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LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS RELEASE CLIMATE
CHANGE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
Washington, DC, February 20, 2008 —
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has released
a series of strategic policy recommendations on climate change
to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate global warming. ASLA
encourages Congress to adopt these strategies, as well as
pass the Safe Climate Act and America’s Climate Security
Act—actions that will increase energy efficiency, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, and protect the natural environment.
“The techniques landscape architects use for sustainable
design can translate into effective public policy,”
said Nancy Somerville, executive vice president and CEO of
ASLA. “These strategies can save billions of dollars
on infrastructure, create vibrant and healthy neighborhoods,
preserve our natural resources, and reduce global warming
if Congress acts soon.”
Some specific policy recommendations include:
• Encourage sustainable site planning for new communities
and buildings of all types.
• Require open space and parkland preservation as a
component of all public and private development, from small
site-specific projects to regional land use plans.
• Encourage the research and use of native and adapted
vegetation in the built environment to take full advantage
of the most appropriate plants to increase air quality, conserve
water resources, and sequester carbon dioxide.
• Encourage the use of sustainable stormwater management
practices that enhance the treatment and increase the infiltration
of stormwater.
• Encourage the use of green roofs on public and private
buildings of all types.
• Require comprehensive transportation and utility planning
as a component of land use planning, matching infrastructure
capacity with current and proposed land uses.
• Encourage the development of smart growth communities.
• Enact policies that support design of safe transportation
routes for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and
those who use wheelchairs.
The full white paper and policy recommendations can be viewed
at www.asla.org.
ASLA also encourages Congress to pass comprehensive climate
change legislation in the forms of the Safe Climate Act of
2007 (H.R. 1590) and America’s Climate Security Act
of 2007 (S. 2191). These bills will significantly reduce carbon
dioxide emission in the U.S., support reasonable energy-efficient
building codes, lower motor vehicle emissions, and provide
funds to protect the country’s national forests, grasslands,
freshwater and estuary ecosystems, and other essential natural
resources. ASLA members are meeting with their district representatives
this week to discuss these and other public policy issues.
About ASLA
Founded in 1899, ASLA is the national professional association
for landscape architects, representing more than 18,200 members
in 48 professional chapters and 68 student chapters. The Society's
mission is to lead, to educate, and to participate in the
careful stewardship, wise planning, and artful design of our
cultural and natural environments. Members of the Society
use their “ASLA” suffix after their names to denote
membership and their commitment to the highest ethical standards
of the profession. Learn more about landscape architecture
online at www.asla.org.
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