Pioneers at the municipal level
The development of climate-efficient infrastructure into a key trend is also evident at the municipal level, as confirmed by Dirk Böcker, Managing Director of the German Federal Association of Garden, Landscape and Sports Field Construction (BGL). ‘
From my perspective, climate adaptation will be the defining topic for landscaping in the coming year. We are experiencing firsthand in cities and municipalities how important heat-reducing open spaces, well-thought-out rainwater concepts, and resilient plant selections are becoming. Especially when it comes to green roofs and facades, landscape gardeners are highly sought-after experts because they combine planning, construction, and maintenance in a holistic way. These tasks open new markets for the industry, strengthen its role as a problem solver, and expand its fields of expertise far beyond traditional greenery.’ Prof. Stephan Lenzen, President of the Association of German Landscape Architects (bdla), also succinctly sums up the challenge for the coming year: "How we want to live in the future depends largely on how we design our cities, villages and open spaces. The order of the day: green-blue-colourful infrastructures.
Blue stands for water management in times of increasing heat and drought, green for vegetation, biodiversity and ecological functions. Colourful adds to this perspective the social dimension of diversity – the protection of valuable ecosystems as well as the diversity of people who use open spaces. This also includes the design of gender-equitable, inclusive and barrier-free places that enable all social groups to participate on an equal footing. “
The landscaping industry has the potential to play a leading role in the fight against climate change – a great opportunity, but also a great responsibility. Lenzen, who represents the planning professions in the industry through the bdla, makes a clear demand of his colleagues: "Landscape architecture, urban planning, architecture, transport planning and many other disciplines must take a pioneering role in developing climate-friendly and climate-resilient living spaces. The ecological and social consequences of climate change make this task urgent." At the same time, many local authorities are under considerable financial pressure. According to Lenzen, creative solutions and clear priorities in planning are therefore needed, especially at the local level, in order to be able to realise future projects despite limited resources.
Skills shortage: the second major challenge
In order to take the lead in climate adaptation and sustainable infrastructure, the landscaping industry needs qualified specialists. But this is precisely what is lacking. Across Europe, companies are reporting difficulties in finding suitable personnel. The shortage is particularly acute when it comes to construction managers and project managers. There are many reasons for this: increasing project complexity, growing demands, an image problem among young people and limited political willingness to accept skilled immigrants. The industry is therefore calling for reforms and initiatives to attract young talent and promote further training.
Training and recruiting skilled workers as the key to the future
One of the biggest challenges for companies remains organising and securing sufficient labour. Accordingly, ELCA is also asking itself the key question: How can we ensure that the sector will have enough well-trained skilled workers in the future? For Egbert Roozen, the roadmap for 2026 is clear: ‘Vocational training within the EU – Union of Skills – will be a key issue for ELCA in 2026. One of our initiatives for the coming year is to establish a European network of centres of vocational excellence in our sector to promote European exchange on vocational training and lifelong learning.’ This is a project that is intended to have an impact across Europe and provide new impetus for employee recruitment at national and local level.
