New Opportunities for the Horticultural Industry

Abstract

The last decade has witnessed an increasing focus on cities as they grow in population and shift in their function. Alongside, has been the emergence of the social movement of biophilic design. This approach to city design and the built environment is nature based and encourages the incorporation of nature, including plants, in a variety of principles called 'biophilic design'. Biophilic design is being rapidly adopted globally as the multiple benefits are consistently revealed and reinforced. This is presenting new opportunities for the horticultural industry as the use of plants in cities increases in evolving and creative ways. This paper outlines the evolution of the social movement of biophilic design, the principles of implementation that have emerged and the multiple benefits that ensue.