The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, has released a new brief on the economic benefits of landscape architecture and nature-based solutions.

The brief is developed for global and U.S. economic policymakers meeting at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. ASLA is an official observer of the COP process, and its representatives have attended COPs for the past three years. Pamela Conrad, ASLA, PLA, Founder, Climate Positive Design, is ASLA's delegate this year.

Dr. Jennifer Egan, PhD, program manager, University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center (EFC) in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation developed the summary and economic benefit estimates. The EFC received a grant from the ASLA Fund to develop these analyses, which summarize findings from research literature, national and international reports, and 200 case studies.

The brief finds that landscape architects increase economic value through their approach to planning and designing nature-based solutions.

Their work on nature-based solutions creates economic benefits in five key areas :

• Improved Human Health and Livability
• Expanded Investment and Sustainable Jobs
• Increased Biodiversity
• Going Beyond Net-Zero
• Strengthened Resilience

The Environmental Finance Center created two summaries:

Landscape Architecture: Maximizing the Economic Benefits of Nature-based Solutions Through Design: A 10-page brief that summarizes estimates of economic benefits for global and U.S. policymakers.

An Analysis of Benefit Values: 175 Landscape Architecture Case Studies in the U.S.: A 12-page supplementary analysis for economic and landscape architecture researchers and educators that explores economic benefits found in the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF)'s Landscape Performance Series Case Study Briefs.

"We listened to global policymakers last year at COP28 in Dubai. They seek to scale up investment in nature-based solutions but need to know how much these solutions cost and their economic benefits," said ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. ASLA.

"We now have some solid numbers that show landscape architects generate significant economic value through the way they design these solutions. But we'll also start an ambitious research agenda to calculate the economic benefits we currently can't measure."

Highlights include:

• Nature-based solutions such as rain gardens, bioswales, and green roofs effectively manage stormwater. These features can be constructed for 5-30 percent less and maintained for 25 percent less than conventional gray infrastructure.
• Every dollar invested in ecosystem restoration returns $5 to $28 in benefits, depending on the ecosystem.
• Urban trees provide approximately $88 billion (US$ 2024) in carbon sequestration annually.
• Every dollar invested in parks and green space can generate between $4 and $11, due to increased tourism, improved property values, and enhanced community health.

ASLA's Climate Action Plan identified the need for this economic benefits work.

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