IFLA goals for early 2023
The International Federation of Landscape Architects’ (IFLA) President, Dr. Bruno Marques says he has been on a steep learning curve since he took over the post late last year.
Speaking to LAA, Dr. Marques, who is also the Associate Dean for Academic Development and Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture at Victoria University of Wellington, said one key focus for him is understanding IFLA's partnerships and its standing in the international realm.
Dr Bruno Marques.
One of the key partnerships he has been working towards is with the United Nations. “Despite widespread belief, IFLA does not currently have a consultative status (ECOSOC) with the U.N. but we have been compiling all the necessary information for IFLA to apply for official NGO status.“
The application process is ongoing and Dr. Marques is confident of its success due to the UN’s appetite for NGOs with a clear mandate around the built environment.
That, he says, would then “open the door for us to be officially involved with them and to have a status as well across any other UN agencies especially UN Habitat.”
IFLA has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH).
ISUH is the only global nonprofit organisation working to improve health and health equity in cities and their surroundings, to achieve a healthier urban future for all people, in all communities, worldwide.
It was founded in 2002 at The New York Academy of Medicine and seeks to bring together its network’s 6,000+ members and leaders from across academia, government, philanthropy, the nonprofit, and private sectors to translate evidence into action and impact to improve the health, wellbeing, and equity of residents living in urban environments.
Dr Marques says the MOU aims to have specific outcomes such as joint publications, events and roundtable discussions on the topic of urban health and wellbeing.
He believes both organisations are “keen to see specific results in the next few years and for landscape architecture to be a part of the urban health discussion.”
Dr. Marques also touched upon the issue of climate change fatigue, acknowledging the growing sense of helplessness and fatigue among people regarding the severity of the situation. However, he says, through partnerships such as with the International Society for Urban Health, IFLA hopes to bring landscape architecture to the forefront of discussions around urban health and wellbeing, including the impact of climate change.