About

Economic Benefits

National Grant from The ASLA Fund
 
Overview

The ASLA Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, has released summaries of the economic benefits of landscape architecture and nature-based solutions:

Landscape Architecture: Maximizing the Economic Benefits of Nature-based Solutions Through Design

A 10-page brief that summarizes 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 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

Making the Case for Nature-based Solutions in Climate and Biodiversity Projects

A guide for ASLA members to be released December, 2024  

Authors 

The summaries were developed by:

Dr. Jennifer Egan, PhD, Program Manager, Environmental Economics & Conservation Finance, Environmental Finance Center, School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, University of Maryland

Stephanie Dalke, Program Manager, Water Resources and Climate Adaptation, Environmental Finance Center, School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, University of Maryland 

Audiences

These documents will be used to advance research, advocacy, and communications goals with a range of audiences:

  • Global and U.S. federal, state, and local policy-makers and regulators
  • Allied professionals (planners, architects, engineers, ecologists)
  • Community leaders, advocates, and activists
  • Landscape architects
  • Academics and scientists in other disciplines, potential research partners
  • Potential donors
  • Landscape architecture clients
  • Landscape architecture students  
     

Goals

Landscape Architecture: Maximizing the Economic Benefits of Nature-based Solutions Through Design    

  • Create a concise, accessible brief for global and U.S. policymakers that makes the economic case for nature-based solutions and the added value of landscape architecture.
  • Review national and international literature, both gray and peer reviewed, for economic benefit values related to five topic areas ASLA highlighted. 
  • Review existing frameworks, such as The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), and case studies:
    • World Bank, UN, and other international reports (UK, Canada, Scotland)
    • National and local government reports, strategies, and plans
    • Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF)’s Landscape Performance Series Case Study Briefs
  • Evaluate case studies using:
    • Environmental economics benefit valuation literature
    • Data from benefit values databases
     

Making the Case for Nature-based Solutions in Climate and Biodiversity Projects

  • Create a concise, accessible guide that introduces a framework landscape architects can use to make the economic case for their climate and biodiversity projects
  • Explore:
    • Economic benefit valuation of nature and how economists and environmental economists arrive at value.
    • How designed environment benefit values can be enhanced compared to projects that do not involve landscape architecture.
    • Examples of projects that describe how values can change based on landscape architecture design choices.
    • The challenges of valuation and the caveats and assumptions inherent in valuation.
Process

The ASLA Fund announced the grant to the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center (EFC) in May 2024. The EFC was selected by ASLA staff after interviews with a select set of potential university and private grantees. The grant period ran from May to December 2024.

All deliverables were reviewed by: 

Acknowledgements

Mission of ASLA and The ASLA Fund

ASLA: Empowering our members to design a sustainable and equitable world through landscape architecture.

The ASLA Fund: Investing in global, social, and environmental change through the art and science of landscape architecture.


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