Like many others, I was a late convert to landscape architecture. Whilst living and working in Barcelona, I looked on as the city was transformed in the build-up to the Olympics of 1992. Much of the transformation was through the appropriation of spaces for people. The extraordinary energy and confidence of the city at that time expressed itself in the design of squares, parks, boulevards and incidental spaces, which dramatically changed the environment, quality of life and image of the city. This inspired me and led me into the profession which I eventually discovered was behind much of this work. Since then, I have never looked back, coming to Manchester to study at MMU in 1994 and subsequently working in a diverse range of local practices for more than a decade, before joining the MSA in 2010 as a Senior Lecturer. 

Academic and professional qualifications

BA (Hons) Politics, University of York, 1985

BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture, Manchester Metropolitan University, 1997

BLA Manchester Metropolitan University, 1999

Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute (CMLI), 2002-2012

Academic Member of the Landscape Institute (AMLI), 2012-2020

Previous Employment

Associate and Landscape Team Leader, Broadway Malyan, Manchester, 2003-2011

Landscape Architect and Senior Landscape Architect, Scott Wilson, Manchester, 1999-2003

Landscape Assistant, Gillespies, Manchester, 1997-1998

Founding Partner and Head of Studies, Idiomes Supernova, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain, 1989-1994

Teacher of English as  a Foreign Language, Barcelona, Various Institutions, 1987-1989

Languages

English, Native

Spanish, Fluent

Catalan, Rusty

Postgraduate teaching

I was instrumental in the planning, design and delivery of the Master of Landscape Architecture which replaced the previous MA in the subject in 2016. I am still closely involved in its teaching and closer integration within the school of architecture.

External examiner roles

BA Landscape Architecture, Kingston University,  2012-16

MA Landscape Architecture, University of Gloucester, 2013-2018

BA Landscape Architecture, Leeds Beckett University, 2015-2019

Postgraduate supervision

I have been involved in supervising three PhD’s, most recently Dr Joanne Phillips work on the impacts of HS2 on the landscape and community of Manchester’s periphery. I am currently on the supervisory team for Sarah Walker on Creative Engagement in Urban Greenspace.

Projects Gallery

Bolton Great Estates

In a partnership lasting over 4 years with Bolton at Home, I led a team which looked at strategies for investing in public and communal space as a means of improving the environment and pride of communities in social housing estates across Bolton. We also designed and implemented four ambitious pilot schemes to demonstrate the impacts of significant environmental improvements. These were developed through close consultation with local communities and have been enormously popular, paving the way for a 20 year strategic programme of investment in the external environment throughout the borough.

Next project

Irwell City Park

A visionary project to restore a largely forgotten and ignored river into a major new linear park running though the heart of Greater Manchester. The project aims to create 8km of new footway and cycleway providing sustainable linkages between a range of important focal points of the city, as well as improving connections across the river through several new footbridges and enhancements to existing crossing points. In addition a number of new public spaces will bring new focuses of life and activity to the riverside and enliven the routes.

Next project

Leeds Civic Quarter

A project to transform a large city centre campus of Leeds Met University into an urban quarter, closely integrated into the fabric of the city. A key part of the masterplan was the creation of a hierarchy of pedestrian routes and spaces linking into others in the surrounding area. The proposals reflected typologies of streets and squares found in Leeds city centre and aimed to reinterpret these to create a centre of education and high technology for the 21st century as well as a new hub of life and dynamism on the edge of the city centre.

Next project

Matlock Parks

The preparation of a strategy and masterplan for the restoration and reinvigoration of a chain of 5 historic parks in the Derwent Valley, Derbyshire Dales. Extensive historical research into the original design intentions of this unique complex of parks was combined with detailed analysis of the needs and aspirations of the community and visitors, as well as the international significance of the habitat and geology of the area. A complex design strategy was developed to balance these widely differing elements, that ultimately formed the basis for a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £2.2m of funding.

Next project

Design Guide

Next project

Research

Book Chapters

Fox, E., 2016. 'Ways of Seeing 1: Fallowland'. In Fruitful Futures Imagining Pomona, Gaia Project.

Journal Articles

Fox, E., 2020. 'Paisajes de Confinamiento', Critica Urbana, 3 (15), pp. 12-14.

Fox, E., 2019. 'Reconstructing the Rural: The Role of Landscape Architecture in Reimagining the UK's Rural Landscape', Critica Urbana: Revista de estudios urbanos y territoriales, 3 (9), pp. 4-10.

Fox, E., 2017. 'My Many Manchesters (Manchester: The Visible and Invisible Cities)', Landscape : the Journal of the Landscape Institute, Winter 2017, pp. 69-73.

Fox, E.L.C., Fink, P., 2012. 'Irwell River Park: The Rediscovery of Manchester's Lost River', Topos.

Fox, E.L.C., 2007. 'Rediscovering Manchester's Lost River', Green Places.

Conference Papers

Fox, E.L.C., Turnbull, M., 2025. 'Bolton Great Estates: Transforming Lives through Landscapes', Landscape Institute Annual Conference 2007: Landscapes for Living, London.

Fox, E., 2011. 'Irwell River Park - Reclaiming Manchester's Lost River', Scales of Nature, Zurich, Switzerland, 27/6/2011 - 29/6/2011, in Scales of Nature, IFLA World Congress Proceedings.

Fox, E.L.C., 2010. 'Irwell River Park: The Rediscovery of Manchester's Forgotten River', Formation and Persistence of Townscapes, 17th Seminar on Urban Form, Hamburg, Germany, 21/8/2010 - 23/8/2010.