EVENT SUMMARY

The ASLA-NCC Landscape X Symposium was held successfully on August 24, 2024 at the Oakstop Co-working and Event Space. Over 120 participated in a full-day event with multidisciplinary panel discussions focused on “Collaboration”, as well as Field Sessions that dive into the history and community development of Oakland.

The productive discussions at the three classroom brainstorming sessions are concluded with useful next steps (see summary in the section below.) The Chapter will be establishing taskforces to follow up on the different topics in the coming year. Chapter members are encouraged to participate.

The Symposium is also the Chapter’s first event to provide LA CES credits for registered landscape architects. The Chapter will explore further opportunities to provide LA CES-accredited events and webinars in the future.

BRAINSTORM SESSION – SUMMARY & NEXT STEPS

Neurodiversity and Inclusion

The following are some key takeaways from the brainstorming session:

  • Inclusivity lies in the intersection of Accessibility and Accommodations.
  • Civic spaces (airport, etc.) are the most difficult for neurodivergent folks to navigate.
  • Focusing on creating sensory-defensive (hypersensitive) and sensory-seeking (hyposensitive) spaces and having a gradient of these sensory experiences help to support an inclusive user experience.
  • Biophilic design is beneficial to both types of spaces because it helps ground user experience.
  • Understand user needs by consulting neurodivergent users.

Landscape Collaboration

The participants discussed the following ideas in terms of the aspects landscape architects can collaborate on:

  • Who We Collaborate With: We collaborate with a broad spectrum of professionals, including landscape architects, clients, architects, engineers, botanists, scientists, non-profits, stakeholders, tech experts, vendors, the community, scholars, subcontractors, and more.
  • Meaning of Collaboration: Collaboration goes beyond coordinating and sharing technical files. It involves fostering conversations, setting common goals, and sharing expertise. Effective collaboration means working together and independently when needed.
  • What Enhances Collaboration: Tools like LandFX, cloud-based platforms, and access to information support collaboration. Additionally, a collaborative culture can be developed through curriculum development, communication, negotiation training, management, leadership, and shared ownership in decision-making. Collaborators are often chosen based on references from past projects.
  • Purpose of Collaboration: Collaboration is essential for creating a sustainable financial model, leveraging expertise, improving efficiency, splitting scopes, and managing different project stages.
  • How We Collaborate: Collaboration should begin in the early project phases with a clear vision statement and goal setting. It’s important to consistently revisit goals, set common goals during the contract and proposal phase, perform design tests, build relationships, and approach collaboration with empathy.
  • What ASLA-NCC Can Do to Support Collaboration: ASLA-NCC can help by expanding membership types, conducting small and highly specialized workshops with other disciplines, providing a space for sharing, training for negotiation and communication, engaging in political campaigns, supporting ballots, and inviting professionals from other disciplines to serve as judges.

Potential next steps include:

  • Conduct a deep dive into the various ideas proposed by participants, developing and prioritizing them for future implementation.
  • Consider organizing specialized workshops to address any identified skill gaps.
  • Discuss how to enhance collaboration between landscape architects

Mapping African American Cultural Landscape in Northern California

Through our session brainstorming exercise, the group has identified some African American Cultural Landscape sites in NorCal region:

  1. Golden Gate Village, Marin
  2. The San Francisco African American Freedom Trail, San Francisco
  3. Buchanan Street Mall and Western Addition District, San Francisco
  4. Shields Reid Park, Richmond, Oakland
  5. Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park, Oakland
  6. Remember Them Memorial, Oakland
  7. Huey Newton Memorial Statue, Oakland
  8. Lafayette Square Park, Oakland
  9. West Oakland Mural Project, Oakland

The Chapter is gathering a taskforce to prepare materials, including short writings and photography, to be submitted to The Cultural Landscape Foundation as recommendations of the addition into the Guide to African American Cultural Landscapes. If you would like to be a part of the taskforce, please reach out to our Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

THE LANDSCAPE OF COLLABORATION

This year’s symposium highlights the benefits of effective collaboration between landscape architects and other disciplines. Join experts from over 15 different disciplines to discuss topics that affect our Northern California region, including climate policy and design implementation, urban infrastructure and neighborhood transformation, engagement with underrepresented communities, and more, in our chapter’s first symposium!

