Designing with Country: How Landscape Architecture and Urban Design Drive Sustainability Goals through Climate-Positive Planning

In Australia, sustainability isn’t just about reducing energy consumption or waste—it's about understanding and respecting the land we inhabit. The concept of Designing with Country is a holistic approach that integrates Indigenous knowledge, ecological wisdom, and modern design practices to create spaces that work in harmony with the environment. Landscape architects and urban designers, by embracing this philosophy, are uniquely equipped to help businesses and organizations achieve sustainability goals through climate-positive planning and design.

From eco-tourism and national parks to urban development and transport infrastructure, this approach has transformative potential. This blog explores how Designing with Country can guide sustainability efforts in diverse sectors, from tourism to transportation, and how professionals in landscape architecture and urban design can lead the way.

Designing with Country: A Climate-Positive Approach

Designing with Country goes beyond sustainable design—it’s about aligning human activity with the land’s natural rhythms and processes. It involves understanding the land’s history, its ecosystems, and how Indigenous practices can inform modern sustainability efforts. This approach focuses on building resilience, improving biodiversity, and reducing carbon footprints, while fostering a deeper connection between people and the land.

Landscape architects and urban designers who embrace this philosophy prioritize climate-positive solutions, which not only aim to reduce harm but actively improve environmental conditions. Through practices such as regenerating ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity, and designing with a focus on carbon sequestration, they contribute to the creation of spaces that actively combat climate change.

• Regenerative Design: Landscape architects can incorporate design features that regenerate local ecosystems, like planting native species, restoring wetlands, or creating wildlife corridors. These initiatives help restore carbon-absorbing habitats while enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

• Carbon Sequestration: By designing with native plants and using materials with a low carbon footprint, landscape architects can create environments that trap more carbon in the soil and vegetation, contributing to climate-positive outcomes.

Eco-Tourism: Achieving Sustainability Through Regenerative Design

Australia’s eco-tourism sector is a key area where Designing with Country can help achieve sustainability goals. Eco-tourism relies on preserving natural landscapes while providing immersive, educational experiences for visitors. Landscape architects can play a crucial role in creating climate-positive eco-tourism destinations by designing spaces that integrate regenerative practices and sustainable systems.

• Case Study: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA): In the case of GBRMPA, landscape architects have designed eco-friendly visitor infrastructure that educates tourists about marine conservation while minimizing environmental impact. By integrating water-efficient systems, creating sustainable transport solutions, and restoring coastal habitats, these professionals ensure that eco-tourism thrives without degrading the environment.

• Cultural Integration: Embracing Indigenous knowledge through Designing with Country helps create spaces that not only respect but celebrate local culture. Incorporating Indigenous plant species and traditional land management practices into eco-tourism design ensures that tourism activities are deeply connected to the land and its stories.

National Parks and Wildlife Services: Resilient, Climate-Positive Design

Australia’s national parks and protected areas are vital for conserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change. Landscape architects, when guided by the principles of Designing with Country, can create spaces that enhance the natural environment, improve climate resilience, and ensure these areas are sustainable for generations to come.

• Bushfire Resilience and Climate Adaptation: In fire-prone regions like the Blue Mountains, landscape architects can design for climate adaptation by selecting fire-resistant native plants and planning for controlled burns or firebreaks that protect both the land and its visitors. By incorporating traditional ecological knowledge, they ensure these areas remain resilient in the face of climate change.

• Restoring Natural Systems: By restoring ecosystems through rewilding or reforestation projects, landscape architects help increase the capacity of national parks to absorb carbon, protect biodiversity, and provide educational spaces for visitors. In the Blue Mountains, for example, landscape architects working with National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) have designed pathways and visitor spaces that minimize environmental impact while enhancing public understanding of the importance of conservation.

Transport and Urban Planning: Designing Sustainable, Climate-Positive Infrastructure

Urban design and transport infrastructure are critical areas where Designing with Country can lead to climate-positive outcomes. Landscape architects and urban designers working in this field focus on creating environments that reduce urban heat islands, improve air quality, and encourage sustainable transport choices—all while honoring the land’s cultural and ecological significance.

• Transit-Oriented Development: By creating dense, walkable communities around public transit hubs, landscape architects help reduce car dependence and promote sustainable mobility. Green infrastructure, like green roofs, permeable pavements, and tree canopy cover, not only enhances aesthetic appeal but also contributes to environmental cooling, stormwater management, and carbon sequestration.

• Green Corridors for Transport: Designing green transport corridors that incorporate native vegetation can enhance both biodiversity and sustainability. These green spaces serve as wildlife corridors, promote active transport like walking and cycling, and mitigate the heat island effect in urban areas.

• Case Study: Sydney Light Rail: For Sydney’s Light Rail project, landscape architects integrated green infrastructure and sustainability features into the design of public spaces around stations. The inclusion of native plantings, energy-efficient street lighting, and permeable surfaces contributed to reducing the environmental impact of the transport network.

Scenic World, Katoomba: Leveraging Landscape Architecture for Sustainability

In eco-tourism destinations like Scenic World, Katoomba, Designing with Country offers a powerful tool for achieving sustainability. Scenic World, nestled in the Blue Mountains, is surrounded by breathtaking landscapes that are integral to its appeal. Landscape architects, guided by Indigenous knowledge and climate-positive principles, could play a key role in enhancing its sustainability efforts.

• Low-Impact Design: Landscape architects can design eco-friendly walkways, viewing platforms, and visitor facilities that blend seamlessly into the natural landscape, restoring native vegetation and minimizing ecological disruption.

• Regenerative Practices: By integrating native plants and regenerative land management practices, landscape architects can enhance biodiversity and support long-term ecological health, contributing to the park's climate-positive goals.

• Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Incorporating fire-resistant plantings, water-efficient systems, and other climate-adaptive measures ensures that Scenic World remains resilient to climate challenges such as bushfires and droughts.

By embracing Designing with Country, Scenic World can strengthen its commitment to conservation and become a model for sustainable eco-tourism in Australia. This approach ensures that the land, culture, and environment are respected while providing a meaningful visitor experience.

Landscape Architects as Sustainability Leaders

While traditional sustainability coordinators may focus on energy and waste management, landscape architects bring a broader, systems-based perspective to sustainability. Their expertise in Designing with Country ensures that sustainability is embedded in the physical environment and that climate-positive solutions are implemented in every project, from public parks to private developments.

By working with Indigenous knowledge, embracing regenerative design, and prioritizing ecological resilience, landscape architects help businesses and communities reduce their environmental impact, restore ecosystems, and create spaces that contribute to long-term climate goals. Their approach is holistic, combining natural systems with design innovation to create environments that work in harmony with the land.

Conclusion

Designing with Country offers a path to achieving climate-positive sustainability goals by connecting modern design practices with the ecological and cultural wisdom of the land. Landscape architects and urban designers who embrace this philosophy help create spaces that regenerate ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and reduce carbon footprints. From eco-tourism to urban planning, this approach is a powerful tool for businesses, governments, and communities looking to build a sustainable, climate-resilient future for Australia.