LANDSCAPING & EXTERNAL WORKS 65
How landscape architecture futureproofs urban spaces
Kinley’s Sol Russel assesses the importance of utilising sustainable urban design solutions – to mitigate the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and create more liveable urban environments.
W
hile sustainability is rapidly becoming a major consideration of building design and efforts
to decarbonise the UK’s building stock are proceeding with varying degrees of success, substantial population growth is adding a signifi cant challenge. In fact, the UK’s second largest annual numerical increase – rising by 755,300 to an estimated 69.3 million people in the year to mid-2024, is leading to considerable urbanisation up and down the nation. The associated increase in vehicles, industrial activity and energy consumption is seeing heightened air, water and waste pollution in addition to the urban heat island effect. With the expansion of cities putting pressure on rural-urban fringes, reducing the amount of green space and risking air quality falling below World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, the importance of creating more liveable urban environments through effective landscape design cannot be understated.
Improving air quality & wellbeing Despite long-term reductions in particulate matter, such as PM2.5 and PM10, and nitrogen dioxide levels, many urban areas – Manchester, London and Birmingham for instance – still exceed WHO guidelines for air quality according to reports. To that end, taking a biophilic approach to landscape architecture design can have substantial impacts on air quality. For example, the strategic planting and delineation of vegetation can act as a ‘green screen’ between pollution sources, such as busy roads, and people. Additionally, with trees and other plants acting as fi lters, they are able to trap particulate matter from the air while absorbing pollutants and carbon dioxide
ADF JANUARY 2026 from the atmosphere.
This will also have long-lasting infl uences on the urban heat island effect, with carefully considered trees and vegetation providing shade and maximising green space to cool nearby surfaces and lower local building air conditioning costs by as much as 50%.
Enhancing biodiversity & habitat creation
In developed or urban areas, using landscape design, such as landscape edging, can create vital wildlife corridors, enabling the easy movement of species and the spread of genetic diversity. Indeed, edging can be incorporated into the design to link up existing green spaces, woodlands
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
Taking a biophilic approach to landscape architecture can have substantial impacts on air quality
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
