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Latest Landlines News

The ASLA- Northern California Chapter is Seeking Nominations for the 2021/2022 Executive Committee

Nominations Due by Friday, April 30th Our chapter is seeking candidates who are interested in the advancement and advocacy of [...]

Groundbreakers: A Century Ago, Landscape Design was a Man’s World. by Adrian Higgins

f I were to leave Washington, the place I would miss the most would be the garden at Dumbarton [...]

Earth Day Interview: Jennifer Toole Makes the Case for Better Bike Networks

In Drawdown, edited by Paul Hawken, bike infrastructure is identified as one of the top 80 solutions for reducing [...]

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Upcoming Events

Convo with Kona Gray Hosted by the Emerging Professionals

May 18 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

On Wednesday, May 5th, Kona Gray did a lecture hosted by Stanford University titled Democratic Ground: Discovering Equity In The Landscape. Kona shared a call to action for fellow designers [...]

Lunch with Leaders Industry Icons Webinar with June Grant

June 16 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Details coming soon

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ASLA-NCC Emerging Professionals and Student Committee is excited to host a virtual event titled Convo With Kona on Tuesday, May 18th from 5-6 PM PDT.

On Wednesday, May 5th, Kona Gray did a lecture hosted by Stanford University titled Democratic Ground: Discovering Equity In The Landscape. Kona shared a call to action for fellow designers to come together to reinvent the practice of design. With his long-term commitment and support to students and emerging professionals, we are excited to have Kona back with a follow-up discussion on his presentation and engage with our Emerging Professionals and Students through questions and conversation.

Join us as we continue the conversation together and discuss the importance of fostering cultural diversity in design towards curating the public realm to take care of the needs of humanity and nature. Register today and share with friends and colleagues. Link in bio.

Kona Gray, FASLA, PLA, Principal at EDSA
As a firm leader with 27-years of experience in 30+ countries, his global design and management sense has positively shaped the outcomes of many environments. His portfolio includes large-scale planning and detailed site design with emphasis on communities, parks, hospitality, urban and campus environments that solve meaningful issues. Currently, he serves as ASLA Representative to the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board and recently served as ASLA Vice President Professional Practice. He is a Past President of the Landscape Architecture Foundation and active member of the Urban Land Institute. Kona earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Georgia.

In celebration of World Landscape Architecture Month and EARTH month, the Bay Area Landscape Architecture Resources Community (LARC) is sharing resources on designing Bay-Friendly landscapes and examples of Bay-Friendly landscapes.

What are Bay-Friendly landscapes?
The Bay-Friendly Landscape Guidelines were created by Stop-Waste.Org, a public agency that works to reduce waste in Alameda County, and are now managed by the nonprofit organization, Bay-Friendly Landscaping & Garden Coalition.

What are the characteristics of Bay-Friendly landscapes?
Whether designing a private or public landscape, to become a certified Bay-Friendly landscape, seven best practices must be implemented (pages 10 and 11 of the Bay-Friendly Landscape Guidelines):
Landscape locally
Landscape for less to the landfill
Nurture the soil
Conserve water
Conserve energy
Protect water and air quality
Create and protect wildlife habitat
The Bay-Friendly Landscape Guidelines lists actions that can be taken to design a space that follows the seven best practices and includes a scoreboard that can be used to determine if your landscape is Bay-Friendly.

Examples of Bay-Friendly Landscapes:
951 Turner Court (WRECO)
Emeryville Greenway @callander_associates
San Lorenzo Community Park @rrmdesigngroup
Wildcat Creek Daylighting @restorationdesigngroup

#worldlandscapearchitecturemonth #wlam #Earthmonth #BayAreaLARC #LandscapeArchitecture #Resource #BayAreaProjects #Bayfriendlylandscapes #NativePlanting #RescapeCalifornia #SustainableLandscapes

Happy #earthday from your Northern California ASLA Executive Committee. Let’s continue to roll up our sleeves for our wonderful blue marble.

