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March 2026
Highlights
View LABash 2026 Photos
Advocacy + Licensure
State Government Affairs
State Legislative Sessions (2026): As of March 13, 39 states remain in regular legislative session, and ASLA is currently tracking nearly 80 legislative proposals. Members and chapters can follow occupational licensure bills with this monthly report. Recent activity includes:
- Hawaii (SB 2607): ASLA submitted comments supporting SB 2607 to align Hawaii's licensure framework with the CLARB Uniform Licensure Standard. The bill passed the Senate on March 10 and is now under consideration in the House.
- Alaska (HB 314/SB 246 – Board Reauthorization): Legislation introduced to reauthorize the AELS Board through 2033, including provisions to modernize the "Professional Landscape Architect" title and secure direct procurement authority. Ongoing policymaker negotiations continue.
- Florida (HB 607 – Deregulation): Following highly effective grassroots mobilization and firm principal outreach, this deregulation bill officially died at the close of the legislative session.
- Rhode Island (HB 7739 – Green Buildings Act Commission): ASLA is engaging with the Rhode Island Chapter to support legislation establishing a commission to enforce sustainable construction standards for public projects, including a dedicated seat for a landscape architect.
State Advocacy Days: ASLA chapters are taking advocacy directly to their state legislators. Read highlights from recent State Advocacy Days in the LAND article, Chapters Taking Action: Success at State Advocacy Days. Stay tuned as more chapters mobilize throughout the year.
World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM) Resolutions: ASLA is encouraging chapter leadership to secure resolutions recognizing April as WLAM. Chapters like Florida and Louisiana are already leading the way. A model resolution and tools are available on ASLA's advocacy resources page. Contact Cole Calloway, State Government Affairs Manager, for assistance.
LARE Prep: The LARE Prep Committee recently hosted two webinars: "Inventory, Analysis & Project Management" and "Dear LAREy: Foundations & Strategy Deep Dive." Moving forward, virtual exam workshops will be hosted quarterly.
Federal Government Affairs
Take Action for Bike-Ped Projects: Congress is drafting a six-year surface transportation bill signaling it will only include highway projects. Use the iAdvocate Network to urge your legislators to support the Transportation Alternatives program and bicycle, pedestrian, and trail projects. Please also encourage your chapter members to take action.
Student Loan Comments: ASLA submitted comments opposing the Department of Education's proposed rule to cap federal student loan borrowing. ASLA has also endorsed H.R. 6677, the Professional Degree Access Restoration Act, introduced by U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (NY). Landscape architecture advocates have sent nearly 2,000 messages to Congress.
LWCF Update: ASLA sent messages to all House environment and parks legislative staff urging support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Dear Colleague letter, requesting full funding of $900 million for FY2027. ASLA has also joined partners including NRPA and City Parks Alliance in requesting increased funding for the stateside of LWCF ($200M) and Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grants ($130M).
Green Infrastructure Working Group: ASLA hosted a working lunch to re-energize the Green Infrastructure Working Group. Participants from NRPA, The Trust for Public Land, NACWA, American Rivers, AIA, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the U.S. Green Building Council discussed shared federal priorities including water infrastructure and nature-based solutions.
White House East Wing/Ballroom Update: ASLA attended the recent National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) meeting regarding the proposed White House ballroom project. A final vote is expected at the Commission's April 2 meeting. ASLA continues to monitor the process and opportunities for public comment.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Congressional Reception: ASLA attended a congressional event featuring a screening of the documentary From Rails to Trails, exploring the 60-year movement to convert abandoned railroad corridors into public trails.
Government Affairs – General
Climate & Biodiversity Action
The ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee's Biodiversity & Climate Action 101 for Landscape Architects webinar series — underwritten by Landscape Forms and free for members — explores innovative strategies for decarbonization, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience.
Recent Event
How to Prioritize Justice and Community Through Landscape Architecture: Lessons Learned (March 11) — Focused on the Equity Subcommittee's work addressing how landscape architects can amplify community power and ensure equitable distribution of climate investments.
Upcoming Event
Biodiversity Primer — Scheduled for April 21, focusing on the Biodiversity Subcommittee and the Biodiversity Primer for Landscape Architects: Essential Knowledge to Inform Meaningful Action.
The Climate & Biodiversity Action Subcommittees have finalized their strategic initiatives for the 2026 term, designed to accelerate progress toward the goals outlined in the ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan.
Professional Practice
ASLA SKILL | ED programs are designed for professionals who want to build leadership capacity, add value to their firm, and develop transferable business development skills. Quarterly Pulse Check roundtables will explore the theme of Workforce Resilience. The first Pulse Check of the year: Building Resilience to Market Volatility — scheduled for March 18.
The Education & Practice Working Group has launched an interview series providing firsthand insights for practitioners interested in teaching. The first two interviews are available on The Field:
Conference & Meetings
The Annual Conference Education Advisory Committee (ACEAC) is reviewing proposals for the 2026 Conference on Landscape Architecture education program until March 17. Session notifications will be shared in April.
