Design Principles for Prison Landscapes: Security, Biodiversity and Wellbeing

ICPA 2025 Presentation by Dominique Moran and Emma Widdop (PID086)

Authors

Ms Dominique Moran

Professor in Carceral Geography, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

Dominique Moran is an academic researcher and specialist in the relationship between prison design and landscaping and the wellbeing of incarcerated populations and prison staff. Her work spans the design of new prisons, the longevity of older prison estates (such as Victorian-era prisons in the UK), and the beneficial effects of green spaces in prison for prisoners and staff. She has researched prisons and prison systems in England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Russian Federation, Norway and Sweden, and has advised on prison design and landscaping in contexts as diverse as Colombia, the Netherlands and New Zealand. She is lead editor of 'The Palgrave Handbook of Prison Design', and has led the interdisciplinary team behind 'Design Principles for Prison Landscapes', which puts into practice cutting edge research into the benefits of nature contact in prison.

Emma Widdop

Research Associate and Lecturer in Landscape and Sustainable Urbanism, University of Birmingham and Birmingham City University, United Kingdom

Emma Widdop is a doctoral researcher, chartered Landscape Architect and Lecturer in Landscape Architecture and Sustainable Urbanism at Birmingham City University. As a Research Associate at the University of Birmingham, she was also lead author of 'Design Principles for Prison Landscapes'.

Built upon a foundation of art practice and educated in architecture, landscape and urban design, Emma’s work crosses disciplinary boundaries to place the human experience at the centre of the design rationale. She has spent the past decade as a design practitioner, delivering projects in healthcare, education and heritage sectors across the UK.

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