The Intersection of Landscape Architecture and Environment

Learn about how landscape architecture is helping to shift us towards a carbon-neutral future & how it can help communities better adapt to climate change.

The Intersection of Landscape Architecture and Environment

Landscape architecture is a critical science that examines environmental issues and their consequences. It is an interdisciplinary field that takes into account all aspects of environmental problems and provides a range of solutions to address them. Landscape architects are helping to move us towards a carbon-neutral future. They plan and design dense, walkable communities that reduce emissions caused by transportation and expansion.

They make the built environment more energy and carbon efficient with strategies such as green roofs, designs that save water, and the use of sustainable materials and construction practices. They also protect and expand landscapes that sequester carbon, such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands, which helps to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide. All of these efforts also allow communities to better adapt to climate change and increase their resilience. Many people mistakenly believe that landscape architecture is only about gardening and planting green plants to make the place look attractive.

However, landscape architects create garden designs using concepts of climate and ecology after careful analysis of the environment. They customize solutions based on the specific environment of each house and focus on the environmental problems of the area. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has redefined the works of Frederick Law Olmstead to emphasize the importance of landscape in urban areas. Landscape artists find this tool very useful, as it allows them to visualize their landscape designs and share them with their clients before they start. Civil engineers or landscape architects identify these causes and select indoor and outdoor plants to clean the air, create a cooling effect, absorb toxins, and balance the natural ecosystem.

Donna Siaperas
Donna Siaperas

Infuriatingly humble sushi trailblazer. General sushi maven. Devoted bacon advocate. Evil zombie buff. Amateur internet scholar. Hardcore pop culture aficionado.