6 landscape projects transform environmental recovery into living architecture

The recovery of degraded areas is one of the greatest challenges facing contemporary cities. In the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and urban growth, landscaping emerges as a tool for environmental regeneration, capable of transforming compromised spaces into living, functional ecosystems integrated into the landscape.

More than simply creating green areas, environmental recovery projects seek to reestablish natural processes, restore watercourses, favor native species and bring people closer to nature. Around the world, initiatives demonstrate how landscape planning can contribute to sustainability and reinvent the relationship between architecture, city, and the environment.

1. Cheonggyecheon, South Korea

(Divulgação/Divulgação)

Built over a watercourse previously covered by an expressway, Cheonggyecheon, in Seoul, represents an important experience in urban revitalization. Completed in 2005, the project recovered approximately 5.8 kilometers of the stream, creating spaces for socializing and vegetation in a densely urbanized region.

2. Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Singapore

(Divulgação/Divulgação)

In Singapore, the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park transformed a concrete canal into a winding river, integrated into a 62-hectare park. Completed in 2012, the project replaced rigid structures with solutions that allow the watercourse to respond to natural variations in its volume.

The initiative combines ecological recovery, flood control, and public spaces, demonstrating how green infrastructure can contribute to cities' adaptation to climate change.

3. Houtan Park, China

(Divulgação/Divulgação)

Located on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, Houtan Park transformed a former industrial area into an ecological landscape. Developed for Expo 2010, the project uses filtering gardens and constructed wetlands to treat part of the water drawn from the river.

The distinguishing feature lies in the integration between landscaping and natural water purification. The vegetation helps remove pollutants, create habitats, and protect the banks, while pathways allow visitors to learn how this ecosystem works.

4. Freshkills Park, United States

(Divulgação/Divulgação)

In Staten Island, New York, Freshkills Park represents one of the most ambitious processes of transforming a landfill into a public park. The site, previously used to receive the city's waste, is undergoing a lengthy process of recovery and environmental adaptation. Its construction began in October 2008 and is expected to continue in phases over approximately 30 years.

The plan includes habitat restoration, ecological management, and the gradual creation of recreational spaces. Unlike a purely aesthetic intervention, the project requires continuous environmental monitoring and infrastructure to manage the buried waste.

5. Qunli Stormwater Park, China

(Divulgação/Divulgação)

In the Chinese city of Harbin, Qunli Stormwater Park recovered, between 2010 and 2011, a wetland area threatened by urban expansion. Covering approximately 34 hectares, the project uses ponds, native vegetation, and natural retention systems to capture and store rainwater.

6. Manzanares River, Spain

(Divulgação/Pragmatika Media/Divulgação)

In Madrid, the renaturalization of the Manzanares River sought to recover the ecological features of a watercourse historically modified by urbanization. The interventions, which began in 2016, included the removal of artificial structures in certain stretches and the recovery of riparian vegetation.

The project prioritized native species, biodiversity and ecological connectivity, allowing the river to resume important environmental functions. The initiative highlighted how the recovery of urban landscapes can happen progressively, respecting natural processes.

Why is environmental recovery important for landscaping?

These projects show that sustainable landscaping goes beyond the creation of ornamental gardens and parks. By recovering degraded ecosystems, the interventions help to improve water quality, foster biodiversity and enhance urban resilience.

More than transforming the appearance of spaces, environmental recovery proposes a new way of planning cities, recognizing nature as an essential part of infrastructure and quality of life.

This text was developed with the assistance of CASACOR Publisher, an exclusive content agent developed by CASACOR's Technology team based on the knowledge base of casacor.com.br. The generated content was subsequently edited by Yeska Coelho.