IFLA EUROPE celebrates the World Landscape Architecture Month

April is celebrated as World Landscape Architecture Month (#WLAM2025), and it is dedicated to promoting the work of landscape architects worldwide, offering a platform to promote their contributions across design, management, policy, education, research, and beyond.

World Landscape Architecture Month (#WLAM2025) offers a valuable opportunity to honor the profession, build connections, and raise awareness among the public, fellow professionals, government bodies, and more about the important role landscape architects play in enhancing lives and shaping meaningful spaces in our cities and communities.

The mission of the European Region of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA Europe) is to empower the collective spirit of its members-national associations, to establish the importance of all matters relating to landscape and landscape architecture as the physical, socio-economic, cultural, visual, conceptual, and spatial context of our European communities. The role of Landscape Architects to address all the challenges and issues of sustainability, climate resilience, quality and health of landscapes, biodiversity loss, from a policy perspective, is becoming more and more evident. It is imperative to promote a vision for design, planning and managing our landscapes as they will be a fundamental resource for the welfare of future generations.

Climate change stands as one of the most pressing issues of our era. While mitigation efforts to curb global warming remain essential, there's an increasing need for well- defined adaptation strategies to address the inevitable impacts already taking place. This is the core focus of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, which aims to support European cities and regions in becoming climate-resilient, striving to establish livable and robust urban environments by 2050.

One of the most effective responses lies in expanding green infrastructure and adopting nature-based solutions. Urban greenery and plant life offer numerous advantages, not only enhancing environmental conditions but also contributing significantly to urban well-being. Landscape architecture plays a crucial role in enabling this transition. The challenges are multifaceted, and planning approaches must balance a diverse array of needs.

Today, the emphasis has shifted from merely shaping built environments to creating holistic living environments. This broader perspective reflects a growing commitment to making lifestyles more sustainable, inclusive, and enriching through innovative and high- quality design.

Investing in landscape offers outstanding economic value. Compared to traditional construction and engineering solutions, landscape-focused development is highly cost- effective and brings lasting benefits. It enhances quality of life, supports environmental resilience, and provides long-term value for both people and ecosystems. Incorporating the landscape into urban planning can lower development costs, unlock greater potential for new projects, and boost the attractiveness of residential and commercial properties. Natural features also serve as powerful catalysts for regeneration, breathing new life into neglected spaces, drawing in visitors, and stimulating local economies.

In light of these dynamics, the European Region of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA Europe), in collaboration with ÖGLA | Austrian Society for Landscape Architecture, organized the international symposium “Designing Green and Resilient Cities.” This event was created to foster dialogue at both national and international levels, enhance the visibility of landscape architecture, encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, and promote cutting-edge practices for climate adaptation in urban contexts.

The symposium took place on 10 April 2025 at Nordwestbahnhalle in Vienna, a former freight railway site that is being transformed into a major urban development zone. The event addressed the urgent challenges facing municipalities in the face of climate change. Renowned experts underscored the necessity of strategic decision-making to meet the scale of the crisis and to cultivate new ways of living that preserve and elevate the quality of life in climate-affected communities.

The discussions explored how drawing from local traditions and promoting ecological integrity can help create energy-efficient landscapes that serve as nature-based, sustainable solutions. A key message was the importance of raising public awareness and sparking societal transformation—encouraging communities to rethink how landscapes and territories are managed in line with new ethical, environmental, and practical imperatives.

Additionally, the symposium advocated for policy development that prioritizes environmental and landscape conservation. This includes introducing supportive financial instruments and management frameworks that enable more adaptable and comprehensive oversight of evolving landscapes and climate realities.

The event also highlighted best-practice examples from Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, and Vienna, showcasing successful initiatives and inspiring strategies already being implemented across Europe.

The conference was opened by Bernhard Steger (City of Vienna, MA 21 A), Anna Detzlhofer (President of ÖGLA) and Katerina Gkoltsiou (President of IFLA Europe). All three emphasised the urgency of decisive action and underlined the central role of landscape architects in the sustainable transformation of our cities.

Johannes Lutter (UIV Urban Innovation Vienna) hosted the day and moderated the stimulating discussions between the presentations by Clemens Horak (City of Vienna, Head of the Department of Urban Development and Planning), Florian Reinwald (BOKU University, Institute for Landscape Planning), Lykke Leonardson (Copenhagen, Programme Manager "Resilient and Sustainable City Solutions"), Mirjam Lenzen (Hamburg, Advisor to the City Planning Department), Carlo Becker (bgmr Landschaftsarchitekten, Berlin) and Didier Vancutsem (urban scape, Munich; Assoc. Prof. ULB Free University, Brussels; IFLA Vice-President for Professional Practice of IFLA Europe).

Accompanying the symposium, the exhibition "Designing Green and Resilient Cities" offered in-depth insight into the topic. It presented fields of action in landscape architecture and showed innovative concepts, instruments and methods that can make a significant contribution to the green transformation of urban living spaces.

Accompanying the symposium, the exhibition "Designing Green and Resilient Cities" offered in-depth insight into the topic. It presented fields of action in landscape architecture and showed innovative concepts, instruments and methods that can make a significant contribution to the green transformation of urban living spaces.

The day concluded with a panel discussion in which key issues were addressed and further developed together with the audience. Eva Schwab (Graz University of Technology) discussed with Anna Detzlhofer (DnD Landschaftsplanung, ÖGLA President), Bernhard Steger (City of Vienna, MA 21 A), Simon Tschannett (Weatherpark), Franz Reschke (Franz Reschke Landschaftsarchitektur, bdla) and Marie-Theres Okresek

(bauchplan). Meanwhile, the majority of IFLA Europe National Associations held events to celebrate Landscape Architecture Month, highlighting the profession's role in addressing the environmental and societal challenges of our era.

Katerina Gkoltsiou
IFLA Europe President