Registration includes education sessions throughout the day and one complimentary field session at Black Panther Party Museum, The Gardens at Lake Merritt, or Oakland Unified School District The Center. Lunch and snacks will be provided.

Climate Action & Sustainability Performance

Urban Resilience & Food Production

Affordable Housing & Equitable Landscape

Public Art & Master Planning

Slow Streets & Community Engagement

Black History & Cultural Landscape

MAIN EVENT

Saturday, August 24, 2024

9am – 5pm

Venue: Oakstop at 2323 Broadway, Oakland, CA
(8-minute walk from 19th St Oakland BART Station)

Oakstop, 2323 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Tickets:
ASLA Member $125   /   Non-Member $175   /   Student $75

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Susannah C. Drake
Landscape Architect and Architect, Principal at Sasaki
Presenting: “Lessons from Three Decades of Collaborative Practice”

Susannah is a Principal at Sasaki and founder of DLANDstudio and is one of only four people in the USA who is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. She lectures globally about resilient urban design, taught at top schools across the US including Harvard, IIT, and Syracuse among others. She is currently a professor at Cooper Union.

Susannah’s award-winning work is consistently at the forefront of innovation in urban ecological infrastructure. Through partnerships with communities on grants she enables green infrastructure, park creation, and environmental justice. Susannah’s project “From Redlining to Blue Zoning: Equity and Environmental Risk, Liberty City, Miami 2100,” detailing the relationship of historically marginalized black populations of Miami with sea level rise is currently on display at the 2023 Venice Biennale. Susannah was recognized as an Architectural League Emerging Voice and AIA Young Architect Award winner. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum.

In addition – her Gowanus Sponge Park won the inaugural Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Climate Action. She has published numerous book chapters and articles on climate adaptation and infrastructure and her book “Gowanus Sponge Park” will be published by Park Books in the Summer of 2024. She earned March and MLA degrees from the Harvard GSD and a BA from Dartmouth College.

UPDATES

August 21, 2024 | Session Outlines released

The Session Outlines for Education and Field Sessions have been released. The Chapter will not provide hardcopy of handouts on the day of, thus attendees are encouraged to download session outlines to your smart device from this website. You can find the outline for each session listed under “Schedule of Events”.

August 16, 2024 | Last Chance to Register

The registration for Landscape X Symposium opens until end of day today! Remember to select one complimentary Field Session that you would like to attend when you register. Registrants will receive reminder on direction instructions and what to expect through email next week. Stay tuned.

August 8, 2024 | 8 LA CES approved courses confirmed

If you are a licensed landscape architect in states that requires continuing education, the symposium is now providing 8 LA CES accredited courses throughout the day! You will be able to attend up to three educational sessions and one field session and earn Professional Development Hours in LA CES/HSW. Register today to secure a spot.

July 24, 2024 | Early Bird Registration ends today

It’s only one month away from the symposium – this is your last chance to get your ticket for the event at a discounted rate. Remember to select your choice of one complimentary field session when you register. See you on August 24!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

8:30am-9:00am | Reception and Refreshments

9:00am-10:15am | Education Session 1

10:30am-11:45am | Education Session 2

12:00pm-1:00pm | Lunch Break & Keynote Session

  • Lessons from Three Decades of Collaborative Practice, by Susannah C. Drake

1:15pm-2:45pm | Field Session

3:00pm-4:15pm | Education Session 3

4:15pm-4:30pm | Closing Remarks

PRESENTERS

Mariana Ricker, Associate, SWA Group, Session Moderator

Presenting: “A Path to Climate Action: Sustainability Performance + Funding”

Mariana Ricker emphasizes the importance of site-specific, sustainable landscape design. She enjoys working in urban settings that engage diverse user groups and activate spaces essential to civic life. As a licensed landscape architect, Mariana seeks to create memorable experiences, connect people to the environment, and provide elegant solutions to accomplish the project vision. She is committed to climate action and advancing sustainability efforts within her project work and professionally.