Bay Area LARC Resource Recommendation Spotlight: Patricia Algara, BASE Landscape Architecture

📒Pollinator Patch and Garden Manual
📕The Secret Life of Plants
📗The Shamanic Way of the Bee
📘Song of Increase

Patricia is dedicated to create and share knowledge to foster a resilient future. She co-published the Pollinator Patch and Garden Manual for English and Spanish speakers to illustrate the processes, challenges, and benefits of creating environmental and social resilience in the urban and suburban setting to help address the disappearance of pollinators.

BASE is a Woman & Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (WMBE) and a Local Business Enterprise (LBE) in San Francisco, with another office in Portland, Oregon. We have a diverse team and a strong commitment to providing mentorship and internship opportunities, as well as empowering young women into leadership.

https://linktr.ee/bayarealarc
#BayAreaLARC #RecommendationSpotlight #LandscapeArchitecture

In honor of Women’s History Month, The Bay Area Landscape Architecture Resources Community (LARC) is sharing resources focused on women landscape architects.

Our first Women’s History Month spotlight resource is the documentary, Beatrix Farrand’s American Landscapes, produced by Lauren DeFilippo and Amanda Pollak. This film tells the story of Beatrix Farrand, a landscape architect who was the only female founding member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The film describes Farrand’s passion for creating public gardens and tours several of the places she designed including gardens at Dumbarton Oaks and Princeton University.

Check out our Linktree (linktr.ee.com/BayAreaLARC) to learn more about this film or scroll through the pictures on this post to see some of the gardens that Farrand helped design.

Are you familiar with any of Beatrix Farrand’s designs? If so, do you have any favorite(s)? Have you visited any of the gardens that she designed? Please let us know in the comments!

#BayAreaLARC #ASLANCC #WomensHistoryMonth #BeatrixFarrand

Engaging with community members is crucial in creating landscape designs. One proposed design that has received both positive and negative feedback is the New Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco. The existing plaza was designed in the 1970s. Several years after the assassination of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay U.S. official and an influential civil rights movement leader, the plaza was named in honor of Milk. ⁠ ⁠
In order to create an inclusive community space that represents Harvey Milk, the new design integrates more gathering spaces, symbolic planting, a new elevator, and an exhibition space where people can be inspired by Harvey’s message of Hope. However, some community members and groups have concerns about this new project and believe that there are other potential sites for an LGBTQ museum that will require no demolition. To learn more about this proposed project, visit https://linktr.ee/BayAreaLARC
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Do you know of any Bay Area landscape architecture projects that have received both positive and negative feedback? What did people like about the design and what were people’s concerns? Were any design revisions made to address the concerns? Please let us know in the comments below!⁠
#BayAreaLARC #landscapearchitecture⁠

The Bay Area Landscape Architecture Resources Community (LARC) is working on creating a platform that will increase accessibility and awareness of resources related to landscape architecture and provide opportunities for people to connect with others through shared interests. To learn more about the Bay Area LARC, suggest resources, and see our growing list, visit: https://linktr.ee/BayAreaLARC ⁠
Thank you for supporting the Bay Area LARC! ⁠
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In honor of Black History Month, the Bay Area LARC is highlighting Black landscape architects who have made valuable contributions to the landscape architecture profession and have created positive change through landscape design. ⁠
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Walter Hood, a UC Berkeley professor and the owner of Hood Design Studio, is dedicated to designing artistic and cultural landscapes where people can live, work, and play. Hood’s research-focused studio encourages students to discover stories about landscapes and design spaces that reflect the culture and history of the landscape. Hood Design also incorporates research into the design process and has three main focus areas: art + fabrication, design + landscape, and research + urbanism. The Oakland Museum of California, the Bayview Opera House, and the New de Young Museum gardens are three of Hood Design’s outstanding landscape architecture projects. To learn more about Walter Hood and Hood Design Studio, visit the links in our Linktree. ⁠
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Are there any resources on the influence Black people have had on the landscape architecture profession that you would like to share? Please let us know in the comments below!⁠
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#BlackDesignExcellence⁠

