Landscape Urban Design – 3 July 2026

Summary

"Smarter Solutions For Spongier Cities" fronts Landscape & Urban Design Issue 80 for July/August 2026, bringing landscaping, water management and biodiversity together, with Parkinsons UK Garden's timber work on page 22.

This July/Aug 2026 issue (Issue 80) runs Garden Design from page 4: Personal Private Resort on 4, Seating for public spaces on 6, Parkinsons UK Garden on 22 and urban greening on 26. Decking covers composite checks on 36, Bound Surfacing runs resin bound paving on 40, and Green & Blue Infrastructure carries From Orchids to Ecosystems on 48 and a connected Suds piece on 54. Landscaping Services runs from 56 to 72, with Sports & Play on 74 and Tools, Plant & Equipment on 80.

Regulars serve the trade: Bali Awards on 60, Pellenc's Rasion 3 mower on 64, KAR UK's hose reel trolley on 80 and Groundsfest 2026 on 82. For a specifier working on water and green infrastructure, the spongier cities theme and the Suds page are the reason to read.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story / Green & Blue Infrastructure
p.22 · Parkinsons UK Garden: The emotional architecture of timber
The cover theme carries into this project, where timber does the emotional work of the garden. It names the material and the users it serves. Walk your next timber spec through the user question raised here.

p.48 · From Orchids to Ecosystems
The piece runs from orchids to whole ecosystems, naming the planting and the wider system it supports. It covers scale in green infrastructure. Plant one species from this piece and note what it supports.

p.54 · Managing rainfall at source: Why a connected Suds approach helps meet the requirement
The Suds piece argues for connected source control, naming why linked drainage meets the requirement. It sets out the site logic. Trace one site's rainfall from source before specifying separate parts.

▸ Garden Design
p.4 · Personal Private Resort: Designing a five-star staycation garden
The opening project designs a staycation garden to a five-star brief, naming the layout and features. It covers what a client expects from a resort plot. Sketch one resort feature from this brief into a current plan.

p.6 · Seating for public spaces
The seating page covers public space seating, naming the products and the settings. It addresses a specifier's everyday choice. Test one seat named here for the setting you are working on.

p.14 · Outdoor lighting trend alert
The trend page names the outdoor lighting directions now in use, with fittings and effects listed. It covers what replaces older schemes. Swap one old fitting for a trend named here.

▸ Decking / Surfaces
p.36 · Five things to look for when choosing composite decking
The decking page lists five checks for composite decking, naming what to test first. It covers the failure points. Run those five checks on the next composite sample you handle.

p.40 · Resin bound paving has emerged as a revolutionary solution
The surfacing piece covers resin bound paving, naming the solution and its uses. It sits by the Vuba acquisition of Sureset on 41. Check one resin bound area for the drainage claim made here.

▸ Landscaping Services
p.60 · Bali Awards maintain half century of Elite Status with help from "Best in the Business" judging panel
The awards report names the judging panel and the half century behind the award. It covers who judged. Look up one winner from this panel and study that scheme.

p.64 · Pellenc sets new standard with the launch of the Rasion 3 easy pedestrian lawnmower
The equipment page covers Pellenc's Rasion 3 mower, naming the launch and the machine. It addresses pedestrian mowing. See one Rasion 3 unit before specifying grounds kit.

p.80 · KAR UK launches K-series hose reel trolley
The tools page covers KAR UK's K-series hose reel trolley, naming the product and the launch. It addresses site equipment. Check one hose reel trolley against your site's water points.

p.82 · Groundsfest 2026: The event bringing landscaping professionals together
The event page covers Groundsfest 2026, naming the show and who it gathers. It sets out the trade gathering. Book one date at Groundsfest 2026 from this page.

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Editor's Take

The spongier cities cover theme is the strongest spine: Parkinsons UK Garden on 22, From Orchids to Ecosystems on 48 and the connected Suds piece on 54 all argue for joining water and planting rather than treating them apart. The Personal Private Resort opening on 4 is a real brief. The weakness is the middle and back — resin paving on 40, the Vuba acquisition on 41 and the Pellenc and KAR UK items are product and machinery notes that read as trade releases, and the Bali Awards page confirms how much is industry-facing. It suits a landscape specifier working on drainage and green roofs, not a gardener wanting planting design.

Strengths
• Water and planting argued as one system
• Resort garden brief is real and detailed
• Suds page sets out site logic
• Groundsfest page names the trade event

Weaknesses
• Product and machinery notes read as releases
• Heavy trade-facing advertising throughout

Verdict: Selective read — the water pages earn it, the surfacing and kit items are trade copy.