Turning landscaping projects green

In 5 seconds Shabnam Rahbar is studying 10 major projects to explore ecological landscaping practices in Quebec.
Shabnam Rahbar

There’s eco-construction, eco-ethics, eco-neighbourhoods: ecology seems to be top of mind for planning professionals and researchers. But according to Shabnam Rahbar, a professor in the School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture in the Faculty of Environmental Design at Université de Montréal, the concept remains vague and ill-defined. So she decided to investigate how Quebec landscape architects incorporate ecology into their work. This summer, she is embarking on a research project to shed light on ecological practices in landscape architecture in Quebec and plans to study 10 landscaping projects, with the help of two teaching assistants.

Understanding the role of ecology in landscape design

As a first step, Rahbar has surveyed the literature and is now reviewing contemporary discussions of ecodesign. “I’m looking at how these debates and theories about ecodesign are shaping environmentally friendly practices in landscaping,” she said. “I also want to see how ecological concepts are understood and used by Quebec landscape architects today and explore the similarities and differences in their discourses. Based on these studies, I hope to identify principles and strategies by which landscape architects can establish a symbiotic, just and sustainable relationship with nature and develop a dialogue between human interventions in the landscape and natural dynamics.”

Technicist approach dominates

Rahbar observes that a technicist approach often dominates supposedly eco-friendly projects. This can be seen in environmental rating systems such as LEED Gold certification and in public projects, which lean towards technical solutions such as stormwater management, soil decontamination and the reuse of materials. While these solutions are a necessary response to current environmental crises, they do not address the root cause, which is the way we treat nature.

According to Rahbar and other researchers, the challenge of ecodesign should drive a genuine cultural shift in our relationship with nature. “Like me, researchers are saying that we really need to use this concept to question how we can establish a harmonious and sustainable relationship with nature, how development and human interventions can respect nature and the earth, how development can respect and integrate with ecosystems.”

Different types of landscape design

The Frédéric-Back Park

“In landscape architecture, we often talk about unfinished landscapes, which are spaces that are not completely controlled, where nature is able to reclaim the space at its own pace,” Rahbar explained. Some abandoned sites, such as the Champ des Possibles, have no real built structures, allowing nature to develop freely without strict control.

Differentiated management, such as the approach applied in part of the forest on UdeM’s mountain campus, promotes more varied ways of planning and managing spaces. With this approach, there are well-groomed areas where nature is controlled while other areas are left to evolve naturally to protect biodiversity.

“I think it’s a good idea to diversify the types of landscapes in this way, the types of green spaces we have in our cities, and to use different types of management in order to meet both the needs of the public and the demands of nature,” said Rahbar. “So sometimes, there is minimal intervention in areas where we want to encourage biodiversity, and regular maintenance in other areas where we want to have uses such as picnicking.”

Analysis of 10 landscape projects

To understand how Quebec landscape architects understand ecology, Rahbar has selected 10 major projects in Quebec for detailed study this summer. Five are in the Montreal area and five in other parts of Quebec. These projects are described as ecological by their designers and have earned distinctions such as environmental certifications. They were chosen to represent a wide range of practices and different generations of designers.

The projects include the Technopôle Angus eco-district, Frédéric-Back Park and Verdun urban beach in Montreal, as well as the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain, the renaturalization of the banks of the Rivière Saint-Charles in Quebec City, the Ruisseau de Feu Conservation Park in Terrebonne, and the Parc des Loups-marins and Promenade de la Grave in Percé.

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