Communications
ASLA & America ByDesign
ASLA's partnership with America ByDesign is developing well to elevate the visibility of landscape architecture with a national audience. Two landscape architecture projects have already been greenlit for filming, with several additional projects under review. These projects will be filmed and ready to release later this year. As more projects move through the production pipeline, ASLA will continue to help curate and elevate the work of our members — bringing the profession's stories to a broader national stage.
Social Media Profile Performance
Across all ASLA platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Threads, and TikTok), the total audience reached 302,152 as of February 28, reflecting net audience growth of 1,134 in February.
- LinkedIn drove the majority of growth (+815), continuing to be ASLA's strongest channel for professional engagement.
- Instagram (+205) and Facebook (+116) also contributed steady gains, while Threads and TikTok saw modest increases.
- X experienced a slight net decline (–14).
In February, ASLA published 91 posts, generating 479,378 impressions and 20,070 engagements (4.2% engagement rate). Video performance increased significantly with 40,353 video views (+78%).
Honors & Awards
- The Honors nominations are with the Executive Committee, which is narrowing down to the top two nominations.
- The Professional Awards jury has concluded round two of judging. Round three (final selection of winners) concludes on March 2.
- Student Awards registration is now open. Registration deadline: April 24. Submission deadline: May 8.
Landscape Architecture Magazine
LAM Online Traffic Data (February 13 – March 13, 2026)
Top 3 Posts:
- The Spec Stops Here by Aidan Ackerman — February 18 — 1,655 views
- Dan Barefoot's Olympic Juggling Act by Joe Adler — February 24 — 1,504 views
- Time Will Tell by Michael Grove — February 25 — 1,080 views
| Metric | Value | vs. Prior Month | vs. Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Views | 20,211 | ↓ 19.3% | Unchanged |
| Main LAM Page Views | 4,242 | ↓ 27% | ↓ 19.2% |
| Total Active Users | 11,876 | ↓ 14.9% | Unchanged |
| Total New Users | 11,391 | ↓ 12% | ↑ 5.3% |
| Returning Users | 1,250 | ↓ 17.3% | ↓ 38% |
The Landscape Report — Email Performance
| Email Date | Subject Line | Open Rate* | Click Rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/19/26 | How AI can help designers skirt forced-labor risks | 36.2% | 6.1% |
| 2/26/26 | Dan Barefoot's Olympic Juggling Act | 37.2% | 6.3% |
| 3/05/26 | Designing for an uncertain ecological future | 34.5% | 5.1% |
| 3/12/26 | Feeling the Love on Cherokee Street | 32.6% | 5.6% |
| Averages | 35.1% | 5.8% | |
*May include MPP opens and bot clicks
Education & Career Discovery
Career Discovery with Marketing released a new resource: Disney Paper Parks — ASLA DREAM BIG with Design Special Edition, an imaginative, hands-on design activity inspired and led by Walt Disney Imagineer Jennifer Mok, ASLA. This K-12 resource supports STEM learning by engaging students in design thinking, sustainability, and equity as they reimagine the iconic Disneyland Hub. The black and white design has been enhanced with AI to capture real-time coloring of paper park features.
Download the Activity Packet (Free)
On February 17, the Future City Competition Finals were held in Washington, DC. The competition engaged over 92,000 students — the largest participation in the program's history. This year's theme, 'Farm to Table', challenged students to create innovative solutions across STEM-centered ecosystems. ASLA was a Special Award Sponsor for the Edible City Design Excellence Award. ASLA's Special Award went to the Mandela International Magnet School in New Mexico for their design of Tierra Selkora.
Member & Chapter Services
- ASLA has launched a multi-channel member campaign to update My Profile | ASLA Member Directory via LAND, an asla.org web banner, and targeted emails. To date, almost 100 members have successfully updated their profiles.
- A lapsed member campaign launched on March 10, targeting over 600 members from the spring 2025 renewal cycle. Using practice-specific email messaging and physical mailers, the campaign has already recaptured new members.
Governance / Leadership
- President Bradley McCauley, FASLA, participated in LABash at The Ohio State University, then continued to the CELA meeting where he represented ASLA at the Board, Presidents Council, and Program Chairs meetings.
- CEO Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. ASLA, was the keynote speaker at the Alaska Chapter in late February and moderated the panel INFORM 2026 – Healthy Human Habitats. He also participated in Alaska Design Week activities.
- CEO Carter-Conneen and Managing Director Daniel Martin, Hon. ASLA, visited industry partner USA Shade in early March for strategy meetings, and also visited TBG Partners in Dallas and the University of Texas, Arlington.
- CEO Carter-Conneen was the keynote at the Wisconsin Chapter and participated in the chapter's spring social. Past President Shawn Kelly, FASLA, also presented at the conference.
- CEO Carter-Conneen participated in the celebration of life for Shane Coen, FASLA, including a program at the Walker Art Center and "A Night of Music" the following evening.
Deadlines & Reminders
- 📅 March 2: Professional Awards — Round three (final selection of winners) concludes
- 📅 April 13–15: WLAM 3-Day Giving Challenge — Accelerate the Profession
- 📅 April 21: Biodiversity Primer Webinar — register at learn.asla.org
- 📅 April 24: Student Awards registration deadline
- 📅 May 8: Student Awards submission deadline
- 📅 June 10: ASLA Advocacy Day (Virtual)