Digital Landscape Information Management (DLIM): Integrating BIM and Nature-Based Solutions for Net-Zero, Smart and Sustainable Urban Greenscapes
Keywords:
Digital Landscape Information Management (DLIM), Landscape Information Management (LIM), Green Infrastructure, Nature-based Solutions (NBS), Building Information Modelling (BIM), Landscape Design, Sustainability, Carbon reduction, Urban Planning & Environmental ManagementAbstract
Cities aiming for net-zero carbon must deliver high-performing green infrastructure, yet landscape design still relies on fragmented data and ad-hoc coordination. Building Information Modelling (BIM) has transformed the architectural domain, but an equivalent, landscape-specific workflow is lacking. This study, therefore, asks: How can Digital Landscape Information Management (DLIM)—conceived as a BIM-aligned, Nature-Based Solution (NBS) approach—enhance the planning, delivery and long-term performance of urban greenscapes?
A convergent mixed-methods design was adopted. A systematic review of peer-reviewed sources (1996–2025) mapped current BIM–landscape integration gaps; eight semi-structured interviews with UK landscape architects, BIM specialists and municipal planners explored operational barriers; and an online questionnaire captured 45 valid practitioner responses. Triangulation of the three datasets informed a prototype DLIM framework.
Findings indicate strong practitioner demand for data-rich, collaborative tools: 82 % of respondents ranked “environmental performance” as their top design driver, while interviewees highlighted interoperability and skills gaps as principal obstacles. The proposed four-stage framework; context capture, parametric authoring, performance analytics and lifecycle hand-over, is underpinned by a standards-ready landscape database linking vegetation, soil and hydrological attributes to IFC-compatible geometry. Stakeholders anticipate DLIM will streamline design iteration, improve carbon accounting and strengthen hand-over to asset managers.
DLIM thus offers a scalable digital backbone for smart, climate-aligned landscape practice. Future research should pilot the framework across diverse bioclimatic regions, refine real-time ecological feedback loops, and advance standardisation efforts to embed DLIM within emerging city-scale digital twin platforms.
