute

01 April 2020
Irish Landscape Institute Fumbally Exchange Argus House, Malpas Street, Blackpitts Dublin Dublin D08 Y273 Ireland
Committee membership

Friends of Chevin Forest

03 June 2024
Committee membership

Leeds Parks Forum

29 January 2025

Current teaching

  • BALAD 501 Resilient Rural Landscapes
  • BALAD 502 Design Impacts
  • BALAD 504 City Landscapes - Nature-based Solutions
  • BALAD 505 Creating Distinctive Places
  • BALAD 604-5 Specialist Design Project

Teaching Activities (4)

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Course taught

MA Landscape Architecture

01 September 2023

Course taught

BSC Landscape Architecture

06 January 2019 - 25 June 2021

Course developed

BA Landscape Architecture and Design - combined L4

14 September 2025

Course taught

Ba Honours in Landscape Architecture and Design

01 September 2024