Brooklands is a major new urban extension on the eastern edge of Milton Keynes which comprises over 2,000 new homes with associated local facilities and schools. We were commissioned to design the areas of public open space and came up with the concept of a structural landscape forming the backbone of the development in the form of a 3km long forested ridge. The practical function of this ridge is to shield the new housing area from the noise and visual intrusion of the adjacent M1 motorway.