Sustainable ASLA documents ASLA’s full commitment to promote sustainable design practices through program initiatives and day-to-day operations. Here are some of the ways we practice what we preach:

The Sustainable Sites Initiative

The Sustainable Sites Initiative is an interdisciplinary partnership led by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the United States Botanic Garden to transform land development and management practices with the nation’s first voluntary rating system for sustainable landscapes, with our without buildings.

Advocating for Sustainable Design across the U.S. Government 

Working with federal and state policy makers and agencies, ASLA Government Affairs increases awareness of the profession and advocates for policies that use landscape architecture to design more sustainable communities. 

ASLA worked with Congress to include two ASLA priorities into the House-passed climate change legislation, the American Clean Energy and Security Act: the Energy Conservation Through Trees Act, which establishes a residential tree planting program; and the Green Act, which would require the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to employ green roofs, tree canopy coverage, and other site planning techniques to help reduce heating and cooling costs in certain HUD facilities.  

Landscape architects are also leading the way in planning and designing multimodal transportation corridors, which include bike lanes and paths, sidewalks, and access to public transportation.  As a Steering Committee member of the National Complete Streets Coalition, ASLA advocates for a federal Complete Streets policy.

As a member of the High Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition, ASLA was the primary sponsor of a Congressional briefing earlier this year that focused on the Sustainable Sites Initiative and the U.S. House Green the Capitol campaign.  Recently, ASLA co-sponsored the event “Addressing the Building Envelope: Increasing Energy Efficiency Using Today’s Technology,” which highlighted how the building industry is working with federal agencies to increase building energy efficiency. 

ASLA has signed on to the 2030 Coalition, a campaign led by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), to reach at least a 50 percent reduction in C02 emission from buildings by 2010, and fully carbon neutral buildings by 2030.

Encouraging Sustainable Design Practices

The ASLA Professional and Student Awards programs highlight sustainable design and planning best practices. Judging criteria requires that jurors consider sustainability when making awards decisions. A number of well-designed projects deemed unsustainable by jurors have failed to receive recognition. Go to the 2010 Call for Entries. 

ASLA's National Mall Plan highlights the need for sustainable design and planning practices to be applied to one of the nation’s central landscapes.   

An interview series focused on sustainability creates a broader dialogue on sustainable development through an exchange of ideas with both leading and up-and-coming designers, academics, and policy makers. 

A set of sustainability resource guides outline hundreds of research studies, government resources, model projects, and online guides that help design professionals and local policy makers plug the latest sustainable development ideas into their communities.

The Sustainable Design and Development Professional Practice Network (PPN) seeks to collect, advance, and disseminate information on sustainable design practice and theory within landscape architecture and affiliated fields.

ASLA is involved in Practice, Education and Research for Sustainable Infrastructure (PERSI), an initiative of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), that works to promote and translate sustainable practices into action within its member organizations. ASLA is also providing input into the development of the International Green Construction Code.  

"Designing Our Future: Sustainable Landscapes" is a new online exhibition featuring sustainability case studies. The case studies serve as a key learning tool for the general public and explain what landscape architects do and the importance of sustainable design. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is supporting the educational aspects of the site.

Teaching Sustainable Design

At the ASLA Annual Meeting, attendees learn about cutting-edge sustainable landscape planning and design practices and earn professional development hours (PDH), which are required to maintain licensure. More than 70 percent of courses are focused on sustainable planning, design, construction, and maintenance practices.

Through the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB), an autonomous ASLA committee, ASLA promotes sustainability as a key part of landscape architecture education at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA CES) also offers a range of live and distant education courses in the U.S., Canada, and Caribbean. More than 40 percent of LA CES approved courses are focused on sustainable planning, design, construction, and maintenance education.

ASLA won a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to produce "The Roof is Growing!", a green roof education guide.

National Landscape Architecture Month (NLAM) highlights the inherent environmental values in landscape architecture each April.

The Dirt Blog and Social Media

The Dirt blog connects design professionals, academia, and policy makers to up-to-date news on the built and natural environments. The Dirt regularly covers green infrastructure, sustainable design, sustainable transportation, and sustainable urban development trends in the U.S. and worldwide.

Twitter / Landarchitects helps extend the reach of ASLA and allied organizations’ content related to sustainability.