Kristen DiStefano, Director, Atelier Ten

Presenting: “A Path to Climate Action: Sustainability Performance + Funding”

Kristen is a Director of Atelier Ten’s San Francisco office. She has lent her sustainability expertise to over 100 projects and has successfully led some of Atelier Ten’s most ambitious projects including the NVIDIA Headquarters in Santa Clara, CA, the San Francisco Giants’ Mission Rock Development, the UC Merced 2020 project, and the California College of Arts Unified Campus in San Francisco. Kristen is the director in charge of Atelier Ten’s Carbon Management practice and is an integral part of the firm’s Masterplanning and Daylight practices. She balances her expertise in detailed carbon reduction strategy with big picture guidance for large scale projects. Kristen holds a Master of Architecture degree from Cornell University and she has taught at Cornell University and the University of Oregon.

Cecilia Latapi, Manager of Government Relations, Momentum

Presenting: “A Path to Climate Action: Sustainability Performance + Funding”

Cecilia is the Manager of Government Relations at Momentum, supporting over 20 companies in funding and implementing clean technology projects across diverse industries including power generation, transportation, and real estate. At Momentum, she assists clients in navigating the public funding landscape and accessing incentives such as grants, loans, and tax credits to facilitate sustainable projects. Cecilia holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from ITESM and a Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Sam Moss, Executive Director, Mission Housing Development Corportion

Presenting: “Designing for Affordable Housing and Equitable Landscapes”

Sam Moss is the Executive Director at Mission Housing Development Corporation. In his 12 years at the organization, Moss has led Mission Housing through the construction of 3 new affordable housing developments totaling more than 300 units in San Francisco. He has also led the refinancing and rehabilitation of more than a dozen of buildings in the Mission Housing portfolio to the tune of nearly 1,000 rehabilitated units.

Orrin Goldsby, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C, Associate, David Baker Architects

Presenting: “Designing for Affordable Housing and Equitable Landscapes”

Orrin Goldsby is an Associate at David Baker Architects, a nationally known, locally oriented architecture and urban design firm based in California and Alabama. Orrin grew up in the redwood forests of Northern California and brings his deep admiration of the complexity of the natural world to his design work to make resilient places for people. As a leader of DBA’s Site Ecology & Water working group, Orrin advocates for sustainable solutions in DBA’s architectural projects, enacting meaningful change at the nexus of affordable housing, climate, and community.

Wendy Mok, PLA, ASLA, Director, GLS Landscape | Architecture, Session Moderator

Presenting: “Designing for Affordable Housing and Equitable Landscapes”

Trained in both architecture and landscape architecture, Wendy has been a practicing landscape architect in San Francisco since 2003. She enjoys working closely with multidisciplinary teams of architects, engineers, and artists to create site-specific, sustainable designs for a variety of project types and scales. Wendy specializes in designing and managing large-scale planning projects with extensive outreach and entitlement processes through detailing and construction. Her neighborhood development projects include HOPE SF: Rebuild Potrero and the Balboa Reservoir Master Plan.

Sarah Kuehl, EinwillerKuehl Landscape Architecture, Session Moderator

Presenting: “Garden Wonderland & Black Sanctuary Gardens”

Sarah Kuehl is a founding partner at EinwillerKuehl Landscape Architecture. She is known for being an idealistic pragmatist who can translate financial goals, words, desired experiences, community empowerment, and ecological goals into three dimensional spatial ideas. A master storyteller, Sarah has been recognized for her urban design visions that create generational impact. She lectures frequently about her work and the work of Einwiller Kuehl and is committed to improving the questions asked about land.

