Climate Action Now: Landscape Architects as Climate Advocates

During the ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture in Nashville, representatives from ASLA’s Climate Action Committee (CAC) shared how ASLA is advocating for the landscape architecture community to have a voice in the international conversation on climate action, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s recent COP26.

Committee leaders discussed communications, action, advocacy, and working together with international coalitions to scale up the new inclusive, climate-smart planning and design practices required to achieve zero emissions in the built environment by 2040. Our presenters were:

• Scott Bishop, ASLA, Climate Action Committee (CAC) Chair, Bishop Land Design
• Vaughn Rinner, FASLA, CAC Immediate Past Chair
  VRLA
• Pamela Conrad, ASLA, CMG Landscape Architecture, Climate Positive Design
• April Philips, FASLA, April Philips Design Works
• Adrian Smith, FASLA, ASLA Vice President of Professional Practice, NYC Parks and Recreation

The committee’s recent projects were highlighted, including:

• the launch of a Climate Action Committee hub on the ASLA website,
• the release of the guide Climate Action Now: A Landscape Architect’s Guide to Climate Advocacy, and
• ASLA’s first national survey on demand for landscape architecture planning and design solutions to climate change.

The advocacy guide is available online, along with key findings and the full results of ASLA’s October 2021 survey on market demand for climate demand.

A key message of the presentation was how climate action starts with making an individual commitment. You‚ as a landscape architect, designer, researcher, and educator, have a large sphere of influence. You can take action through your workplace, at your children’s school, at your local town hall or city council meeting, with non-profit organizations, and at the state and federal levels.

Actions to take now include:

• Become part of climate action in your chapter.
• Use the advocacy guide.
• Talk to vendors about products.
• Start a project with Climate Positive Design.

ASLA and the Climate Action Committee look forward to growing our Climate Action Network and continuing this critical conversation.

Read the article on THE FIELD.