Simon Bell

Simon Bell is a Professor at the Estonian University of Life Sciences (full-time) and holds a part-time Professorial role at the University of Edinburgh. He serves as the Head of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Chair of the Landscape Architecture Program. Previously, he was President of the European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools (2012–2018). His research focuses on outdoor recreation landscapes, wellbeing, forest landscapes, and Soviet-era rural landscapes. He earned a PhD from Estonian University of Life Sciences in 2009, an M.Phil (1981–1983), and a BSc (1976–1979).

Education:

• PhD in Landscape Architecture, Estonian University of Life Sciences (2007–2009)
• M.Phil in Environmental Studies, 1981–1983
• BSc in Forestry/Landscape Architecture, 1976–1979

Research interests span the intersection of environmental design and public health, with a particular emphasis on urban blue-green spaces, their impact on mental health, and the preservation of cultural landscapes. His work often involves transdisciplinary approaches, such as participatory GIS methods and community co-created interventions. He has contributed to international projects like COST Actions TU1201 and TD1106, focusing on urban agriculture and allotment gardens.

Notable publications include studies on generative AI in landscape representation, the role of university campus design in student wellbeing, and cross-country analyses of nature exposure and wellbeing. His research highlights the importance of spatial variation, environmental aesthetics, and the socio-ecological impacts of urban development.

Awards include the 2022 European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools Lifetime Achievement Award and a 2002 Travelling Fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He has led over 18 projects, such as 'Linking Up Environment, Health and Climate' (€875,000) and 'Modernist Reinventions of the Rural Landscape' (€201,525).

His administrative roles include coordinating the Eastern Baltic Network of Landscape Architecture Schools and leading initiatives to popularize European environmental policies. He collaborates internationally, with projects in China, Spain, and Poland, emphasizing cross-border and inter-disciplinary research.