Sarah was a fellow at the American Academy in Rome in 2004 and has twice served as a leader of the Xtreme LA Challenge. She graduated from Harvard with honors and wrote her senior thesis on the conflict between visual experience and 2D property rights through the lens of Hip Hop Graffiti Writers. She lives in Oakland, CA with her artist husband and their 3 children.

Leslie Bennett, Pine House Edible Gardens, Session Presenter

Presenting: “Garden Wonderland & Black Sanctuary Gardens”

Leslie Bennett is a landscape designer and writer based in Oakland, California, who creates gardens that help to nourish us and tell the story of who we are. She is the founder and owner of Pine House Edible Gardens (www.PineHouseEdibleGarden.com) an Oakland-based landscape design/build firm that creates culturally grounded gardens that provide as much visual inspiration as they do organic harvests of food, flowers and medicinal herbs.

Leslie is also the founder of the Black Sanctuary Gardens project and is co-author of Garden Wonderland (Ten Speed Press, 2024) and The Beautiful Edible Garden (Ten Speed Press, 2013). She is included on the Elle Decor A-List for 2023 and the two years preceding, was named a Top 50 Black Trailblazer by Oprah in 2022, and is a recipient of the American Horticultural Society’s Landscape Design Award.  Raised in the Bay Area, Leslie holds degrees from Harvard University, Columbia Law School, and University College London in the fields of environmental justice, land use law, cultural property and preservation. She lives and gardens in Oakland with her two children.

David Fletcher, PLA, ASLA, Founding Principal, Fletcher Studio, Session Moderator

Presenting: “Art Masterplanning, Creative Placemaking and Public Art”

David has practiced in landscape architecture for 30 years, and has worked on the planning, design, and construction of projects ranging in scale from regional watersheds to furniture design. David’s formative education in field biology and fine art created an eclectic foundation where urban ecology, pop culture, and the California landscape intermingle with the everyday. David oversees the Studio’s project portfolio and serves as Design Director for the office’s projects.

Nataly Gattegno, Artist, Founding & Managing Partner of FUTUREFORMS

Presenting: “Art Masterplanning, Creative Placemaking and Public Art”

FUTUREFORMS is an award-winning art and design studio based in San Francisco, CA. Founders Jason Kelly Johnson and Nataly Gattegno have collaborated on a range of projects exploring the intersections of art and design with public space for over 20 years. Recent public art projects have included sculptural shade canopies, art pavilions, fine art objects, furniture, lighting, and large scale urban art installations.

Dorka Keehn, Principal, Keehn On Art

Presenting: “Art Masterplanning, Creative Placemaking and Public Art”

Keehn On Art is a firm positioned at the intersection of art and urban planning that specializes in public art, art master plans, and placemaking. Dorka works with developers, city planners, and architects to enhance development projects and foster community wellbeing. For over a decade, she served on the San Francisco Arts Commission where she chaired the Visual Arts Committee and its Civic Design Review Committee, which evaluates and has final purview over all construction and renovation of architecture, streets, and landscape design.

Chris Kent, ASLA, LEED AP, Principal at PGAdesign, Session Moderator

Presenting: “Unlocking Urban Street Transformation: Overcoming Challenges Associated with Changing Urban Infrastructure”

As the session moderator, Chris will guide panelists through exploring their experiences and insights into the intricate challenge of adapting urban streets to accommodate new modes of transportation. With 30 years of Bay Area practice, he leads diverse projects for public and private clients, excelling in conceptual design, community engagement, and transportation projects.

