The American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) believes that landscape architects maximize the benefits of nature-based solutions through design. Nature-based solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss are more than mangroves, forests, and grasslands. Using landscape architecture strategies, they can be woven into places where people live. They take the form of parks, recreation areas, streets, coastal infrastructure, and more. Through inclusive design, they can provide even greater benefits to people and support the healthy urban ecosystems people rely on.
The University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center is helping to develop a brief for ASLA to present at Council of Parties 26 in Baku, Azerbaijan. This brief will help translate the benefit values (monetary) of landscape architects’ work on nature-based solutions. The ASLA has five key areas to estimate benefits to society of their work:
1) Increased Biodiversity
Nature-positive landscapes are the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems and efforts to achieve 30 x 2030 and 10% net biodiversity goals, restore global ecosystems, and increase and protect biodiversity.
2) Improved Human Health and Livability
Accessible public landscapes, such as parks and recreation areas, provide proven physical and mental health benefits that reduce healthcare costs and increase community cohesion.
3) Going Beyond Net-Zero
Landscapes are the most efficient way to store carbon and achieve zero embodied and operational emissions and double carbon sequestration by 2040.
4) Strengthened Resilience
Healthy, biodiverse landscapes that store carbon in trees, plants, and soils also increase people’s resilience to climate impacts, such as extreme heat, flooding, drought, and sea level rise.
5) Expanded Investment and Sustainable Livelihoods
When woven into communities, nature-based solutions become resilient assets that lead to increased investment in housing, infrastructure, and public amenities, and create sustainable local livelihoods.
UMD EFC is also developing a Benefit Valuation 101 for landscape architects and students to use and help describe the benefits of design with nature. This work builds on the Landscape Architecture Foundation Landscape Performance Series.