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Questions for ASLA President-elect Candidates
Sustainable design has been a long-standing tenet for landscape architecture and the Society. What can ASLA do to further demonstrate the profession's leadership in sustainability? If elected, what initiatives in this area would you like to introduce?
Perry Howard, FASLA
Within the ASLA Environmental Sustainability policy statement and its rationale, it says that "sustainability should be an integral part of the design process." My question is, how? Since sustainability is such a far-reaching movement, how do we compel the public, environmental designers, and planners to embrace such an important effort?
The ASLA Sustainable Design and Development Professional Practice Network under the leadership of April Philips, ASLA, has been developing a tool to promote sustainable practice and make sustainability an integral part of the design process. ASLA has partnered with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center to continue work on this tool called "Systems Integration Tool for Environmentally Sustainable Sites (SITESS)."
A draft tool has been developed and is out in the public realm for review. The authors of the document know that it needs significant work. Also, the authors have included key questions within the tool that need addressing. The goal of the document is for it to function for sites much like LEED certification does for buildings.
If elected president, rather than create a new initiative for ASLA within the sustainability arena, I would vigorously support continuing the good work of SITESS already in progress. ASLA should continue to develop SITESS into a tool for assessing the sustainability of land that will be a standard for the public and planning and design professionals. SITESS should become a tool similar to LEED certification. ASLA's strategy for developing this important tool should include the necessary science to support its use, and as president I would support such initiatives, working with the committee, universities, and the professional community.
ASLA needs to expeditiously develop, test, evaluate, and then revise SITESS if necessary. We need to start developing training modules as well as certification or licensing criteria.
One can become lost in the sea of data concerning sustainability. We must set our goals high but achievable to continue the profession's leadership role on sustainability.
Van L. Cox, FASLA
Joining "sense of place" and "smart growth," "sustainability" is now part of our daily jargon. Whether termed "sustainable design and development," "holistic resource management," or "environmentally sensitive design," it is generally the capability of natural and cultural systems being continued over time. Developments, regardless of scale or location, should exemplify and encourage application of the principles of conservation. We incorporate living, dynamic materials that grow, change, and sometimes die, but our design counterparts wouldn't survive if their structures and mechanical systems crumbled after a few years of use; nor will we! Regarding sustainability, ASLA is working on SITESS-complementary to LEEDS, considering additional partnerships-possibly with LAF, and seeking funding. The Society should now, 1) confirm members are "doing it" (talk is cheap), 2) ensure members "continue doing it" (monitor progress), and 3) "inform others that members do it" (get the word out). Possible initiatives:
As with ASLA's "100 Years/100 Parks" program (and in keeping with my emphasis on local
involvement), chapters-with Professional Practice Networks and community leaders-should host a series of member/public participatory forums and investigate sustainability. Informative and information-gathering, the sessions would assess critical issues in sustainability and offer advocacy and "value-added" advertising opportunities. Positive case examples, or portions thereof, would be compiled and findings routinely reported through LATIS, LAND, or LAM, and at annual meetings.
Once the sessions yield sufficient feedback and educational merit, ASLA should encourage
continual emphasis on sustainability, recognizing and rewarding member (and client) successes toward that end. Again through local initiatives, chapters could report on progress and regularly update examples from the various regions-and from all sectors. Educational programs, through greater emphasis on sustainability in the accreditation process, would be encouraged to pursue innovative possibilities-providing a more vital presence in the academic community and perpetuating an appropriate ethic in future practitioners.
Finally, are we reaching others? Working partnerships would be established with private and public agencies and help members institutionalize sustainable design and planning in their communities. Once more relying on chapters, ASLA should produce and distribute a "residential to regional" directory of sustainable development examples.
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