Laurence Lewis, Transportation Engineer for Kittleson & Associates

Presenting: “Unlocking Urban Street Transformation: Overcoming Challenges Associated with Changing Urban Infrastructure”

Laurence is a transportation engineer and planner known for his expertise in integrating land use with transportation infrastructure. With over two decades of experience, Laurence has spearheaded numerous national projects, specializing in multimodal corridor studies, Complete Streets planning, and local government mobility initiatives. As a registered Professional Engineer and a distinguished member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, he brings unique insight to transit planning, traffic engineering, and urban design. Laurence’s extensive portfolio spans the breadth of the United States, reflecting his commitment to creating inclusive and sustainable urban environments. Laurence will share his insights on rehabilitating urban streets to accommodate diverse modes of transportation, from widened sidewalks to cycle tracks, while enhancing comfort with green spaces and addressing complex utility needs.

Daniel Schaefer, Civil Engineer at BKF Engineers

Presenting: “Unlocking Urban Street Transformation: Overcoming Challenges Associated with Changing Urban Infrastructure”

As a Principal at BKF, Daniel Schaefer specializes in the design of urban infrastructure for various transportation modes. With over 35 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, Dan has successfully managed major urban redevelopment projects, public/private partnerships, and public transportation initiatives across California. He excels in due diligence, feasibility and alternative analyses, clash detection, cost estimating, and environmental review, ensuring that projects are financially, regulatory, and logistically sound from the start.

Thea Yang, ASLA, Assistant Project Manager, San Francisco Parks Alliance, Session Moderator

Presenting: “Reimagining Our Streets: Building Community Through Slow Streets in San Francisco”

Thea is a dedicated landscape designer and planner who possesses an unwavering passion for creating vibrant public spaces that foster strong communities. She currently serves as one of the driving forces behind San Francisco Parks Alliance’s capital projects.

Before joining the San Francisco Parks Alliance, Thea worked as a landscape designer at BASE Landscape Architecture, where she contributed to the development of public parks and schools in the Bay area. Her innovative and thoughtful approach to design consistently left a positive impact on the communities she served. 

Beyond her local contributions, Thea’s commitment to promoting public spaces extended to a global level. She worked closely with former National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis on a visionary project to establish a national park system in China.

Alec Hawley, Landscape Architect, Founder of Fauvescraper Studio

Presenting: “Reimagining Our Streets: Building Community Through Slow Streets in San Francisco”

Alec found his love of landscape through a winding path exploring ecology, gardening, farming, and the humanities. Not a day passes in his life without a trip into the park with his 2 dogs and 2 daughters where discussions of biology, design and puddle jumping ensue.

 As a Designer he has worked for award-winning firms across North America with clients and projects in 6 continents ranging from local community groups to International Corporations. He prides himself in his ability to find the unique, simple, and humane aspects of landscape that help to make a place not simply one of many, but to call out the intrinsic qualities that make it one of a kind. His open and positive disposition brings a basis for cooperative and open collaboration with peers, clients and community.

Molly Hayden, Page Slow Street Steward

Presenting: “Reimagining Our Streets: Building Community Through Slow Streets in San Francisco”

Molly is a chronic volunteer and heavily involved as a Steward for Page Slow Street, an organizer for SF BikeBus, an advocate for Ocean Beach Park and on the board for Lower Haight Merchants & Neighbors Association. A Pacific Northwest native, she spent a decade in Boston and enough time in Manhattan to realize she could make there, but would rather call San Francisco home. She is passionate about car-free spaces, petting all the dogs, and seeing every National Park (currently 35/63).

Katy Birnbaum, Founder/CEO, Into The Streets SF

Presenting: “Reimagining Our Streets: Building Community Through Slow Streets in San Francisco”

Where you see a desolate street, Katy Birnbaum sees a party waiting to happen. 

With this unique vision and a passion for bringing people together, Katy founded Into The Streets in 2023 to help lead San Francisco’s regeneration efforts with a focus on culture, community, and creativity.  

Since then, Into The Streets has been recognized by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the Center for Architecture & Design/AIA-SF for its outstanding efforts to revitalize Downtown SF.

