Extreme heat, flooding, drought, sea level rise, wildfire, air and water pollution, and ecosystem loss and degradation transcend state and national borders and demand collective solutions.
ASLA and its 16,000 members will remain a leader in shaping science-based climate and biodiversity solutions that protect American and global health and well-being.
ASLA is committed to increasing investment in nature-based solutions locally, nationally, and internationally – action that is required to ensure the health of future generations and ecosystems.
The Value of Nature-Based Solutions
Nature-based solutions are infrastructure that use, restore, or emulate natural ecological processes and can be created through a design process.
Examples include:
Their construction costs can be up to 30 percent less and their maintenance costs up to 25 percent less than conventional gray infrastructure. They are crucial to creating healthy communities that are better prepared for long-term heat, flooding, and other challenges and natural disasters.
Landscape architects are the only design professionals specifically educated and trained to develop nature-based solutions that address a range of community health, biodiversity, and economic challenges.
ASLA has produced important research – Landscape Architecture: Maximizing Economic Benefits of Nature-Based Solutions – that documents the economic effectiveness of designing with nature.
These solutions have been proven time and again to strengthen local economies, encourage new development, increase property values, reduce insurance risks and costs, and create good paying jobs that can’t be outsourced – in all communities across the nation.
ASLA research has found that in the United States:
ASLA will advance nature-based approaches that increase our collective resilience, create economic benefits, and protect public health, safety, and welfare:
Community Resilience: Landscape architects play a critical role in mitigating the effects of storm severity, implementing nature-based solutions in communities to reduce billions of dollars in damages annually. These proactive measures lessen the financial burden on federal disaster aid programs while safeguarding communities.
Thriving Economies: Landscape architects design nature-based solutions that generate substantial economic returns for rural, suburban, and urban communities. These solutions also reduce risk and therefore insurance costs.
Public Health, Safety, and Welfare: Landscape architects design safe solutions that improve public health by protecting our air, water, and natural resources; cool our communities; and provide access to nature and recreation.
Get Involved
Landscape architects are essential to advancing climate and biodiversity solutions — but lasting impact requires a shared commitment. Whether you contribute your voice, your expertise, or your resources, your involvement helps shape a healthier, more resilient future.
The ASLA Sierra Chapter is hosting a Climate Action Symposium on April 18 in Sacramento, California. It’s a day-long “interactive, multidisciplinary experience where designers, state and local agencies, academics, and community leaders will converge to share actionable strategies to further climate solutions.”
According to the Sierra Chapter, “this symposium un-officially continues a lineage of ASLA-hosted climate action events” in California: first with the ASLA Southern California Chapter’s event in 2023 and then with the Northern California event last year.
Along with providing education for landscape architects, a key goal is to build a bridge between the profession and legislators. “We are leveraging our position in the state’s capitol to invite policy makers and agency staff to both attend and speak.” The chapter says “outreach to the California Natural Resources Agency has already gained us a seat in conversations about wildfire mitigation policies.”
Keynote speakers include:
The symposium opens with a plenary, followed by a series of sessions that focus on “where we are now,” which will explore how to:
Afternoon sessions will focus on “where we are going” and cover how to:
An afternoon sketch-crawl with Chip Sullivan, FASLA, and Elizabeth Boults, ASLA, will use their recent book Wisdom of Place: Recovering the Sacred Origins of Landscape as a guide to climate and biodiversity action.
The day will end with a “dream session” where attendees will “workshop ideas” on the future of landscape architecture and climate action.
Register for the Climate Action Symposium on April 18, 8.30 AM – 6.30 PM PST, at Our Place Event Space in Sacramento. Registration fees for ASLA members are $105 and non-members, $120. For firms that register more than three people, it’s $90 per person.
