Everyday landscapes are the ecological and socio-cultural spaces in which urban dwellers live and which they experience daily. Despite their importance as major urban elements with a strong influence on urban conditions, the full potential of such spaces to provide valuable amenities and to enhance environmental quality has not been realized.

The research ‘landscape of necessity’ began with an understanding of the need to make everyday landscapes more resilient to environmental change and healthier places to live. In the context of the compact tropical city where land is overpopulated and degraded because of massive urban developments, the role of greening is critical. The multi-functionality of everyday landscapes must be understood and operationalized to optimize limited resources and accommodate multiple ecosystem services in restricted land.

Three topics in the research area ‘Multi-functional everyday landscapes’, which are studied using on-site measurement, longitudinal studies, spatial pattern analysis, and social studies are: 1) Microclimate responsive landscapes, 2) Landscape as a livelihood for the low-income community, and 3) Ecosystem services in high-dense neighborhood landscapes.