Bringing over a decade of experience in event production, community organizing, team development, and public/private partnerships, Katy knows how to invite stakeholders to the table to successfully collaborate, share a vision, and make immediate and lasting change in their communities.

Wren Sayler, Commercial Plantscaper, Owner, Sprout and Stem Co.

Presenting: “Reimagining Our Streets: Building Community Through Slow Streets in San Francisco”

Wren founded plantscaping company Sprout + Stem Co in 2018 after spending many years working in retail and retail plant buying. Throughout her mid 20’s she became enamored with the world of botany and horticulture, and devoted any free time she had to studying plants. She was truly dazzled by the lively intricacy of the natural world, which was something she’d loved as a child but lost somewhere along the way to adulthood. Once she obtained her degree in marketing and management she decided to pursue her rekindled passion and focus solely on plantscaping as her chosen career. 

Sprout and Stem now has clients all over San Francisco and supplies a range of services – from commercial plant care and maintenance, to large scale moss wall installations, to interior plant installs, to faux plant design. She has also taught several plant-focused team building workshops for companies all over the country. Wren deeply believes in spreading the joy and excitement of the natural world with every single one of her clients, and is truly passionate about the psychological benefits that greenery can provide in any space.

Justin Richardson, PLA, ASLA, LEED GA, GLS Landscape | Architecture

Presenting: “The Gardens at Lake Merritt – A Public-Nonprofit-Art-Community Collaboration”

Justin Richardson is a landscape architect with a primary focus on urban projects in the Bay Area. His daily bicycle commute passes by the Gardens at Lake Merritt, a public space in which Justin has volunteered since 2015, including having served on the board of its nonprofit stewardship organization Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt. Satisfying his interest in the intersection of politics and landscape architecture, Justin serves as Northern California representative to the California Council of ASLA (CCASLA) to track bills in the State Legislature that impact the profession; and he currently serves as Treasurer for the Green Party of California.

John Tsutakawa, Rock Garden planner and organizer

Presenting: “The Gardens at Lake Merritt – A Public-Nonprofit-Art-Community Collaboration”

John Tsutakawa has been an avid rock gardener for 25 years. He has been involved in the Gardens at Lake Merritt since 2020. He served on the board for the Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt for 4 years. Prior to this, he was a volunteer at the San Francisco Botanical Garden volunteer nursery for 20 years where he learned about growing alpine plants. In 2020, John planned the Rock Garden at Lake Merritt as a demonstration garden. It was completed in January of 2021 through the efforts of over 30 volunteers and several city staff. The rock garden has 13 troughs and a center crevice garden. It contains many alpine and rock garden plants that do well in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jenifer Azulay, Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt

Presenting: “The Gardens at Lake Merritt – A Public-Nonprofit-Art-Community Collaboration”

Jenifer Azulay has been the Volunteer Coordinator at The Gardens at Lake Merritt since 2022. She has a genuine passion for community land stewardship and loves creating equitable, accessible opportunities for Oakland residents to become a part of the space/community. Her role ranges from welcoming single volunteers at regularly scheduled work days to hosting corporate/affinity/community groups of upwards of 175 people, all with the intention of fostering connection and cultivating the beauty and magic that come from collaborative endeavors.

Jennifer Ivanovich, Studio Director, BASE Landscape Architecture, Session Moderator

Presenting: “OUSD The Center: Seeding Urban Resilience through Collaborative Design”

Jennifer is a licensed landscape architect who has practiced in the Bay Area for over 20 years. She came into the profession of landscape architecture with a desire to integrate art and ecology in the urban environment. She has worked on a wide range of scales and project types from large master plans to small private residences. She is not afraid to try new things and challenge herself. As studio director, Jennifer reviews BASE’s projects.

