Gayle Souter-Brown Author of Evaluating Organization Development
FEATURED AUTHOR

Gayle Souter-Brown

Director
Greenstone Design UK Ltd

Gayle Souter-Brown founded Greenstone Design, the global-reach landscape + urban design consultancy in UK and then NZ. Her organisation researches, designs and advocates for biophilic accessible greenspace to governments and citizen groups. Their salutogenic design approach offers public health benefits across mental and physical health and well-being. Sensory-rich design for early childhood, schools, natural play, special needs and dementia gardens feature in Souter-Brown's extensive portfolio.

Subjects: Built Environment, Education, Environment and Agriculture , Health and Social Care

Biography

A lifetime interest in design, disability, mental health and the environment coalesced into founding a landscape and urban design practice specialising in health and well-being. A natural speaker, teacher and experienced trainer, Gayle has run workshops, design studios, lectured and taught pre-school to adults. From the World Health Organisation to community-run Early Childhood Education providers, Gayle has presented to a global audience, written many articles and 2 books . Sensory gardens that provide places to pause, foods to pick and eat, objects to admire, scents to entice and sensations that enliven are her specialty.

Education

    BSc ( Hons), VUW, Wellington, 1984
    Cert in Citizen Engagement, LSE, World Bank, 2015
    DipTchg, UoC, Christchurch, 1985

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

    We work across education, health and aged care to advocate for, advise and design biophilic, salutogenic landscapes.
    3 main areas of research/practice focus:
    1. Environmental design as a cost-effective public health intervention tool through biophilic urban planning and design
    2. Environmental design of school grounds, using nature connections and natural play to facilitate and enhance learning outcomes
    3. Sensory gardens for dementia, mental health and learning disabled

Personal Interests

    People, gardens, the environment and travel fascinate me

Websites

Books

Featured Title
Featured Title - Landscape Urban Design for Health + Well-Being SOUTER-BROWN - 1st Edition book cover

Videos

Webinar: Can Landscape Design Improve Health?

Published: Dec 29, 2014

Watch a recording of the live webinar from March 2015 where Gayle Souter-Brown discusses how landscape design can improve health.