Over recent years, there has been a beneficial shift in the focus of landscape architects to reduce the impact of climate change worldwide through the design of landscape-led projects, which have increasingly focused on decarbonization. However, there is a need to go beyond individual projects and address the broader issue of climate change on a global scale.
In a recent study titled Towards transformative climate actions in landscape architecture the writers concluded that “…landscape architects can connect and span different knowledge areas, but their agency and impact should expand beyond individual projects. This requires practitioners to question the status quo, negotiate for positive climate outcomes, and in coordination with allied built environment professionals aim for catalyzing social-cultural and political change through advocacy and activism.” [1]. As the study notes, IFLA and other organisations have had “active presence and involvement of landscape architects in the last two COP meetings” [1]. I support the study’s conclusions, and it must also be acknowledged that IFLA and other organisations have been seeking to influence the conversation since the late 2000s, when the Landscape Institute issued its Climate Change Position Statement in 2008 [3] and IFLA issued its Climate Change Statement before COP15 in 2009 [4]. Remembering this was a period when some doubted the existence of climate change. Landscape architecture organisations have issued numerous statements over the past 20 years on the need to address climate change, as well as many declarations and commitments by design firms to reduce the impact of climate change, both directly and indirectly.
There is a need to question in the current era whether landscape architects, although often touted (including myself [2]) as being in a unique position to influence decisions regarding climate change, are indeed in such a position. As Editor of WLA, I have been challenging the industry to lead the discussion for over a decade, including Landscape Architects – Welcome to 2011. It’s time to lead the discussion[5], and Moving Forward on Climate Change in 2019[6], which provoked responses from the industry [7] [8] [9] [10]. These, along with other articles and editorials [11], have provided the call and information for landscape architects to make an impact on climate change.
Various organisations (professional and non-profit) have developed guidelines and resources to assist landscape architects in addressing climate change, including the Landscape Performance Series, SITES, Climate Positive Design Guidelines (AILA), Climate Action Plan & Field Guide (ASLA), CSLA’s Resource Library, UNEP Global Adaptation Network, along with many more. Landscape architects have also made advances in mitigating the environmental impacts of their projects by utilising tools such as Pathfinder and Carbon Conscious to create designs that reduce carbon emissions, rather than adopting the standard approach.
We must then ask: With the combination of statements, policies, guidelines, and tools, has the profession been successful in changing the conversation around climate change? There has been a shift in the industry to engage with the issue and influence stakeholders (clients, government, public). The use of action-or solution-oriented language, such as climate-positive design, city greening, heat mitigation, urban cooling networks, nature-based solutions, and coastal resilience, facilitates greater engagement. Some may argue that this creates a false narrative instead of addressing the issue directly; however, to achieve broader engagement, there needs to be a greater appeal in the concepts and ideas presented.
The shift in language to promote engagement, along with changes in the way we design projects, has led the profession to frequently lead and change the narrative and discussion on climate change. However, there is a greater need for engagement with the public and stakeholders outside of our projects and the profession’s events. Landscape architects are frequently perceived as shade dwellers, avoiding the spotlight [13] and not engaging sufficiently with decision-makers and stakeholders. Therefore, as the study [1] indicates, there is a greater need for more landscape architects to have “…soft skills for connecting different boundaries including negotiation, coordination… entrepreneurship and activism.”.
Design firms should also strive to align their presentations and language with their clients’ (private and government) policies (ESG, etc.) to move the conversation toward better climate-positive design outcomes. If a client doesn’t have environmental policies, then we should use the city or regional policies (laws) and guidelines to stimulate the conversation. Many will say that clients don’t want climate-positive design, or they will push back when presented with the issues; however, it ultimately comes down to trying and using language that focuses on the actions and solutions to move forward.