How can we design ecological and climate resilient Bay Area landscapes?⁠
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Thank you for your continued support for our resources list!⁠
The Bay Area Landscape Architecture Resources Community (LARC) is working on creating a platform that will increase accessibility and awareness of resources related to landscape architecture and provide opportunities for people to connect with others through shared interests. We have started a resources list and are looking forward to growing it!⁠
https://linktr.ee/bayarealarc⁠
If you would like to suggest any resources, please fill out the Google Form. If you have ideas for this platform or want to get more involved, feel free to reach out to us at research@asla-ncc.org. ⁠
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The Bay Area is known for its biodiversity and is home to multiple endangered plant and animal species including the salt harvest mouse, Lange’s metalmark butterfly, and California sea blite. Ecosystems throughout the Bay Area are being threatened by climate change, increased fires, and sea level rise. These issues have also had catastrophic consequences on people and communities throughout the Bay Area. Through landscape design, people can create climate resilient spaces that protect people and biodiversity. ⁠
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Resilient by Design, a year-long collaborative design challenge, brought diverse community members together to create Bay Area climate resilient designs. One project, the South Bay Sponge, uses nature and natural systems to create a climate resilient landscape that will cover more than 20 miles of shoreline in Santa Clara County and San Mateo County. This design concept includes ecological edges by cities and opportunities for people to engage with the Bay. Resilient by Design recently created a free book that showcases the work of the 10 teams selected to participate in the Bay Area challenge. See link in the Linktree.⁠
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Are there any ecological and climate resilient Bay Area projects that you would like to share? Have you read any books, articles, research papers, etc. about designing ecological and climate resilient landscapes?⁠

~How do landscape architecture projects create community?~⁠
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The Bay Area Landscape Architecture Resources Community (LARC) is working on creating a platform that will increase accessibility and awareness of resources related to landscape architecture and provide opportunities for people to connect with others through shared interests. We have started a resources list and are looking forward to growing it!⁠
https://linktr.ee/bayarealarc⁠
If you would like to suggest any resources, please fill out the Google Form. If you have ideas for this platform or want to get more involved, feel free to reach out to us at research@asla-ncc.org.⁠
Thank you for your input so far! A few of our favorite additions: ⁠
📗Hungry City by Carolyn Steel (Recommended by Krista Van Hove)⁠
📙Drawing the Landscape by Chip Sullivan (Recommended by Elizabeth Boults)⁠
👩‍🏫ASLA LARE Lecture Series (Recommended by Stephanie Lau)⁠
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With all of the challenges facing the Bay Area, including COVID-19, social injustice, fires, and a lack of affordable housing, communities must continue to come together to bring about positive change. As landscape architects, designers, planners, students, etc., we can work together to come up with ideas and create designs that positively impact communities and bring people together. ⁠
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The Dotson Family Marsh in Pinole has provided recreational and ecological value for decades because of the Dotson Family’s dedication to protecting the open space. When developers tried to acquire the marsh land in the 1970s, Rev. Dotson worked with his community, neighborhood council, and the Sierra Club to stop the land from being developed. Today, the Dotson Marsh is part of the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, has accessible trails, and provides habitat for wildlife. Check out our Linktree to learn more. ⁠
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What are some examples of landscape architecture projects that have helped create a sense of community? If you know of any landscape architecture resources focused on community building and design, please let us know!

ASLA Northern California Chapter honors Martin Luther King Jr. on this National Holiday. We join in celebration of his life and legacy. This memorial is located within Yerba Buena Gardens located in downtown San Francisco. We suggest visiting this site — social distancing encouraged — to experience it first hand. There is a tunnel underneath the waterfall with an inspirational quote from MLK stated below:⁠
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“No, No, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” -Martin Luther King, Jr. Washington, D.C., 1963⁠
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The JEDI Committee within our chapter is committed to providing resources for education, creating more opportunities, and being more intentional around Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. If you are interested, please visit our action plan at the link below: https://tinyurl.com/y2atwq9o⁠
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#landscapearchitecture⁠
#thisislandscapearchitecture⁠
#mlkmemorial⁠
#mlkday⁠
#aslanccjedi⁠

