Green Infrastructure: Adapting to Climate Change

The AILA one-day conference in Perth asked whether landscape architects are equipped for climate change.

The AILA 2009 One-Day Conference held at Kings Park, Perth, introduced and explored the challenges faced by landscape architects in understanding and promoting the value of “green infrastructure.”

Former Western Australian AILA State President Greg Grabasch opened the conference by quoting the Zen master Nan-in, urging us to begin by emptying our minds of our own opinions and speculations. Over the course of the day speakers from a broad range of backgrounds and professional disciplines presented their ideas, drawing from experiences in government and private practices, and the fields of science, academia and urban ecology.

In a presentation titled Barefoot in the Park, landscape architect Anthony Wain described his global folio of projects, which have a distinctively local approach. Combining ecological, social and economic aspects, Wain strives to create a “genuine sustainability” within his projects, driven by the real needs of the local community. He advocates that the landscape architect look beyond the design of objects to the design of (human) systems built from social, physical and cultural parts. Doing so will generally encompass the creation of opportunities for income generation, the building of public–private partnerships, and the provision of management and income training to suit local community needs.

Each of Wain’s projects involved extensive public participation by local communities and consultation with appropriate political and professional groups. Promoting “assisted localization” rather than globalization in his projects, Wain strives to work with authorities, developers and other powerbrokers to create strategic alliances and to establish financial self-sufficiency through increased local ownership. This self-proclaimed “barefoot” approach continues to take Wain around the globe to particular projects of interest.

Olga Barron, principal research scientist with CSIRO Land and Water, explored the water crisis currently facing Australia with particular reference to Perth. Noting that the irrigation needs of metropolitan Perth amount to 290 gigalitres per year, Barron asked the pertinent question: how would this figure compare if our largely European-influenced parks’ practice was replaced with an indigenous character and palette? With the increasing threat of climate change and water shortages she questioned our ability to sustain our current stock of irrigated landscapes and stressed a need for a switch in public thinking towards alternative water sources.

Drawing on local examples, Barron noted the positive influence of water on land development values but stressed the need to combine good science, water-efficiency principles and an understanding of the complete water cycle, particularly when integrating groundwater-based features. Barron presented a range of technical information in support of her position and reinforced the need for landscape architects to strengthen ties with water and science professionals.

Urban ecologist Jane Tarran delivered a positive position on the range of benefits of green infrastructure to human health, drawing on the natural, physical and social sciences. She proposed that “green infrastructure” replace both “green space” and “open space” in our professional terminology, as these terms have connotations of empty or insignificant spaces. Tarran introduced the concept of the urban forest as a managed asset for the benefit of people. Critically, this urban forest operates not only at the canopy level but also at the mid and lower levels of vegetation. She urged city makers to better understand and promote the “natural capital” of a city, as a priority resource that gains interest every year. Provocatively she reminded us that it is this natural capital on which the performance of our cities will be judged by future generations.

Tarran challenged the profession to continue to find ways to demonstrate the value of green infrastructure, critical to a future increasingly competitive for space and resources. Extensive data was presented to demonstrate the benefits of green infrastructure, which include reducing erosion, cooling through transpiration, reducing emissions, capturing and filtering rainwater, supplying shade and providing protection to hard infrastructure. Further evidence was provided on the unintended social, economic, visual and environmental costs of developments lacking green infrastructure. Both sets of information are invaluable guides for landscape architects in everyday discussions with clients, value managers and decision makers.

The newly elected AILA National President Mandy Rounsefell provided an engaging overview of her professional work, beginning with her involvement with Anthony Wain in South Africa. Images and stories of her built projects provided further strength to the discussion points raised through Wain’s presentation. Rounsefell spoke of some of the ongoing issues facing the profession when implementing green infrastructure, including poorly considered project and value management processes and/or planning decisions. She stressed her primary challenge in maintaining the intent of the original design and environmental objectives through all implementation phases of a project.

Catherine Neilson ended the formal presentations by providing an overview of AILA’s climate change projects, which include the Climate Adaptation Tools for Sustainable Settlements and the Climate Change Adaptation Skills for Professionals Program. The aims of these projects are to provide further tools for professionals and to recommend best practice exemplars for adoption at government and industry level. Neilson asked a series of questions aimed at challenging landscape architects to engage with the international field of climate rating tools and the broader field of strategic responses to climate change.

The conference concluded with a lively discussion that raised several significant questions and challenges, including “Are we equipped as a profession to respond to the impacts of climate change?” and “How as landscape architects do we demonstrate the value of our profession?” By understanding what we collectively value in our own backyards and demonstrating the value of green infrastructure to our clients and the community, both environmental and project outcomes will surely result.

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Published online: 1 Feb 2010
Words: Andrew Nugent, Nick Walker, Peter Hillman

Issue

Landscape Architecture Australia, February 2010

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