When we look around our cities these days, it’s far more common to see lush, green spaces that break up the backdrop of concrete and glass than it was, say 50 years ago. Similarly, when public facilities or structures are created, they’re imbued with thought for functionality, aesthetics, and minimal environmental impact. For many years now the greening of our cities (in both a botanical, and sustainable sense) has been a high priority for urban planners and architects alike.
When we talk about landscapes and urban projects, we’re talking about buildings or non-building projects at the intersection of architecture, landscape design and urban planning. Examples include parks, pedestrian bridges and walkways, pools, shelters, picnic facilities, toilet blocks and playgrounds.
But we’re well past the point of just sticking a few gumtrees in a courtyard and ticking the box. Modern urban and landscaping projects are cutting-edge, using the best in sustainable design principles, as well as the most environmentally friendly materials in order to create spaces that are not only beautiful, but good for our collective future. And it’s with that in mind that we’ve pulled together some of our favourite sustainability trends emerging in this sector.
Water sensitive urban design
A big part of the movement towards a more enlightened sustainability approach in this country has been a greater understanding of our stormwater systems and how our urban areas affect them. Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is a set of principles that can be applied to sustainably manage water through an understanding of a site’s natural geography, and promoting the integration of stormwater, water supply and sewage management. WSUD has a big part to play in the future of water management in this country, and the more we can integrate it into our urban areas, the healthier we can make our waterways, landscapes and wildlife.
Bio / Living materials
We wanted to add an exciting tech trend to this list, and in our view it doesn’t get any more exciting than living materials. Bio materials are things like mycelium brick, which are derived directly from biological compounds and in some cases can even be grown into custom shapes, reducing the need for construction. Living materials are exactly what they sound like - construction materials with integrated biological compounds that enable them to repair themselves. One invention that’s in development is self-mending concrete, which is saturated with bacteria that can grow into cracks and fissures, rebinding them without human intervention. And while we might not see a self-mending concrete flower bed in an urban garden anytime soon, we can certainly expect to see materials like biopolymers increasing in popularity over the next few years.
Using the sun
Solar is arguably our most advanced and versatile source of sustainable energy at the moment, and we’ll see it being used in increasingly interesting ways in our public spaces. At one end of the spectrum, we have gardens that are meticulously designed for the amount of sunlight the plants will receive. At the other we have public spaces that are powered entirely by the sun. Think lighting, barbecue facilities, even pool heating.
Landscape and urban projects sit at an interesting juncture - between architecture, government, and the public. That crossover of complementary (and sometimes, opposing) interests makes it a particularly dynamic area for the emergence of new methods, and new ways of thinking. We’re looking forward to seeing what other sustainability trends emerge in the sector in the coming years!
Another thing we'd love to see emerge is a plethora of entries for the Landscape & Urban category at the 2023 Sustainability Awards. To submit your entry, click here.
Image: Riverside Green by Hassell.
