#78: Landscape-led Response to Climate Change, with the Landscape Institute (Landscape Mini-Series Part 1)
Jan 14, 2024
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In this podcast, Landscape Institute President-elect Carolin Göhler FLI discusses the role of landscape interventions in response to climate and biodiversity crises. Topics include government policies, training landscape professionals, and enhancing urban nature for climate adaptation. The episode also explores the landscape profession's evolution and potential transformative adaptations to the climate crisis.
Landscape architects play a crucial role in responding to climate and biodiversity crises through sustainable drainage systems, reducing hard surfaces, and promoting green cover for climate change adaptation.
Promoting landscape education and careers, raising awareness, and expanding collaboration with urbanists, suppliers, and specialists are key challenges and opportunities in landscape design for climate adaptation.
Deep dives
The Role of Landscape in Climate and Biodiversity Crises
Landscape architects play a crucial role in responding to climate and biodiversity crises, as they are involved in designing various types of green spaces. They not only plant trees but also manage landscapes to ensure their sustainability and health. This involves implementing sustainable drainage systems to prevent flooding and retain water, reducing hard surfaces, and promoting the use of green cover for climate change adaptation. Landscape professionals also focus on training, educating, and providing guidance to other professionals and the public, while influencing government policies and regulations. The Landscape Institute aims to be carbon zero by 2029 and advocates for a positive contribution to the environment.
Challenges in Scaling Landscape Design for Climate Adaptation
One of the biggest challenges in landscape design for climate adaptation is the need for more trained professionals and younger individuals in the field. Inspiring and promoting landscape education and careers to address climate and environmental issues is essential. Government support for universities and colleges in providing landscape education is crucial. The profession also faces the task of raising awareness and promoting the importance of landscape design to the general public. Collaboration and expanding the landscape profession to include urbanists, suppliers, and specialists from various fields are seen as effective ways to address challenges and make a significant impact. The landscape institute plays a significant role in sharing knowledge and expertise internationally.
Urban Nature as a Solution for Climate Adaptation
Urban nature, including the enhancement of green spaces and the use of ecosystem-based adaptation, is a practical and proven method to combat climate change effects in cities. Planting trees and restoring natural areas can help reduce urban heat island effects and minimize the risk of heatwaves. Ecosystem-based adaptation also contributes to flood prevention by replacing impermeable surfaces with soil and vegetation to absorb rainwater. Urban trees and plants play a role in carbon sequestration, although the current rate of carbon dioxide emissions may affect their long-term survival. The profession acknowledges the need to adapt to new technologies like AI and solar panels for urban greening while emphasizing the importance of community engagement and verbal communication in landscape design and management.
Welcome to this 4-part series on the role of landscape and urban nature in creating resilient, sustainable and healthy places. Over the next 4 weeks I’ll be releasing short weekly episodes featuring interviews with landscape practitioners that highlight great case studies in landscape design and discuss the wider role of these interventions in green urbanism.
The interviews were recorded at the Landscape Institute Awards 2023. Thanks to the Landscape Institute for inviting me along and organising these conversations.
This first episode features a conversation with Landscape Institute President-elect Carolin Göhler FLI. The focus of this chat was on responding to the climate and biodiversity crises through landscape interventions and some of the work the Landscape Institute is doing to push this forward.
After the interview I share some more information specifically about nature-based climate adaptation in cities.