Raising environmental awareness through landscape design: A comparative document analysis of Germany, Latvia, and Turkiye

Rapid urbanization and environmental degradation necessitate effective pedagogical tools to promote urban sustainability. This study evaluates how landscape design can increase environmental awareness by comparing its applications in three distinct socio-political and ecological contexts across the Euro-Asian gradient: Germany, representing advanced nature-based innovations; Latvia, emphasizing habitat conservation and cultural identity; and Türkiye, focusing on community-oriented urban interventions. Using a systematic qualitative approach involving document analysis of peer-reviewed articles and project studies published between 2007 and 2025, a comparative matrix based on three key dimensions was constructed: educational landscapes, ecological aesthetics, and participatory design. The findings reveal that Germany leads in structured collaborative design frameworks within “living laboratories,” Latvia excels in integrating seasonal ecosystem visualization, and Türkiye stands out in leveraging experiential user feedback. This study contributes to the literature by providing an international framework that moves landscape design from one context to another, supporting its transformation from a purely aesthetic discipline to an active educational tool for sustainability.