Michael Grove Appointed to the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board
Michael Grove, FASLA, is a prinicpal
Sasaki principal Michael Grove, FASLA, has been appointed to the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB), the nationally recognized accrediting body for professional landscape architecture degree programs in the United States and its territories.
“I’m deeply honored to join LAAB at such a pivotal moment for both education and practice,” says Grove. “I’m continually energized by students and by the questions they’re asking about the future of our profession. Thinking about what skills landscape architects will need to thrive in the 21st century is one of the most meaningful ways we can shape the discipline’s future.”
Educating for the Next Era of Landscape Architecture
Grove’s appointment comes as the profession stands at the intersection of profound environmental, social, and technological change. As he shared in his Future of Landscape Architecture presentation at the ASLA Conference, landscape architects today must navigate planetary-scale crises while designing for equity, resilience, and joy. “The world is changing faster than our educational systems,” Grove notes. “We’re living through climate disruption, biodiversity loss, mass migration, and accelerating automation. The next generation of landscape architects will need to be fluent not only in design and ecology but also in data, policy, and advocacy. Preparing them for that reality is mission-critical.”
Stewardship of the Profession
LAAB’s mission to evaluate, advocate for, and advance educational excellence in landscape architecture has never been more urgent. As universities face tightening budgets and shifting priorities, programs in landscape architecture risk being downsized or eliminated altogether.
“Now is not only a critical time to prepare students for practice, but also to safeguard the study of landscape architecture itself,” says Grove. “In an era when so many programs are under threat, LAAB’s role in maintaining high academic standards and demonstrating the value of design education is essential to the survival of the profession.”
Through its commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, and accountability, LAAB ensures that accredited programs equip graduates to meet society’s most pressing challenges. Grove’s service on the Board reflects both his dedication to education and his belief in the transformative potential of landscape architecture. “Fifty years from now,” he says, “when people ask what landscape architects did at this turning point, I hope the answer will be clear: we led, we cared, and we changed the future.”