“The current tariff situation is volatile and causing uncertainty, neither of which are helpful to any business regardless of location. It puts businesses into a reactionary mode versus being able to implement planned initiatives in a thoughtful manner,” said Margie Simmons, CEO of Landscape Forms, a site furnishing and outdoor lighting company based in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The Trump administration’s shifting tariff policies have increased concerns for landscape architecture product manufacturers and the landscape architects who specify their products.
“We are uncertain how the tariffs may impact our production and concerned about what impacts a trade war with Canada, Mexico, and China may have on our global market and the general supply chain,” said Jamie McArdle, Business Developer with Victor Stanley, a site furnishing company headquartered in Dunkirk, Maryland.
“We have a subsidiary in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where approximately 50 percent of our material is produced. We also manufacture aluminum and steel products domestically, which are due to be hit with the material tariffs. We figure we’re poster children for being affected by the changes,” said Christopher Lyon, President, Tournesol Siteworks, a site furnishing, trellis, and custom fabrication company based in Union City, California.
In February, the Trump administration issued a 10 percent tariffs on all goods imported from China and later raised that to 20 percent. In March, Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico, and elsewhere. And then also initiated an investigation into whether lumber, timber, and copper imports are a national security threat.
Since these actions, the European Union, China, and Canada have retaliated with tariffs of their own. Canada recently announced reciprocal tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum products and other goods, like tools and cast-iron products.
The Trump administration has stated these tariffs are just the start of an effort to recalibrate relationships with all trading partners. On April 2, new reciprocal tariffs will be announced on many more imported products and materials. Trump will give “trading partner countries a reciprocal tariff number that reflects their own rates, non-tariff trade barriers, currency practice, and other factors,” Reuters reports.
Adding to the uncertainty – one administration official said this number will start a period of negotiation between the U.S. and other countries on reducing mutual tariffs, while another stated that any negotiation needs to happen prior to the April 2 numbers release.
Amid this flux, landscape architecture product manufacturers are trying to gauge potential impacts on their supply chains.
“We estimate that a 25 percent tariff on products imported from Mexico would cost the company $10,000 per month. So yes, the cost concern and uncertainty associated with the tariffs is very, very high,” said Lyon.
“We can increase prices based on future orders, but we have a substantial number of orders already placed by contractors. These contractors have bid the project, and a change to them or to the owner is critically difficult. The tariff means that someone is going to have to pay – whether it’s us, the contractor, or the owner, who wasn’t expecting to pay.”
“Landscape Forms is already heavily invested in domestic materials, parts, and manufacturing as a significant part of our long-standing commitment to sustainability and to offer our North American customers high-quality outdoor solutions with lead times they can count on to maintain their project schedules,” Simmons said.
But “there are certain components and parts that simply are not readily available in North America, so the impact will be felt across entire industries that require those items, not just by Landscape Forms.”
McArdle noted that Victor Stanley uses “U.S. recycled steel local to our production facilities as our primary material. [But] we do have a few components, such as our more ornate castings, that are outsourced and may be imported.”
Backless Benches. Waterloo Park, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Designed by an interdisciplinary group led by Seferian Design Group / courtesy of Victor StanleyThe manufacturers are also looking at potential impacts on their customers abroad. “Tariffs within North America cause us greater concern as we have highly valued Canadian customers, partners, and team members,” Simmons said. “It’s a considerable part of our business that we have invested in for the past 20-plus years.”
Tariffs are expected to lead to significant changes in the market for U.S.-produced materials and products. “If tariffs remain in place, I expect to see an increase in domestic material sourcing and product manufacturing,” said Gary Sorge, FASLA, vice president of landscape architecture at Stantec.
“I hope to see greater emphasis on recycling and upcycling, specifically the use of salvaged lumber, steel, concrete, and glass in the manufacturing of site amenities and building products. Local manufacturing and sourcing may become more cost competitive in comparison to tariff-laden imports. Local sourcing and reduction in transport distance may also reduce the carbon footprint of materials and products.”
