On the Road with ASLA

Connecting Across the Profession in the First Quarter of the Year

One of the most rewarding parts of serving as CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects is the opportunity to spend time with our members where they live and work. The first quarter of the year has already taken me from the desert landscapes of Arizona to the northern edge of the profession in Alaska, and most recently to the fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth region. Each visit was unique in geography and culture, but they shared a common thread: meaningful engagement with landscape architects, partners, educators, and civic leaders who are shaping the future of our communities.

Cooler, Healthier, and More Livable Cities

My visit to Arizona offered a powerful reminder of how landscape architecture is helping cities adapt to extreme heat and rapid growth. Phoenix is confronting these challenges head-on with an ambitious goal of achieving 25% citywide tree canopy coverage by 2030. The city's $60 million Shade Phoenix initiative supports this work and will plant thousands of trees and build hundreds of shade structures - particularly in neighborhoods where extreme heat impacts are most severe.

During my time in Phoenix, I had the chance to connect with ASLA members, students, and design leaders who are thinking deeply about how cities can become cooler, healthier, and more livable. I also visited the Desert Botanical Garden, which offers an extraordinary demonstration of how desert landscapes can be both ecologically resilient and culturally expressive. It's a powerful reminder that landscape architecture is not just about designing places; it's about understanding and celebrating the unique character of a place.

Practice at the Edge

From the desert, I traveled north to Alaska to spend time with members of the Alaska Chapter. The timing of the visit coincided with Fur Rendezvous, Anchorage's historic winter festival that brings the community together during one of the coldest and darkest parts of the year. The energy in the city was incredible and made for a memorable backdrop to conversations with practitioners working in one of the most challenging design environments anywhere.

When I think about landscape architecture in Alaska, I think about practice at the edge. Landscape architects there are working in one of the most extreme climates on the planet. They are balancing Indigenous heritage with modern development and designing for communities that are literally on the front lines of climate change-from thawing permafrost to coastal erosion and shifting ecosystems. Landscape architects' work and influence in places like Alaska make visible what our profession truly is resilience, stewardship, and community-building in action.

I had the opportunity to meet with leaders at TBG Partners in downtown Dallas.

Placemaking Depends on People

Most recently, I traveled to the Dallas-Fort Worth region, where I spent time with firm leaders, educators, and industry partners helping shape one of the fastest-growing metropolitan regions in the country. A highlight of the visit was spending time with the team at USA Shade, whose work is helping communities across the country address heat and comfort in public spaces through innovative shade structures. Seeing the scale of their manufacturing operation, and the engineering and craftsmanship behind these systems, was a powerful reminder that great placemaking depends not only on design, but also on the people who bring those designs to life.

I also had the opportunity to meet with leaders at TBG Partners in downtown Dallas and visit the University of Texas at Arlington's College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs, where conversations focused on preparing the next generation of landscape architects to lead in a rapidly changing world.

The visit concluded with the Land8 8x8 Lightning Series, an energetic evening that brought together designers and emerging voices for a fast-paced exchange of ideas. Events like this capture the creativity, collaboration, and sense of community that make the landscape architecture profession so special.

Taken together, these visits reinforce something I see again and again across the country: landscape architects are solving real problems. Whether it's designing cooler cities in Arizona, supporting climate resilience in Alaska, or shaping rapidly growing metropolitan regions like Dallas-Fort Worth, our members are helping communities navigate some of the most complex challenges of our time.

For me, these trips are more than chapter visits-they are opportunities to listen, learn, and strengthen the relationships that make our professional community so powerful. They also reaffirm why ASLA's mission matters: empowering our members to design a sustainable, equitable, and resilient world through landscape architecture.

Next up: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I'll join the Wisconsin Chapter for their upcoming conference.