AIPH Green City Briefing: Flourishing urban design with plants

From rooftop gardens to green walls, the incorporation of plants into city environments not only provides beauty but also contributes to improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effect, and enhanced biodiversity.

By selecting species suitable for the urban environment, landscape architects, urban planners and others are able to create urban spaces which flourish. Hear from planting design and landscape architect experts on their process for selecting plants which are sustainable and resilient in the challenging urban environment.

Programme

13:00 – Welcome by MC Jane Welsh, IFLA Special Envoy to AIPH

13:15 – Plants for biodiversity in cities in Central Mexico – Elisa Olivares, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Sheffield

Cities in central Mexico are suffering an accelerated loss of biodiversity due to land use change, climate change, and loss of vegetation. This session will present three stages showing how research, outreach and collaboration can help cities to improve their biodiversity.

13:30 – The Four-Season Garden – Kathryn Deery, Head Horticulturist at Lurie Garden, Chicago

An urban model of responsible horticulture, Lurie Garden provides a healthy habitat for a wide variety of plants, animals, and insects. This session will explore how the garden offers a four-season experience blending Chicago’s past, present and future with bold design, dramatic form, and intimate spaces. This session will explore shifting the mindset from one of maintenance to management in the garden and designing with perennials in an urban setting.

13:45 – Q&A

14:00 – Briefing closes

MC: Jane Welsh

Jane Welsh, OALA, FCSLA, is the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Special Envoy to AIPH and Co-Chair of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Committee on Climate Adaptation.

Jane is currently the Project Manager of the Environmental Planning unit of Toronto City Planning, leading the team responsible for creating new innovative solutions to address climate adaptation and mitigation, natural heritage protection and biodiversity loss and change the way Canada’s largest city is built. Her work includes development and on-going implementation of many ‘firsts’ including the Toronto Green Standard; Green Roof Bylaw; Bird Friendly Guidelines; Ravine Protection Bylaw and Toronto’s Ravine and Biodiversity Strategies. Jane holds a degree in landscape architecture from the University of Guelph and a master’s in planning from the University of Toronto.

Elisa Olivares

Elisa Olivares is a lecturer in Planting design in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield. Her research interests include targeting new species for green roofs and designing plant communities for semi-arid urban areas. Currently, she is working on a Design Exchange Partnerships Programme grant from the AHRC on Curated landscapes to incentivise care for the landscape.

Kathryn Deery

Kathryn serves as Head Horticulturist of Lurie Garden and is passionate about the vital role public gardens play in communities. Her goal is to maintain the design integrity of Lurie Garden while facilitating the garden’s evolution. She aims to prioritize both the beauty and ecological function of Lurie Garden while maintaining a high standard of horticulture.

Kathryn previously held positions in horticulture and public programming at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Additionally, she worked in habitat restoration with the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy and served as a Conservation Corps North Bay AmeriCorps member. Kathryn earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Michigan.