LCAlandskab will provide the landscape architects, municipalities, and developers with a shared, validated tool to measure both CO₂ emissions and absorption in urban spaces and landscape projects. The aim is to design greener cities with a lower climate footprint – and to harness the potential of plants as a climate solution.

“Knowledge is the first step towards action. The green transition is the most important task of our time, and therefore we must know what works – and what doesn’t. With LCAlandskab, we give ourselves the best conditions to design cities that not only minimize the climate footprint, but also actively store CO₂ and make cities more resilient to climate change,” says Harpa Birgisdottir, Professor at BUILD, Aalborg University.

The project receives financial support from the philanthropic association Realdania, Dreyers Fond, and Grundejernes Investeringsfond.

LCA tools must be common

While the Danish building industry already has established tools such as LCAbyg and InfraLCA, there has so far been no equivalent validated method for landscapes, urban spaces, and parks. This means that many decisions today are made without a shared or comparable knowledge base. LCAlandskab aims to change that by creating a common standard for the entire sector.

“Sustainability tools should no longer be competitive parameters. With LCAlandskab, we’ll co-create, share, and ensure quality – so the whole industry can move forward together,” says Alexandra Vindfeld Hansen, R&D Director and Partner at SLA.

Making the climate potential of plants visible

A key focus of the project is to highlight the role of vegetation as an active climate solution. The tool will not only measure the CO₂ impact of constructing urban spaces and urban landscapes, but also make it possible to calculate the ability of plants and trees to absorb and store carbon – a large, but until now underexplored, climate potential.

“It’s well known that trees transform CO₂ into oxygen through photosynthesis. There’s an enormous untapped potential in using that process actively when developing cities with a lower climate impact,” says Alexandra Vindfeld Hansen, R&D Director and Partner in SLA.

With LCAlandskab, it will be possible to calculate the CO₂ impact of different landscape and urban space projects, assess the role of plants and trees in carbon storage, and develop a comprehensive understanding of how urban spaces can actively contribute to the green transition.

“The construction sector accounts for a huge share of Denmark’s CO₂ emissions, so it’s urgent not only to look at the building’s footprint, but also at the impacts associated with developing urban spaces. Every emission counts,” says Micki Aaen, CEO of Aaen Engineering.

A tool for informed decisions

With LCAlandskab, the industry gets a common method that can strengthen the design process and give decision-makers a validated basis for their priorities.

“Our cities are constantly changing and developing to meet new needs and challenges. This applies not only to buildings and infrastructure, but also to a large extent to the green areas and the city’s common spaces. Therefore, it is crucial that decisions about the necessary adjustments are made on an informed basis – with a focus on the entire life cycle and with an eye on the long-term consequences. And here, a common calculation tool will play an important role,” says Mikkel Suell Henriques, Project Manager at Realdania.

Collaborative and open-source

The development project will run from 2025 to 2027 and will bring together and gather experience and expertise from a broad range of industry actors, resulting in a free, open-source tool for everyone.

LCAlandskab is led by BUILD at Aalborg University, SLA, and Aaen Engineering, with participation from the Danish Technological Institute, the University of Copenhagen, Kildedal P/S, Gottlieb Paludan Architects, and idverde. Part of the project is also a monitoring task force made up of partners who wish to follow and contribute to the development.

The project is supported by Realdania, Grundejernes Investeringsfond, and Dreyers Fond and co-financed by the project partners.