*Tell us what's on your shelf!*⁠
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The Northern California Chapter of ASLA Emerging Professionals Committee is working on creating a web page of resources curated by Landscape Architects and anyone related to the field. The Bay Area Landscape Architecture Resources Community’s (LARC) mission is to increase accessibility and awareness of resources related to landscape architecture and provide a web page where people can find resources on a topic of interest. Whether you are a student, professor, working professional, or interested in landscape architecture, the LARC web page will provide information on resources of various topics including landscape architecture research, webinars, L.A.R.E. prep, community organizations, and more. The more engagement we have, the more useful this will be to everybody, so we would really appreciate your input. ⁠
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We encourage you to start a conversation on this post on your favorite publications. Is there a recent read you would like to share with other professionals? An article for students to stay up to date on current events? A publication of a local project? Your favorite LARE prep material? We have started a resources list and are looking forward to growing it! Please respond to this post, fill out the Google Form below, or message us privately at research@asla-ncc.org with the name, author, and a short description of any resource(s) that you recommend. ⁠
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Google form:⁠
https://forms.gle/nLAgUpHvuMc6amPa8⁠
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Here is the list we began:⁠
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NX6Ttw06yHur3GWBoViPCfqMb7_cbYtU/view?usp=sharing ⁠
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If you are interested in helping with the LARC web page, please let us know. Thank you for helping us with this project! ⁠
#BayAreaLARC ⁠
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Join us next week for our next installment of "Lunch with Leaders — Industry Icons" with Tom Mroz, Incoming President of ASLA!⁠
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2020 has been a pivotal year at ASLA and change is growing. Join 2020--2021 ASLA President Tom Mroz for a review of the major accomplishments of 2020 and a look ahead to what is coming in 2021. This is also an opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas about what you would like to see from your professional association so come prepared to ask your questions and join in the discussion!⁠
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Register with the link in our bio!⁠
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#thisislandscapearchitecture⁠
#aslancc #asla⁠

Join us next week for our next installment of "Lunch with Leaders — Industry Icons" with Jacinta McCann with AECOM!⁠
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In 2009 EDAW AECOM produced a book documenting our practice vision and global portfolio. We called the book the Bigger Picture and the opening sentence of the book was “Climate change has emerged as the defining issue of our time”. When reflecting back 11 years, and then much further back to the beginning of my career, and the body of work I have completed during the past 38 years, there have been particular points in time, or projects, or insights, which have redefined for me how to create a more sustainable or resilient future for the people and places that we steward. This talk will examine scale and systems thinking and analytics, as ways to enhance our impact on the world. The leadership needed to accomplish this, in collaboration with multiple disciplines, will also be examined through two case studies.⁠
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Register with the link in our bio!⁠
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#thisislandscapearchitecture⁠
#aslancc #asla⁠
#climatechange⁠
#sustainability

Let's talk about it! ASLA-NCC Emerging Professionals Committee is pleased to host a virtual seminar and discussion titled Intro to the LARE on Friday, October 9th from 5:30-6:30 PM PST! ⁠⠀
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The presentation will cover a brief introduction of the bureaucratic origins and history of the LARE, including who the founders were and why it was created. We are excited to have Sarah Gronquist be a lead panelist to help kickstart the conversation! She is an Associate Principal at Placeworks in Berkeley and has been licensed since 2002. Sarah is also teaching preparatory courses throughout the month of October for Sections 1,2, and 4.We have invited a group of panelist who have recently taken the LARE to share their perspectives and journeys towards licensure. The seminar will end with a Q and A discussion.⁠⠀
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Come ready with your questions! See you soon!⁠⠀
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Registration Link in Bio!⁠⠀
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#LARE⁠⠀
#ASLANCC⁠⠀
#Licensure⁠⠀
#Emergingprofessionals⁠⠀
#Landscape Architecture⁠⠀
#CLARB⁠⠀
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Join us next week for our next installment of "Lunch with Leaders — Industry Icons" with Rosa Sheng from SmithGroup!⁠
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The discussion will focus on evaluating an intentional intersection of disciplines - Architecture, Landscape, Urban Planning in developing a critical discourse to fuel strategic actions in the civic realm. The call to action will inspire a new set of practices and policy amendments in activism and advocacy that dismantle systems of oppression and progress towards an Anti-racist paradigm in the built environment. The collective exploration will have a deep focus on how Just and Equitable policies and frameworks drive Diversity and Inclusive opportunities and outcomes. #JEDIagenda⁠
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Register with our link in bio!⁠
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#thisislandscapearchitecture⁠
#JEDI⁠
#aslancc⁠
#lunchwithleaders⁠
#multidiciplinary

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