ABSTRACT
Cities are at the core of current environmental problems and, conversely, host the solutions for them. Design has a great potential to reshape cities transforming them for improved living conditions and balanced ecological systems. Among the cities’ elements that contribute to sustainability are green spaces. Therefore, this paper focuses on criteria for designing and evaluating contemporary sustainable landscape located in urban areas. First, the role of urban green spaces is defined, followed by the criteria for sustainable design and performance of urban landscape architecture and architecture. Then, Washington Canal Park is evaluated as a case study, as it is a comprehensive example of contemporary urban green space with a broad approach to sustainability. The paper concludes discussing how the comprehension of landscapes designed for sustainability informs new design decisions, considering the high potential for advancing further with possibilities of integrating buildings and landscapes for multi-layered performance.
