In this episode of PodParks, we are joined by Ceylan Belek Ombregt, a registered landscape architect practicing across the United Kingdom, United States, and Turkey, and Studio Lead at Martha Schwartz Partners.
With over twenty years of international experience, Ceylan brings a deeply global perspective to landscape architecture. Her work spans diverse cultural, political, and environmental contexts, shaping an approach that is flexible, highly contextual, and grounded in listening.
The conversation explores how working globally challenges designers to move beyond fixed styles and instead respond to the specific needs of place and people. Ceylan shares how every project is shaped by its wider context, from social and political influences to ecological systems, and why understanding these connections is essential to creating meaningful public space .
Alongside this, the episode dives into leadership in design practice, with Ceylan describing leadership not as control, but as creating space for others, encouraging ideas, and guiding collaborative processes. She reflects on the importance of negotiation, education, and persistence when working with clients, particularly when advocating for environmental outcomes.
A standout moment in the conversation is Ceylan’s reflection on the Mill River Park and Greenway project, an ecological restoration project that transformed a degraded urban river into a vibrant public space. Through this project, she highlights the power of collaboration, community engagement, and long-term thinking in delivering meaningful change .
This is a thoughtful and globally grounded conversation that encourages professionals to think more deeply about context, collaboration, and the role of landscape architecture in shaping better cities.
Highlights include:
- Designing without a fixed style:
- Each project responds to its specific context, culture, and community, rather than applying a single design language.
- The value of global perspective:
- Working across countries reveals common challenges and shared opportunities, while also highlighting the importance of local response.
- Context goes beyond the site:
- Projects are shaped by wider social, political, ecological, and economic systems, not just their physical boundaries .
- Leadership as facilitation:
- Strong leadership is about listening, creating space for ideas, and enabling collaboration rather than directing outcomes.
- Negotiation and advocacy in practice:
- Designers must often balance competing priorities, advocating for environmental and social outcomes while working within client constraints.
- The importance of asking questions:
- Challenging assumptions and asking “why” and “what if” leads to more innovative and meaningful design solutions.
- Learning across disciplines:
- A broad education, from ecology to design to business, supports better decision-making and allows designers to operate across scales.
- Collaboration in city-making:
- Delivering successful projects requires alignment between designers, clients, communities, and decision-makers.
- A defining project:
- The Mill River Park and Greenway project demonstrates how ecological restoration, community engagement, and design can transform both place and people .
Featured Guests
Ceylan Belek Ombregt
Studio Lead, Martha Schwartz Partners
Registered Landscape Architect (UK, US, Turkey)
Researcher and Lecturer with over 20 years of international experience
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About PodParks
PodParks is the official podcast of World Urban Parks. In each episode we share real stories and bold ideas from the people making parks, public space, and urban nature more inclusive, innovative, and essential.
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