But worries about increased costs and lead times remain. “Tariffs on steel and aluminum simply raise the price of all sources of material, domestic or otherwise. Domestic producers immediately raise their prices to the tariffed level. There is no difference in availability. Tariffs simply raise prices, period,” Lyon said.
“The needless stress of higher costs in an interconnected world is going to lead to fewer projects being done. Construction gets more expensive and owners are less likely to build and invest in the kinds of projects we all like to be associated with.”
“I’ll defer to economists and financial analysts, but I expect everything to be more expensive, including labor. Increases may also impact the cost of construction equipment and replacement parts. This will increase the cost of all construction,” Sorge said.
“In terms of lead times, as designers we need to – and do – anticipate challenges and alert our clients accordingly. If a product has a lengthy lead time, we identify this during design and provide suitable alternatives. If we are not aware, project contractors will likely raise the issue during shop drawing and submittal review, and this could result in unwelcome and costly project delays.”
As demand for domestic products and materials increase, landscape architects and their clients may also see higher costs for sustainable domestic alternatives as well, complicating efforts to decarbonize projects.
Landscape Forms remains confident on that front for now. “We believe we can still prioritize more sustainable material attributes in the face of tariffs,” Simmons said.
Future trade investigations and potential reciprocal tariffs create uncertainty for a broad range of product and material industries. Many landscape architects specify trees and plants grown in Canada and wood and stone products sourced from Canada. And fabricated products cross the southern border during the manufacturing process. Other landscape architecture products and materials come from the European Union, China, and Southeast Asia. Costs and lead times may increase for many kinds of imported products.
Delays and cuts to landscape architecture projects funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act are another cause of worry. Combined with tariffs, “this could have serious implications for us and our industry as a whole,” McArdle said. Many programs to decarbonize the energy sector and industrial processes are also in flux.
Simmons said in “volatile and uncertain times, trust and communication” between landscape architects and product manufacturers is “even more vital to decision making on projects.”
By Diogo Borges Ferreira
Roberto Burle Marx is celebrated as a pioneering landscape architect because of his way of integrating nature into cities. His work shows a deep respect for native flora and a commitment to ecological balance.
At a time when climate change and biodiversity loss are pressing global concerns, we can revisit Burle Marx’s principles. His landscapes in Brazil demonstrate how to create urban spaces that are resilient, sustainable, functional, and beautiful. They offer valuable lessons for contemporary landscape architects.
From the 1930s to the 1990s, Burle Marx anticipated many of today’s concerns. Long before terms like sustainable design or green infrastructure became commonplace, Burle Marx advocated for native plants, recognizing their role in creating self-sustaining ecosystems that required minimal intervention. His projects often transformed neglected urban areas into vibrant, ecologically-balanced spaces. His landscapes improved the environment and enhanced the quality of life for city dwellers.
Burle Marx understood that landscapes are dynamic, ever-changing entities rather than static compositions. He emphasized the importance of designing with a long-term vision, ensuring that his landscapes could adapt to change over time, both in terms of ecological shifts and our use.
As cities grapple with the challenges of rapid urbanization, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation, Burle Marx’s work offers a model for how landscape architects can address these critical issues.
From his legacy, we can extract key lessons on how to:
Burle Marx viewed landscapes as evolving systems, a philosophy vividly embodied in Sítio Roberto Burle Marx in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, his former residence that now functions as a public garden and museum.
Initially established as a plant nursery in the 1940s, the Sítio evolved into a living laboratory for botanical experimentation, showcasing over 3,500 plant species of tropical and subtropical flora. Many of these species are rare or endangered.
The Sítio demonstrates Burle Marx’s commitment to adaptive management and continuous education. It serves as a global center for research and learning that attracts botanists and landscape architects.
Its ongoing evolution underscores the importance of viewing landscapes as living entities that require adaptive management, challenging the concept of a finished landscape and highlighting the need for long-term stewardship.
