Merging architecture & landscaping towards urban sustainability

Abstract

For thousands of years, designing ladnscapes is a human intervention on the land that has undergone many different principles. Today, landscaping design principles are fragmented. However, new concepts such as urban sustainability are looking to create spaces with social, economic, and environmental benefits indicating possible new shifts approaches to landscaping. There is a need for more data that proves the benefits of urban sustainability on an urban site, specifically regarding the impacts architecture and landscaping have towards each other in humid tropical regions. Here we show the interlinking relationship between human activity with the quality and sustainability of landscaping and architecture in exterior environments. Within the urban site chosen of about 4,733 square meters, 99% of its total surface area was “impermeable” and only 1% was “semi-impermeable”. This results in a Permeability of Soil Index (IBS) rating of 0.6%, far below the minimum IBS rating of 30% relative to total area. Green surface area per resident for the site’s urban context was reported to be 29 square meters of public green area per inhabitant, passing the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended 10 square meters per inhabitant. A qualitative approach was also achieved through participants answering questionnaires to better understand their perception/relationship with the quality of exterior physical environments near their homes. This revealed that about 66% of participants do not frequently visit a public park near their home. A 75% of participants rated the quality of exterior public elements (benches, seating, sidewalks, shade,etc.) as average to very low. Quantity of trees was average to very poor according to 57% of participants, and 67% considered cars parked on sidewalks & streets cause average to mayor levels of disturbance. This study shows that existing ground permeability conditions are not optimal within the urban site after human intervention with high levels of precipitation in the region. Additionally, although there is optimal public green space per inhabitants, the deciding factor for the frequency of pedestrian activity within an urban site seems to be relative to how people perceive the physical quality of various elements in exterior environments.