The importance of landscaping in urban areas is a crucial aspect of the significant impact it has on the quality of life of people who live in cities. Landscaping ranges from the initial approach to the design, development, management, maintenance, and rehabilitation of open spaces green and recreational spaces. Always respecting, above all, the environment to transform spaces in the best way and where they coexist without harming nature and people.
The impact of nature on cities
Cities must invest in maintaining nature and promote its integration into urban design. Because nature can greatly affect our way of living, some of the most relevant aspects are:
- Health and well-being: the presence of green spaces and quiet areas to walk, practice sports, and improve the physical and mental health of the inhabitants.
- Pollution reduction: Nature helps reduce pollution and purifies air and water.
- Climate change mitigation: Trees and plants act as carbon sinks and help reduce the effects of climate change.
- Protection of biodiversity: green areas in cities help conserve biodiversity and help protect endangered species.
- Better quality of life: It is proven that nature being present in our streets and squares helps its inhabitants and improves their quality of life. More attractive cities, with spaces for relaxation and coexistence, have to be the present and future of modern cities. That is why it is essential to include more trees and plants in cities and reduce the weight of concrete in common spaces.
Planning and management of spaces
For a landscaper, one of the important things is that design and usability are at the same level. That is why you have to plan a summary of the garden before designing it, see what problems it has, know the direction of the sun to know what to plant in the shadiest and sunniest areas… but above all you must study the use and objective of that garden. Garden: solely landscaped for leisure and coexistence…
That is why you have to take into account:
- The local climate: we must know the basic aspects of temperature, humidity, orientation, and hours of sunshine… to plant the species most appropriate to the place.
- The type of soil in the garden: not every species can be planted in all soils. We will have to know the pH if it has a lack of nutrients in case this hinders the growth of the plants and their subsequent maintenance.
- Maintenance: we must know the level of care and maintenance involvement that said space will have in the future. If it is known that not many resources are going to be allocated to its maintenance, the species that are planted should be more resistant and require little care.
- Selection of heights, planning, and defining the visual attraction: a mistake that must be avoided is to bring together many species in the same place without taking their growth into account. We must plan where each plant should go so that they do not “self-destruct” each other over time.