Cities are growing and developing rapidly, and it’s changing the way we live. The UN predicts that the urban population worldwide will gradually rise to 70% by 2050, which is an alarming call to reshape our cities in smart ways in order to maintain the environment as well as the quality of living. Landscape architecture is crucial to this. When done right, it makes our cities not just enjoyable to occupy, but also sustainable, guiding urban development (as well social and economic development) in a healthy direction. Here are some aspects of the future of landscaping in our ever-changing urban centers.
Shared spaces
Urban spaces are the places where communities gather, tourists visit, and life is vibrant. They have been the core of any city’s essence for centuries. Because of rapid urbanization, transport modules are also changing and the future city is focused on effective shared transportation. Increasing pedestrian zones within cities will be a part of urban planning in the future, and landscape architecture is what will help create a bridge between the pedestrian and the built environment. Well-designed shared spaces are also what will encourage interaction among humans in the age of Internet and smartphones.
Climate adaptation
With the growing concerns for environmental changes, there is a dire need to rethink infrastructure. Our cities are currently congested and governments allocate their budgets to roads, railways, etc. also known as “grey infrastructure”. Along with that, a lot of money is spent on rebuilding areas devastated by environmental incidents. The city of tomorrow will have the blue and green infrastructure and will require engineers and landscape architects to work together to implement solutions for high-risk spaces. This means smart location, low-impact water-sensitive designs and creating areas for climate refugees.
The need for green
Parks are a city’s lungs, and thankfully, there will actually be more green spaces in the city of tomorrow. It goes beyond parks and extends to walls and roofs, anywhere possible, as landscaping embraces all directions and forms. Besides the obvious need for more greenery on our planet, specialists from Musa Landscape Architecture use it as a tool to achieve balance and harmony with nature in urban spaces, to encourage playfulness and the celebration of life. It’s an important tool to use when wishing to contribute to a healthy, thriving society and the city of the future is serious about this aspect.
Security
This past year was one laden with security threats in urban centers, public attacks and a growing fear among tourists and city dwellers. Awareness for security is already shaping our cities, but we haven’t quite gotten further than police surveillance. Landscape architects are brainstorming ways to find a solution through design and the future city will have a more cautious approach to public spaces.
Smart cities
“Smart cities” are a modern urban phenomenon that’s going to become the norm one day. Smart cities are designed using multiple data collection technologies and other forms of innovative technology in order to create hyper-connected, efficient cities that can take on the rapid urban growth. Designing these types of cities strongly focuses on health – a healthy city is one that is green, efficient, highly adaptable and not congested. In return, its residents are healthy as well, both mentally and physically. In addition, landscape photography is a good way to capture the essence of our changing societies.
Conclusion
Creating the cities of tomorrow requires a large number of experts in various fields, from tech to biology and so on. The tools that landscape architects use are also changing, and we can expect to see more of them presenting their solutions to the public through immersive design, such as virtual and augmented reality. The future looks exciting and smart, and landscape architects are at the helm of the procession heading for bright, clean cities.
