The thesis project investigates how distributive environmental justice can move beyond theoretical discourse to inform and shape a tangible, place-based design response. Located in Cleator Moor, a town marked by significant socio-economic deprivation and declining ecological conditions, the project responds to both human and non-human needs. Drawing from the framework of distributive environmental justice, the design principles aim to deliver a fair, inclusive, and ecologically resilient landscape that reflects the multifunctional potential of public space.
At its core, the scheme promotes employment by embedding opportunities in land management, habitat restoration, and traditional craft skills such as dry stone walling and hedge laying. These skills not only serve the immediate site but are transferable to the wider Lake District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site facing challenges from ecological degradation and unsustainable tourism. A network of new native habitats, including wetlands, woodlands, and meadows, supports biodiversity and ecological recovery, highlighted by the reintroduction of the great crested newt as a keyspecies. It envisions a landscape for the people, managed by the people, fostering local pride and a strong sense of land ownership. The project positions landscape as a catalyst for socio-economic revitalisation, intergenerational learning, and environmental stewardship
