Coalition Mission

On October 11, 2001, the American Society of Landscape Architects convened a meeting with several other organizations to discuss the development of a Security Design Coalition to advocate for the implementation of security measures in public places that incorporate good design principles, using the National Capital region as a model.

To achieve this mission, the coalition will focus on two specific objectives:

1. Developing and showcasing design principles that achieve an appropriate balance between security measures that protect our people and built environment, and continuation of an open society that cherishes its democratic principles, freedom of movement, and accessible public places and facilities.

2. Developing an inclusive decision-making process-consisting of experts in the fields of landscape architecture, architecture, historic preservation, community planning, the security industry, government officials, public citizens-for determining what security will look like and for how it will function.

Issue Background

The security of public places and the federal establishment is not a new issue. In recent years, however, it has become an increasingly urgent concern, culminating in the horrific actions of September 11 in New York City, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon. As a result, the nation is on "high-alert" against a wide-range of real and perceived threats. The September 11 attacks have made security related to all aspects of American life-from homes and workplaces to the places of public business and the symbols of this democracy-a paramount national goal.

Need for Coalition Action

In the wake of the most recent acts of terror, the federal establishment has moved swiftly to install the full range of security responses to thwart terrorist and other such acts against people and the places they occupy. Physical barriers, surveillance and metal detection devices, new personal search procedures, police and National Guard patrols, street closings, and a variety of other devices and protocols have either been strengthened or established. By their nature, these measures channel and restrict personal movement. And in the context of the immediate threat and the need to ensure the public's safety, these rapid and dramatic actions are fully understandable.

At the same time, legitimate questions need to be addressed about the nature of the security response and the process for determining it. The manner in which this nation approaches its security has tremendous implications for how our nation functions and how our people perceive their society and their place in it for years to come. Done well, security will protect us all and all that we hold dear, while making clear that this nation continues to rest on a close relationship between its people and its government. Done poorly, security will make us fearful and literally erect barriers to how people interact with the government it has established. Design professions, preservationists, communities, and security professionals need to work together to develop solutions that achieve this balance.

Current Members

American Society of Landscape Architects
American Institute of Architects
Downtown DC Business Improvement District
Scenic America
American Planning Association
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The Greater Washington Board of Trade
Society of Environmental Graphic Design

Contact Information

If you would like more information on the Security Design Coalition, please contact Cara Welch, Director of Government Affairs at the American Society of Landscape Architects, 202-216-2334, or cwelch@asla.org.

Prepared by ASLA
10/16/01