MaFe Gonzalez, Botanist and Landscape Designer, BASE Landscape Architecture

Presenting: “OUSD The Center: Seeding Urban Resilience through Collaborative Design”

MaFe is a botanist with a strong interest in ecology and conservation of plants. Her journey into landscape architecture started when from botany she felt the need to participate in the world-making and to propose, through design, spaces to re-establish reciprocal relationships between people and the environment. Her current work makes her have different roles, like: practitioner, supporting and initiating projects and visions aligned with her interests and passions; lecturer in USA and Colombia; and leader and researcher of academic and pro-bono projects.

Lisa Howard, Founding Principal of Bay Tree Design

Presenting: “OUSD The Center: Seeding Urban Resilience through Collaborative Design”

Lisa Howard is the Principal and co-Founder of Bay Tree Design (BTD), a design and research-oriented practice with a reputation for advancing climate ready and child-centered landscapes. Lisa’s passion for spaces that foster healthy communities and environments is the driving force behind her leadership at the firm. She focuses her energy on the design of projects that restore ecological systems, give children places to blossom, capture the community’s vision, and create a memorable and beautiful place. From planning level work to site design projects, she enjoys collaborating with the community, other professionals, and working closely with her team at BTD. She speaks regularly at conferences, webinars, college courses, and schools and community groups. She is active with International School Grounds Alliance and the ASLA Children’s Outdoor Environment PPN and has taught at UC Berkeley. Lisa was the Principal and head of the studio for the design and construction for Phase 1 at the Foster Center which started in 2013 and was completed in 2020.

Šárka Volejníková, Director, Bay Area Parks for People, Trust for Public Land

Presenting: “OUSD The Center: Seeding Urban Resilience through Collaborative Design”

Šárka Volejníková is Director of the Bay Area Parks for People Program at Trust for Public Land, a California registered landscape architect, professional leader, educator and mentor. In over two decades of her career, she has left a mark of social and environmental justice, and preservation of natural assets through design of public parks, elementary schools, college campuses, family and senior housing and street improvements. She leads TPL’s Bay Area Green Schoolyards program, and her team manages multiple park and urban trail improvement projects in San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond, and Hayward.

Šárka is a Rescape and Firescape qualified professional and LEED trained practitioner. She is a former instructor and guest lecturer at UC Berkeley Extension and Academy of Art University. She has served as executive committee member and president of the Northern California Chapter ASLA, and as steering committee member of the Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals.

Kat Romo, M.S., School Gardens and Living Schoolyards Program Manager, The Center Education and Community Programming Team

Presenting: “OUSD The Center: Seeding Urban Resilience through Collaborative Design”

Working for OUSD for over 20 years, Kat has held many positions including teacher, instructional coach, and principal in early ed. As a young teacher she was particularly interested in bringing education outdoors for students. She spearheaded a movement to build a garden at her school at a time when school gardens were rare. This passion has been a throughline in her career. She is deeply committed to live her passion on a daily basis through her work coordinating school gardens and living schoolyards on a District level. In her work she initiates programs, partnerships, and systems so that all schools have access to the benefits of living schoolyards and green spaces.

Dilan Roe, PE,  Chief, Land and Water Protection Division, Alameda County Environmental Health Department

Presenting: “OUSD The Center: Seeding Urban Resilience through Collaborative Design”

Dilan Roe is the Chief of the Land Water Division with the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health. Programs in the Land Water Division include the regulatory oversight of hazardous materials releases and onsite wastewater treatment systems. Dilan joined the County in 2012 after spending 10 years as an environmental consultant. She has a MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of California Berkeley and a BS in Civil Engineering from San Jose State University. Dilan is a California Registered Civil Engineer.

Black Panther Party Museum

Guided Tour: “Black Panther Party Museum”

The Black Panther Party Museum was established in January 2024 by the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that has preserved and promoted the legacy of the Black Panther Party since 1995. They execute their mission by developing exhibitions, public programming, public art, and educational tools. They hold the largest archival collection on the Black Panther Party, housed at Stanford University Libraries, and continue to acquire artifacts and distribute information that tells the true story of the Black Panther Party. (https://hueypnewtonfoundation.org/black-panther-party-museum)

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