This is your weekly international snapshot of what’s happening across landscape architecture, climate adaptation and urban design. Drawing on credible global sources, it highlights key projects, policy developments and research shaping how cities and landscapes are being planned, designed and adapted in response to climate and community needs.

This summary is powered by AI to support timely scanning of international sources. While it aims to surface relevant and high‑quality material, it may not capture every news item, project or activity across the sector.

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MONDAY 9 FEBRUARY

1. Civic infrastructure ideas shaping future cities
Source: ArchDaily (5 Feb 2026)

A feature article explores how cities around the world are rethinking nature as civic infrastructure, blurring the lines between parks, ecological systems and urban space. It argues that embedding habitat, health and public life into core infrastructure prompts a deeper ecological commitment from designers, planners and policymakers to support both sustainability and everyday urban life.

https://www.archdaily.com/1038320/health-habitat-and-civic-infrastructure-designing-the-city-as-a-national-park

Primary topic: Urban design / landscape architecture

2. Public space that doubles as flood‑resilient infrastructure
Source: Architect Magazine (7 February 2026)

Weiss/Manfredi’s Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park is presented as a demonstration of design that blends public amenity and climate adaptation strategies. The park’s reimagined waterside landscape remediates past pollution while providing multifunctional open space that protects against flooding during extreme weather events, illustrating how landscapes can serve both everyday social uses and resilience functions.

https://www.architectmagazine.com/design/the-citys-dirtiest-secrets-are-becoming-its-best-public-spaces

Primary topic: Climate adaptation / landscape architecture

3. ASLA Webinar series supports climate and biodiversity action
Source: American Society of Landscape Architects (3 Feb 2026)

ASLA has launched its 2026 Biodiversity & Climate Action 101 webinar series, designed to support landscape architects in expanding their knowledge and practice around climate resilience and biodiversity conservation. The programme continues lessons from recent conferences and advances the society’s Climate and Biodiversity Action Plan, emphasising equitable approaches to tackling both crises.

https://www.asla.org/news-insights/land/webinar-landscape-architecture-2040

Primary topic: Climate adaptation / professional development

4. Conference on sustainable cities and landscapes announced
Source: APRU (2026 event details)

The 9th APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Conference will be held in 2026, focusing on multi‑scalar transformations across Pacific Rim cities and landscapes. Themes include resilient design, heritage conservation, biodiversity, community design and smart city technologies, bringing together academia, practitioners and policymakers to build collaborative knowledge on sustainability and resilience.

https://www.apru.org/event/scl-2026/

Primary topic: Urban design / climate adaptation

5. Academic paper reveals new decision‑making tool for flood adaptation
Source: arXiv (Jan 2026)

A recent academic study presents a reinforcement‑learning framework that helps city planners and designers craft long‑term climate‑resilient transport and infrastructure pathways under flood risk. By modelling flood impacts and investment strategies, the tool offers insights into how adaptive planning can be more robust and decision‑responsive over multi‑decadal horizons.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.18586

Primary topic: Climate adaptation / urban design

Snapshot: key themes this week

• There is a clear focus on landscapes and public spaces acting as infrastructural systems, merging ecological function with civic life.
• Professional development and knowledge sharing through webinars and conferences continue to support adaptation and biodiversity goals.
• New research tools and frameworks are emerging to help planners and designers think long term about climate risks such as flooding.