Not All Parks Should be Green: 10 Tips to Design Landscape Infrastructure

Does it make sense to design green parks in desert cities such as Casablanca, Dubai, or Lima? Ostensibly it does because they contribute freshness and greenness to the urban environment. In exchange, however, they disrupt native local ecosystems, incur high maintenance bills, and begin a constant struggle to ensure water availability.

Not All Parks Should be Green: 10 Tips to Design Landscape Infrastructure
Kaukari Urban Park, designed in the desert city of Copiapó (Chile) by the Teodoro Fernández Arquitectos office. Image © Rodrigo Opazo Kaukari Urban Park, designed in the desert city of Copiapó (Chile) by the Teodoro Fernández Arquitectos office. Image © Rodrigo Opazo

Does it make sense to design green parks in desert cities such as Casablanca, Dubai, or Lima? Ostensibly it does because they contribute freshness and greenness to the urban environment. In exchange, however, they disrupt native local ecosystems, incur high maintenance bills, and begin a constant struggle to ensure water availability.

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