Annual Meetings

ASLA continues to reduce the carbon footprint of the annual meeting. The hotels, convention center, show decorator, transportation, and other vendors ASLA engages for services must demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices. ASLA’s printed materials, signage, and decorations are recycled, recyclable, and printed with soy ink. The meeting handouts are distributed electronically.

To offset the carbon footprint created by the annual meeting, ASLA made a $400 contribution to the Chicago Offset Fund, managed by the Chicago-based Delta Institute, an organization dedicated to economic development and environmental quality. The Chicago Offset Fund supports projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Chicago and benefit the local economy through a transparent and verifiable carbon offset system. Some 40 Annual Meeting attendees offset their travel by making a voluntary contribution of $10 to the Chicago Offset Fund.

In Chicago, ASLA and Green Builder Media also joined forces to support a sustainable homes and landscapes exhibit in Chicago, built by Chicago Public School students enrolled in the College and Career Preparation Program. Owned and developed by Conservation Research Institute, a 501(c)3 dedicated to environmental causes, the homes are designed by Landon Bone Baker Architects with landscapes by Conservation Design Forum.

Lastly, ASLA used sustainable printing practices for the 2009 ASLA Annual Meeting & EXPO registration brochure, saving:

• 72 trees
• 207 lbs water-borne waste
• 30,402 gal wastewater flow s
• 3,364 lbs solid waste
• 6,623 lbs net greenhouse gasses
• 50,695,488 BTUs energy

ASLA is also a member of the Convene Green Alliance, a grass-roots, industry initiative spearheaded by several high-profile associations that seek to encourage positive environmental practices through national, regional and local outreach and education.
ASLA’s green Headquarters

Green Roof
 
The Washington, D.C. headquarters of ASLA is topped with a green roof. The green roof, designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, a leading landscape architecture firm, includes a unique sedum floor covered with a mesh grate that enables visitors to walk over much of the green roof surface. A range of native plants were used, as well as sedum species, which are known to be particularly effective at sequestering carbon dioxide (C02). Some key benefits:

Read press coverage or sign up for a private tour.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification

ASLA has initiated the process of certifying the headquarters building. ASLA will first aim for LEED certified or silver levels, with the goal of eventually reaching gold or platinum levels.

Building Operations

Staff transportationASLA is a Best Workplace for Commuters. CEO Nancy Somerville drives a Prius, a hybrid vehicle.

Office ProductsASLA not only uses 100 percent recyclable paper products, but also recycles all paper products. Even coffee dispenser cups get recycled. ASLA also certifies that waste products are properly sorted and recycled.

Office cleaning 
ASLA only uses natural, biodegradable, non-hazardous cleaning products.

Energy efficiencyThe headquarters building was Energy Star-certified in 2008 and 2009. Among buildings the same size, ASLA’s energy performance is in the top 15 percent. Building-related C02 emissions are zero because ASLA buys 100 percent renewable energy from Pepco.

An automated building management system controls access, lighting, and heating / cooling systems, and puts the building to sleep each night. At 9:00 PM, all lights go out. In the mornings, the building goes through a set of steps to efficiently power-up.

Computers are pre-set to go into sleep mode when not in use, and screensavers automatically come on after a pre-set time.

Staff can control individual cubicle-level lights, and engage in daylight harvesting. When the sun is out, desk lights go out.

Water efficiencyWater fixtures were redesigned in 2008 for low water usage.

Waste managementASLA will also start composting organic waste.

Indoor air qualityASLA completed an air quality inspection in October 2008. The assessors concluded the building had excellent indoor air quality. The air quality is due to proper operation and maintenance and more than 100 indoor plants throughout the building.

Publishing

Landscape Architecture Magazine (LAM) meets all magazine industry standards for sustainable publishing. LAM has moved to 100 percent Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)-certified paper and virtual proofing, which not only reduces the carbon footprint of the magazine, but is also less expensive. 

LAM began co-mailing with other publications in 2008 to reduce shipping-related C02 emissions. 

LAM has been offered digitally through Zinio since April, 2009. ASLA encourages its members to migrate from print to digital versions to cut down shipping-related C02 emissions.

Marketing & Member Outreach 

Most of ASLA’s marketing campaigns are conducted via e-mail and e-fax. Any mailings are printed on 100 percent recycled paper. The Member and Chapter Services department attempts to use email as much as possible to distribute membership renewal and benefit information.