AILA Green Infrastructure position statement

The new AILA position statement highlights green infrastructure’s many values, with the potential to fight climate change clearly deserving of more attention and investment.

In the release of Australian Institute of Landscape Architects’ Green Infrastructure Position Statement on 25 July 2019, the institute described green infrastructure (GI) as “the strategically planned networks of natural and semi-natural areas in urban and regional settlements that provide environmental, social and economic benefits to society”. AILA has confirmed its commitment to four areas of GI advocacy: promoting good governance, engaging with industry development, supporting community efforts and championing research. In all these areas landscape architects work to achieve positive change. But their skills can also help advocacy for GI in each of these areas through innovative visions that rethink and reposition the possibilities for planting in our cities.

With the threat of climate change comes appetite for radical, creative project ideas that are grounded in the discipline’s training and continue its history of successful city improvement. There are many good reasons for people to love trees and gardens and many examples of designing well with plants in cities.