Does the garden of a single-family house matter to the whole city? Private domestic gardens are multifunctional micro-oases that are carefully landscaped and constantly changed to reflect the preferences of their owners. Low-density housing characteristically comprises separate plots and their gardens, which are difficult to manage with the traditional tools of urban planning. However, this privately produced component of the urban green is part of the green infrastructure of the entire city.

The role of low-density housing in city-scale green infrastructure can be enhanced through integrative design of water and vegetation in garden-scale details and through the design process of gardens. This integrative design process requires a balanced understanding of the core system of water, vegetation, and soil, which forms the basis for green infrastructure that can be adapted for block, neighborhood, and city scales.