There also needs to be greater reflection on the projects that landscape firms undertake. Often, design firms decline projects due to objections related to the client, location, or project type; however, this leaves these projects to our allied professionals, who often have a less sensitive approach to landscape design. This is especially true in countries where landscape architecture is not recognised, leaving master plans and frameworks to local professionals who often don’t understand the impacts of their design decisions. There is a need for landscape architects to either engage with these projects or seek the assistance of local and international organisations to advocate for better policies and landscape-led approaches. Additionally, delegations and events should be held to provide education on landscape-led methods and policies in countries lacking local landscape architects or recognised landscape organisations.
There is also a need for greater knowledge sharing by design firms of their approaches to climate change, whether they are successful or unsuccessful. Knowledge sharing needs to extend beyond presentations at conferences, and there is a need for greater collaboration between educational institutions and design firms to study, review, and disseminate these approaches through publication and regular sessions.
A change in the education of landscape architects is required to extend beyond theoretical ideologies and conceptual projects. All too often, the focus is on significant conceptual design moves rather than the policy and practicalities of collaborating with diverse groups, including developers, communities, and governments. There needs to be education on the ability to structure presentations for the audience that achieve the desired outcome without “hitting them over the head” with climate change.
Many organisations (private and public) have objectives and goals that need to be achieved in less than five years, and I foresee a change in their approach due to this pending deadline, quickening the speed of change.
As we quickly approach 2030 and the critical point as many governments and communities will feel the impacts of climate change. There is a greater urgency for landscape architects to engage beyond their projects in the climate change conversation and think not only locally in our communities, but also more globally, as many people require the help of landscape architects to mitigate and adapt their landscapes to the for the impacts of climate change.
Opinion Editorial by Damian Holmes, Founder and Editor of World Landscape Architecture.
COVER Image Credit: Flickr Alisdare Hickson (alisdare1) – Greenwick Park, London drought of 2022.
References
[1] Moosavi, S., Hürlimann, A., Neilsen, J. et al. Towards transformative climate actions in landscape architecture. Landsc Ecol 40, 120 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-025-02129-6
[2] Holmes, D.; Landscape architects taking the lead. WLA, (June 27, 2018). https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/landscape-architects-taking-the-lead/
[3] Holmes, D.; Landscape Institute Climate Change Position Statement. WLA, (October 16, 2008). https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/landscape-institute-climate-change-position-statement/
[4] Holmes, D.; Climate Change and COP15 meeting Statement by IFLA. WLA, (December 4, 2009). https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/ifla-climate-change-statement-priorto-cop15/
[5] Holmes, D.; Landscape Architects – Welcome to 2011. It’s time to lead the discussion. WLA, (January 6, 2011). https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/landscape-architects-2011-time-lead-discussion/
[6] Holmes, D.; Moving Forward on Climate Change. WLA, (February 19, 2019). https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/moving-forward-on-climate-change/
[7] Holmes, D.; Landscape Architects respond to Moving Forward on Climate Change. WLA, (February 28, 2019). https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/landscape-architects-respond-to-moving-forward-on-climate-change/
[8] OMGEVING; The ‘genius loci’ as a starting point for climate adaptive design. WLA, (March 4, 2019) https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/the-genius-loci-as-a-starting-point-for-climate-adaptive-design%ef%bb%bf/
[9] Blackwell, M.; Where are all the little creatures in our cities? WLA, (March 6, 2019) https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/where-are-all-the-little-creatures-in-our-cities/
[10] Chrisco, Z. & Grove, M.; Citizens will lead climate action, not landscape architects. WLA, (March 11, 2019). https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/citizens-will-lead-climate-action-not-landscape-architects%ef%bb%bf/
[11] Barry, M. Long term planning required in the face of climate change – Martin Barry. WLA,(May 7, 2019) https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/long-term-planning-required-in-the-face-of-climate-change-martin-barry/
[12] Holmes, D.; IPCC latest report adds to the growing noise on Climate Change. Are landscape architects ready to take up the challenge? WLA, (August 15, 2019). https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/climate-change-are-landscape-architects-ready-to-take-up-the-challenge/
[13] Anderson, A. Paraphrasing of presentation at Facing the Crisis – Landscape Festival – Bergamo, Italy. (September 21, 2024).