Chicago, Illinois, April 12, 2005—Members of the Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) will celebrate National Landscape Architecture Month by working with a number of schools and community organizations to promote landscape architecture as a career, to encourage more active lifestyles, and to provide design assistance and expert advice. 

• Tuesday, April 19, Career Day.  Local landscape architects will encourage students to consider choosing landscape architecture as a career.
  • 8:00-11:00 am, Hill School, West Aurora School District.  4th and 5th Grade Students, 724 Pennsylvania Avenue, Aurora, Illinois 60506.
  • 6:30-8:30 pm, High School Districts 211, 214, and 220, Forest View Educational Center Fieldhouse, 2121 S. Goebbert Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005.

• Saturday, April 23, 9:00 am-3:00 pm, Design Charrette at North Kenwood Oakland Charter School.  Local landscape architects, in conjunction with the Chicago Public Art Group, will sponsor a design “charrette”—an intense brainstorming session—to offer design solutions and expert advice to the charter school.  1014 E. 47th St, Chicago, Illinois.

• Tuesday, April 26, 12:30 pm, Walkability/Bikeability Audit, Agassiz School. Local landscape architects will work with students from the 4th, 5^th, and 7th grades to assess safe walking and biking routes around their school, using the National Center for Bicycling and Walking checklist to issue a “report card” on their community.  2851 N. Seminary, Chicago, IL 60657.

• Saturday, April 30, 11:00 am-5:00 pm,Festival Dia del Niño 2005. The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum and the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children present a celebration of the arts and healthy lifestyles featuring music and dance performances, nutritious snacks, wellness testing and activities for children and families. This event is for all ages and admission is free.  Supported by the Chicago Park District "Chicago WorksOut" program.  Local landscape architects will participate with attendees in a two-mile walk from the Museum to the UIC Pavilion to complete a walkability and bikeability survey of the area. In addition to participating in the survey, Illinois ASLA chapter members will staff desks at both locations of the event.  UIC Pavilion, 1150 W. Harrison Street, Chicago.

The theme for National Landscape Architecture Month is Design for Active Living, highlighting ways community design affects residents’ daily activity levels and, in turn, their overall health.  Studies show that access to resources such as parks, recreational facilities, bicycle paths, walking trails, and sidewalks can increase physical activity among residents, lowering obesity and improving health. 

“As landscape architects, working with public officials, developers, and residents, we can design active living components back into our communities,” said Brian Hopkins, ASLA, president of the Illinois chapter of the ASLA.  "Years ago, we all used to walk to school, to the store, to the park, or to a friend’s house, but now we often are unable to walk or bike anywhere safely, because our communities are designed mainly for car travel.  The change from a pedestrian to a commuter lifestyle has fueled an epidemic of obesity in the U.S., particularly among children. We want to encourage everyone to look at their communities during April and become advocates for an environment that is more exercise-friendly."

Founded in 1899, ASLA is the national professional association for landscape architects representing 15,000 members.  Landscape architecture is a comprehensive discipline of land analysis, planning, design, management, preservation, and rehabilitation.  ASLA promotes the landscape architecture profession and advances the practice through advocacy, education, communication, and fellowship.  Learn more about landscape architecture online at www.asla.org.  For more information on supporting or participating in the Illinois Chapter activities, please contact Astrid Haryati, ASLA, HaryatiAS@teng.com, chapter coordinator for National Landscape Architecture Month.