Beyond the Certification: Weaving Ecosystem Services Into Every Landscape [Video]

At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, landscape architect Patricia Matamoros challenges the notion that sustainability and resilience should be niche concepts in landscape architecture. She emphasizes that ecosystem services should be at the core of every project undertaken by landscape architects, rather than being considered a subcategory.

Patricia advocates for a shift in design approach towards understanding the symbiotic relationship between resilience and ecosystem services. She argues that this shift invites exploration of the hidden benefits that all landscape architecture projects can provide. To achieve this, she highlights the Sustainable Sites Initiative as a framework enabling the implementation of nature-based solutions aligned with site resilience.

One of the projects she discusses is the Miami Baywalk, where her team transformed a public waterfront into an ecological and cultural asset. Despite not initially intended as a sustainability project, Patricia’s team seized the opportunity to incorporate resilience strategies, leading to the project’s eventual codification into Miami’s development code.

Moreover, Patricia …