Burle Marx’s adaptive approach is also evident in projects like the gardens of the Ministry of Education and Health building in Rio de Janeiro, completed in 1938.
This project underscores the role of landscape architects in adapting to change and fostering connections between people and nature. It can inspire contemporary landscape architects to prioritize adaptive management and continuous learning.
The rooftop garden, innovative for its time, features sinuous forms and vibrant colors that evoke 19th-century garden plans while reinterpreting them in a modernist context. The garden improved building insulation and mitigated the urban heat island effect. It also creates a sanctuary for biodiversity, showcasing the multifaceted benefits of integrating nature into urban architecture.
All these features contribute to the idea that urban development and nature conservation aren’t mutually exclusive. Landscapes can create emotional connections through modernist abstract forms and plants. The garden demonstrates how cities can function as complex ecosystems benefiting both people and nature.
Roberto Burle Marx’s design for Parque do Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro shows his groundbreaking approach to landscape architecture, urban planning, and the preservation of local biodiversity and cultural identity.
Developed in the 1960s, it was conceived as an urban garden that transitions between the sea, city, and mountains. The park provides versatile spaces for recreation, leisure, and cultural activities. Spanning 296 acres (1.2 million square meters), Flamengo Park transformed a former landfill into a vibrant urban ecosystem, featuring over 17,000 trees from 240 species.
By prioritizing native Brazilian species, Burle Marx preserved the local ecological identity. He promoted biodiversity by providing habitats for local fauna and creating plants adapted to local climate conditions requiring less water and maintenance. He also strengthened cultural connections to the land crafting spaces that are distinctly Brazilian. This approach was instrumental in Rio de Janeiro becoming the first city in the world to earn UNESCO World Heritage status as an Urban Cultural Landscape in 2012.
Another defining feature of Parque do Flamengo is how Burle Marx’s landscape design acts as the unifying element that ties together the various architectural landmarks within the site, including the Monumento aos Mortos da Segunda Guerra Mundial, the Marina da Glória, and the Museu de Arte Moderna. By integrating landscape and architecture, he underscores the role of outdoor spaces as vital connectors within the urban fabric, enhancing the city’s identity and function.
Through this, Burle Marx set a powerful precedent for contemporary landscape architects and urban planners, showing how urban landscapes can serve as dynamic repositories of biodiversity and cultural heritage. He created spaces that are ecologically significant and deeply connected to the residents and their local environment.
Roberto Burle Marx’s work on the Copacabana Beach Promenade and the Conjunto Residencial Prefeito Mendes de Moraes (Pedregulho) shows his ability to blend function, aesthetics, and cultural heritage.
Completed in 1970, the Copacabana promenade features an iconic undulating mosaic pattern that reinterprets the traditional design of Lisbon’s Rossio Square. Stretching 2.5 kilometers, this mosaic is one of the largest in the world, with its black and white tiles enhancing the coastal view and framing the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain.
By elongating the curves and aligning them with the sea, Burle Marx created a harmonious connection between the natural landscape and Brazil’s colonial history. He ensured that the connection remains a central part of urban life and that it embodies the city’s character and enhances its resilience to environmental challenges.
Similarly, the Pedregulho project demonstrates Burle Marx’s strategic use of landscape design to enhance residential spaces. By incorporating native plants and thoughtful layouts, the landscape architect created multifunctional outdoor areas that provide natural cooling, privacy, and community interaction zones.
This approach — commonly developed by the landscape architect in residential projects — aligns with the architectural vision while addressing residents’ needs. It demonstrates how landscape elements can be integral to the overall project.
In these projects, Burle Marx’s design philosophy emphasizes creating visually appealing yet adaptable spaces, setting a standard for resilient urban landscapes that serve immediate and future community needs.
Throughout his work, Burle Marx viewed plants not just as botanical specimens, but as elements of color, shape, and volume in his artistic compositions.
