ASLA's Professional Practice Networks are making news!
PPN newsletters provide snapshots into the life of the PPNs and of the practice areas that they represent. Check them out online!

PPN newsletters reflect the good work of PPN members who write, edit, and coordinate publication. PPN chairs are responsible for generating newsletter content by soliciting ideas and contributions from members. ASLA staff works with a graphic design firm to produce the newsletters, which are then posted to the PPNs’ respective websites. The resulting electronic publications are available online; all visitors to the PPN websites have access to view and download the newsletters.

Here’s a quick peek at the information, news, activity, and plans reported in the latest crop of PPN newsletters:

International Practice PPN Chair Dr. Jon Bryan Burley, ASLA, announces two long-term initiatives resulting from member requests for international contacts and information about how to successfully engage in international practice. Reports of past and upcoming international conferences include an invitation to the 2006 ASLA Annual Meeting/IFLA World Congress. The newsletter also provides information about the IFLA student competition and an article on an innovative landscape architecture project in the slums of Kenya.

Therapeutic Garden Design PPN Co-Chairs Mark Epstein, ASLA, and Naomi Sachs, ASLA, open their group’s newsletter by asking a critical question: Given the increasing evidence of the benefits of therapeutic gardens, why are more not being built? Articles focus on important aspects of the design process for therapeutic gardens, including good site planning, securing funding, and verifying the benefits of gardens already built. Case studies of several therapeutic gardens bring this area of professional practice to life.

Campus Planning and Design PPN Co-Chair Larry Porter, ASLA, introduces the topic of the group’s newsletter: campus design guidelines and standards. Features include a short summary of an article by Robert Sena, ASLA, recommending supplementing master plans with design guidelines; a link is provided to the full article. Judson Newbern, ASLA, illustrates successful use of design guidelines with examples from the Vanderbilt University campus and links to design guidelines prepared for other campuses. Another article, reprinted from Dartmouth College’s magazine, looks at a range of facilities projects nearing completion and how they were designed to reflect the school’s values and needs, with twin goals of sustainability and balanced design embracing tradition but responding to changing needs.

In addition, the Historic Preservation and Rural Landscape PPNs are working with ASLA staff to finalize newsletter content. Look for announcements of additional newsletter publications as more PPNs provide us with views into their worlds.

For more information on ASLA's PPNs, please contact Jennifer Strassfeld, ASLA's professional practice manager, at jstrassfeld@asla.org, or visit the PPN website.