This year, we also celebrate the Chaobai River Basin Regeneration Plan and the Charles River Floating Wetlands project—both recognized as part of the 2025 Awards program—and the elevation of Tao Zhang to the ASLA Council of Fellows. Read on for where to find us throughout the conference.

Full conference details can be found on the official conference website.

Friday, October 10

FRI-DD-01: Decarbonization in Practice: Tools, Materials, and Industry Collaboration

Chris Hardy, ASLA, PLA, with Alejandra Hinojosa (LPA Design Studios), Amy Syverson-Shaffer, ASLA, SITES AP (Landscape Forms), Mariana Ricker, ASLA, PLA (SWA Group), Meg Calkins, FASLA, FCELA (North Carolina State University)

8:30 – 11:00am CT

Panelists will present the background and best practices associated with decarbonization. The overview presentations will include recent lessons and challenges encountered in practice and an orientation to key resources. Break-out focus groups will dive into detail on each topic: design process, materials specification, and collaborating with industry partners.

FRI-D02: Beyond Planting Plans: Seeing, Communicating, and Constructing with Plants

Andy Sell, ASLA, PLA with Christian Moore, ASLA (Hoerr Schaudt), Marissa Ashley Angell, ASLA PLA (Angell Landscape Architecture)

3:45 – 5:00pm CT

Three multidisciplinary designers explore the representation of planting beyond the plan. Fueled by advancements in visualization, alternative planting design modes can positively impact the evolution of planted systems. Using case studies with diverse clients, scales, and sites, attendees will gain an understanding of innovative ways of communicating planting design.

FRI-D05: Hurricane Resilience on the Gulf Coast: Two Parks Meeting the Challenge

Zachary Chrisco, Hon. ASLA with Matt Leavell, LEED AP (Leavell Design Consulting), Susannah Ross, ASLA (Agency Landscape + Planning)

3:45 – 5:00pm CT

This session will delve into best practices for park design in the Gulf Coast region through the lenses of the award-winning projects The Bay Sarasota and Gulf State Park, exploring solutions for creating resilient, sustainable—but also vibrant—public spaces that can withstand the challenges of climate change.

Saturday, October 11

SAT-A08: Making Space for Culture: Strategies for Supporting Cultural Programming in Public Landscapes

Anna Cawrse, ASLA with Michael J. Bobbitt (Mass Cultural Council), Kara Elliott-Ortega (Kresge Foundation)

11:00am – 12:15pm CT

Cultural programming plays an important role in public landscapes, but supporting and promoting those programs can often be challenging. This session will assist practitioners in understanding policies and strategies that can strengthen the future of culture in our public realm through the lens of government and private foundations.

SAT-C01: Advocacy Through Design: Leveraging Existing Design Strategies Through a More Inclusive Lens

Alexa Vaughn, ASLA (UCLA/Sasaki/DeafScape), with Benjamin Jensen, Assoc. ASLA (AECOM), Naomi A. Sachs, ASLA (University of Maryland)

3:45 – 5:00pm CT

Accessibility is more than compliance. By leveraging intentionality through design, landscape architects can put empathy into action to become advocates for the disabled community. In this session, learn how to incorporate techniques and strategies to push the boundaries of accessibility and make places more inclusive, welcoming, and joyful.

Sunday, October 12

SUN-A01: Biodiversity-Positive Transformations of Blighted Urban Landscapes

Dou Zhang, FASLA, PLA, LEED AP, SITES AP, with Daniel Woodroffe, ASLA, PLA (dwg.), Satoko Muratake, ASLA, PLA (Ten x Ten)

8:30 – 9:45am CT

This session will explore the intersection of ecological restoration and innovative green infrastructure within blighted urban landscapes and brownfields, showcasing how biodiversity-positive landscapes can thrive in urban contexts. Attendees will gain insight into measurable biodiversity improvements, collaborative approaches with interdisciplinary teams, and strategies for integrating sustainability into post-industrial landscapes.

SUN-C11: Where Do You Draw the Line?

Michael Grove, FASLA, with Richard S. Roark, ASLA, AICP (OLIN), Carlos Claussell (America Is All In)

3:45 – 5:00pm CT

Is it ever ethical to build a ski resort in the desert? What if the project is net zero but the client has a terrible human rights record? Isn’t it about time we had a conversation about this? Where do you draw the line?

Monday, October 13

MON-A06: Shaping the Future of Landscape Architecture

Michael Grove, FASLA, with Sadik C. Artunc, FASLA (Mississippi State University), Frederick R. Steiner, FASLA (University of Pennsylvania)

8:30 – 9:45am CT

This session explores how landscape architecture can lead in addressing global sustainability challenges through the lenses of education and professional practice. Three seasoned educators and practitioners reflect on the evolution of the field, assess the current state of the academy and practice, and outline critical issues shaping its future—from climate resilience and urbanization to equity, technology, and interdisciplinary collaboration.