[Not] from the President’s Desk – AJLA August 2025 Issue

This month’s guest is Almer du Pisanie from Pretoria, South Africa. Recently, the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA Africa) and the Urban Design Institute of South Africa (UDISA) signed a memorandum of understanding. Almer, who is UDISA’s vice-chairman, writes about the relationship between our two disciplines and explains why it is so important that this memorandum was signed.

He is a professional architect and urban designer with over 22 years of post-registration experience. He holds a BArch from the University of Pretoria and an MSc in Advanced Architectural Studies (Urban Design) from the University of Strathclyde, both with distinction. As director at kwpCREATE, his firm specialises in urban design, landscape architecture, specialist buildings, and sustainable architecture. He currently serves as vice-chairman of UDISA. Almer also contributes to academia as a part-time lecturer and external examiner at several universities in South Africa.

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[Not] from the President’s Desk – AJLA August 2025 Issue

IFLA Africa (International Federation of Landscape Architects - Africa) and UDISA (Urban Design Institute of South Africa) have recently engaged to put together a formal MOU for collaboration.

Unlocking the Power of Interdisciplinary Practice

Collaboration between IFLA Africa and UDISA holds significant potential to strengthen interdisciplinary practice, promote sustainable urbanism, and influence policy and education across the continent. Both organisations advocate for better-designed cities but approach it through complementary lenses—making collaboration a natural and impactful opportunity.

Why Collaboration Matters

Urban design and landscape architecture are closely related and highly complementary professions. When integrated effectively, they can produce urban environments that are functional, sustainable, and meaningful—balancing spatial logic with ecological health and human experience

Key Areas of Synergy

1. Scale and Scope

• Urban design works at city, neighbourhood, and site scale, focusing on spatial structure and public realms.

• Landscape architecture spans from regional ecology to site-specific design, managing green infrastructure and ecosystems.

Complement: Landscape architects contribute ecological literacy to spatial visions; urban designers provide spatial frameworks integrating natural systems with infrastructure.

2. Public Space and Place-making

• Urban designers shape spaces for connectivity, responsive form, function, and interaction.

• Landscape architects enhance spaces through materials, planting, water, and climate management.

Complement: Together, they create public realms that are usable, resilient, and experientially rich.

3. Infrastructure and Ecology

• Urban design organises movement and density into efficient patterns.

• Landscape architecture embeds ecological functions like stormwater and biodiversity management

Complement: Joint efforts turn infrastructure into efficient, multifunctional, sustainable systems.

4. Climate Responsiveness and Resilience

• Urban design addresses land use distribution, settlement orientation, wind, and heat mitigation.

• Landscape architecture offers shading, vegetation, and cooling responses.

Complement: Combined strategies tackle heat islands and flooding, promoting healthier cities.

5. Community and Identity

• Urban designers guide socio-economic patterns, legibility, and identity.

• Landscape architects embed cultural narratives into places.

Complement: Together, they build spaces of social function and emotional resonance.

6. Policy and Implementation

• Urban design influences vision, zoning, and development management policies.

• Landscape architecture informs environmental planning and implementation.

Complement: Designers set strategic direction; landscape architects execute site-specific, tangible results.

Strategic Collaboration

A partnership between IFLA Africa and UDISA aims to leverage the collaboration between urban design and landscape architecture to promote inclusive, sustainable, and resilient urban development across Africa.

Strategic Goals

1. Promote interdisciplinary practice.

2. Advocate for design-led urban solutions.

3. Strengthen professional capacity and exchange.

4. Influence urban policy.

5. Innovate in public space, infrastructure, and settlement design.

Pathways to Impact

• Co-develop projects, publications, and events

• Engage in research, outreach, and discussions through digital and print media

• Advocate for resilient, liveable cities through policy support

Looking Ahead

When urban designers and landscape architects collaborate from project inception, they can align vision with ecological integrity, human scale, and long-term sustainability. Their teamwork ensures that cities are not just well-organised, but also liveable, beautiful, and resilient.

By collaborating, IFLA Africa and UDISA can significantly influence the direction of African urban development. Through shared vision, advocacy, and project implementation, both organisations will be better positioned to ensure that African cities are not only well-planned and inclusive but also ecologically robust and culturally grounded.

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