A vital figure in landscape in Nottingham

Landscape architects around Nottingham will remember Jim (James) Taylor, who has died at the age of 65, for his passion for and dedication to the landscape, architecture and cultural heritage of his home city, writes Kate Bailey. 

Jim Taylor was born, educated and employed there, working for the City Council as town planner, landscape designer and subsequently Director of Development from the early 1970s until ill health forced his early retirement in 1997.  As a self-employed consultant, he continued to work tirelessly to promote conservation and regeneration projects in the city centre, the historic Lace Market and the neglected Forest Fields area.  He was instrumental in bringing trams into Nottingham and an enlightened ‘client’, bringing nationally recognised architects and landscape architects into major projects, most recently organising and managing the international design competition to redevelop the Old Market Square, won by Gustafson Porter. 

Jim was a charming but tenacious champion of high-quality landscape design, architecture and conservation projects, many of which are recognised in the 2006 publication ‘Nottingham Transformed’.  He completed the Landscape Design course in Nottingham in the 1970s and, though he never found time to become CMLI, he may well have been the longest serving student member of the Landscape Institute.