Climate change, biodiversity loss and resource scarcity have been calling for an urgent rethink about the way we design and develop the built environment. Science-based targets are being set for nature with the aim of reversing these man-made impacts across the full value chain, contributing to full nature recovery by 2050. To support these targets, built environment designers need to embrace digital processes and an evidence-based approach to climate-positive design to comprehensively understand context, trends, changes and opportunities.
As landscape architects, we recognize it is our role to respond to this “call to action,” but are we equipped with the skills, tools, resources and evidence to shape our projects and demonstrate our successes?
Digital approaches to evidence-based design
As landscape architects, our approach to evidence-based design and decision-making varies and is oftenobjective evidence (evidence based on factual data). Although, in the context of our climate challenges, it is important to provide quantifiable evidence for our design decisions, our profession often bridges the arts and the sciences. Good design can be an expression of and response to experiences, behaviours and the environment – aspects that are often subjective and intangible. However, we are inclined to look to research and digital analysis to provide the necessary evidence for, and calculated response to, our decisions.