“A garden is a complex of aesthetic and plastic intentions; and the plant is, to a landscape artist, not only a plant — rare, unusual, ordinary, or doomed to disappearance — but it is also a color, a shape, a volume, or an arabesque in itself.”
His lessons are more relevant than ever as we confront the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. His legacy encourages a holistic approach to urban design, emphasizing the integration of cities with larger ecosystems.
By adopting his principles, contemporary landscape architects and urban planners can create sustainable, vibrant, and life-affirming environments that benefit both people and ecosystems.
Diogo Borges Ferreira is an architect, researcher, and editor based in Porto, Portugal.
This article was originally published on ArchDaily and is part of a collaborative series on landscape architecture and climate and biodiversity solutions. See more of their related coverage.
A poll of more than 55 landscape architects and educators in 2024 identified some of the top issues and barriers facing communities and designers who seek to advance climate equity and justice work.
The results also highlighted key messages that can help increase investment in this work by community-based organizations, developers, and local governments. And it identified the community engagement strategies most used by this group of landscape architects and educators.
Note: The poll was issued before policy changes made by the new federal administration but still provides useful context on climate equity and justice work supported by community organizations.
Of those polled last year, 60 percent stated they had worked with community-based organizations on climate justice or equity work. Of the ASLA members polled:
The poll was developed by members of the ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee Subcommittee on Climate Agency and Community Resilience.
Landscape architects and educators identified the climate justice and equity issues experienced by the underserved communities with which they engage.
Top issues:
Lack of funding – 69%
Lack of natural resources (street trees, parks, recreation areas, etc) – 65%
Legacy of racist planning and design decisions – 56%
Lack of trust in local government – 53%
Disproportionate burden of climate impacts – 53%
Lack of public investment – 53%
Lack of access to natural resources – 49%
Disproportionate burden of public health impacts – 43%
Lack of community empowerment – 42%
Lack of social or political capital – 38%
Regulatory barriers – 38%
Racism – 25%
One respondent brought up another key issue: “often the communities that most need assistance don’t even know that there is help available. They are not aware and do not participate in what I would call [typical] public involvement processes.”
Landscape architects and educators then focused on the major barriers to equitable engagement in climate action work.
Top barriers:
Lack of trust – 42%
Lack of budget to pay people for their time – 42%
Community engagement fatigue – 40%
Lack of funding for community engagement – 34%
Lack of authentic engagement – 32%
Barriers to accessing community meetings – 29%
Time or scheduling challenges – 29%
Lack of project champion(s) from the community or project team – 27%
Barriers to accessing online engagement tools – 24%
Cultural and language barriers – 24%
Community engagement not valued – 21%
None of the above – 9%
Respondents also identified a few more important barriers:
To encourage clients and decision-makers to invest in climate equity and justice work, the landscape architects and educators polled have used a few key messages.
Top messages:
“This work provides benefits to all community members” – 65%
“This work will help address current inequities” – 59%
“This work provides quality of life and economic benefits” – 59%
“This work will improve the overall project” – 44%
“This work will help address past inequities” – 37%
20 percent of those polled said they don’t make the case for climate equity and justice work to clients.
Other respondents offered variations on the messages, including: “this work benefits future generations” and “this work opens up additional funding opportunities.”
Lastly, the poll also asked landscape architects and educators to identify the best strategies for community engagement efforts.
Top strategies:
Attending existing community meetings or events to meet people where they are – 76%
Providing refreshments or food – 72%
Providing fun and engaging workshops and activities – 64%
Developing focused activities to engage kids and families – 56%
Collaborating with a community-based organization to design engagement activities – 56%
Providing translation services for meetings and materials – 55%
Identifying groups missing from the conversation and targeting outreach efforts to meet them – 49%
Social media – 43%
Compensating community liaisons or organizations for their time – 30%
Door to door surveys – 27%
None of the above – 16%
Respondents offered a few more smart strategies to boost engagement:
