ASLA 2023 Conference Education Session Highlights

October 19, 2023
Fall foliage in Minneapolis / image: Lane Pelovsky courtesy of Meet Minneapolis

The 2023 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture is just a week away! In addition to organizing the PPN events, ASLA's Professional Practice Network (PPN) leadership teams also review the conference education program to highlight sessions relevant to their practice areas. With more than 120 sessions offering professional development hours (PDH), it is an extensive program to explore, and you can do so through the conference website and mobile app by track, speaker, and PDH type offered (LA CES/HSW, LA CES/non-HSW, FL, NY, AICP, GBCI, ISA, and more).

If you can’t make it to Minneapolis this year, a number of education sessions will be recorded and shared as Online Learning webinars so you can still learn about the latest in landscape architecture and earn PDH on-demand.

Below, we run through education highlights by PPN practice area:

See below for the education sessions related to each PPN practice area, or click the PPN name above to jump to that section.

St. John's University / image: St. John's University Archives

Campus Planning & Design

FRI-FS-01: The Modernist Campus of St. John’s University and Monastery SUN-A02: Rolling Back the Lawn: Reinvigorating Ecological and Social Function at Georgia Tech’s EcoCommons SUN-A03: Scorched Earth: A Model for Campus Resiliency In Rapidly Changing Climates SUN-C09: Repositioning Campus Landscapes: Can Engaging Native Nations Promote Social and Environmental Resilience? MON-FS-06: Layering Mobility, Resilience, Community, and Cultural Resources at the University of Minnesota

Children's Outdoor Environments

FRI-D05: Designing with Sensory Needs in Mind SAT-A06: Exploring Trauma-Informed Design at Parrott Creek SAT-C09: Family Friendly Cities: Crafting Great Urban Spaces for Kids, Teens, and Caregivers SUN-A06: Creating and Becoming a Certified Universally Designed Outdoor Space SUN-C10: Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities: How Green Schools Promote Wellness and Equity MON-DD-01: Try it Out: Empowering Communities through Social Science and Play

In addition to these education sessions, a number of Learning Labs, which will take place on the EXPO floor, also feature relevant topics, from accessible play environments to spray park design.

Rondo Neighborhood, St. Paul / image: TEN x TEN

Community Design

FRI-A03: Community as Design Consultant/Landscape Architect as Facilitator: Shifting the Design Relationship SAT-A09: Climate Change and the Racialized Landscape: Fighting the Impacts of Racist Policy SAT-C03: Cultivating Climate Justice: New Frameworks for Rural Resilience SAT-C07: Hyperlocalism: Finding the Story of Place SAT-C10: Equitable Transportation Design with Small Communities SUN-A04: Origin-Connection-Practice: Community Landscape Research in Rural and Urban Angola SUN-B10: Open Space Masterplan for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) MON-FS-01: Rooting in Place: Jackson Meadow’s Ecological, Cultural and Design Legacy MON-FS-02: Transforming a Brownfield Site: From Model T's to Model Community MON-A02: When Communities are Patrons of Design MON-B01: Unraveling Rural Myths: Strategies for Building Community and Investment in Rural Landscapes

Design-Build

FRI-B08: “Who owns that?” Filling Design Gaps Between Landscape Architects, Architects, and Engineers FRI-DD-02: Lighting the Way: the Past, Present, and Future of Outdoor Illumination FRI-D03: Decarbonizing Details: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Site Construction FRI-D01: Building Biodiversity and Stewardship with Our Native Meadows SAT-A05: Changing Perceptions: Garden Design in Light of Shifting Climates and Community Priorities SAT-C07: Hyperlocalism: Finding the Story of Place SUN-B05: A Green Obsession: Exploring the Transformative Power of Horticulture MON-B03: Floating Landscapes: Demystifying On-Structure Construction

Digital Technology

FRI-A06: Drone Technology and Landscape Architecture: Strategies for Integrated Workflows and Climate Action FRI-C02: Seeing Is Believing: Visualizing Risk to Envision New Solutions FRI-D08: Capturing the Landscape: Producing Authentic Photographic Narratives SAT-B06: Recent Progress in Big Data and Landscape Architecture: Applications through Crowd-Sourced Information SUN-A05: A Future of Computational Collaborators: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Landscape Architecture MON-B02: Test, Tweak, Repeat: Lessons on Prototyping, Mockups, and Fabrication

In addition to these education sessions, Sunday, October 29, is Tech Day on the EXPO floor.

Ecology & Restoration

FRI-A02: If This Stream Could Talk FRI-A04: Engineering with Nature in San Francisco: Collaboration and Process Across Disciplines and Scales FRI-A05: Future/Farm FRI-DD-01: Living Surfaces—How to Design Successful Green Roofs that Optimize Biodiversity FRI-B01: 30x30 and Green Infrastructure: Tools for Multi-Scale Conservation and Design FRI-B03: Cultivating Legacy: Transformative Engagement Strategies to Build a Park for All FRI-B07: Creating Urban Oasis for All: Biodiversity Restoration In Qianhai Water City FRI-C01: Grand Junction: Climate-Crisis Resiliency, Stormwater Management, Riparian Corridor Reparation, meets Social Overlay FRI-C04: Cultivating Complexity at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Horticultural Diversity and Ecological Stewardship SAT-A02: Designing and Implementing Floating Wetlands for Biodiversity and Human Connections to Nature SAT-A03: Living Shorelines in Coastal Cities: Where and How to Build Them SUN-A02: Rolling Back the Lawn: Reinvigorating Ecological and Social Function at Georgia Tech’s EcoCommons SUN-B02: Avoid Lost in Translation: Communicating Complex Ecological Concepts in Landscape Architecture SUN-C01: Bridging Urban Ecologies—Integrating Wildlife Crossings into Urban Parks SUN-C07: The Improbable Reinvention of a Marginalized Landscape: Shirley Chisholm State Park MON-FS-07: Mississippi River and Minnesota River Greenways and Trailheads from Floodplain to Blufftop MON-A01: Time for Action: Advancing Biodiversity through Policy and Practice
Father Hennepin Bluff Park at St. Anthony Falls / image: Lane Pelovsky, courtesy of Meet Minneapolis

Education & Practice

FRI-C06: From Practice to Professor: Navigating a Career Switch FRI-C07: Learning with the Land: A Case for Public Landscape Curricula FRI-C09: Reimagining Mentorship for a New Generation SAT-A07: In Consideration of Ground: From Research to Practice SAT-B04: Trickle-Up Research: Inquiry and Curiosity in Design Practice SAT-B06: Recent Progress in Big Data and Landscape Architecture: Applications through Crowd-Sourced Information SUN-A03: Scorched Earth: A Model for Campus Resiliency In Rapidly Changing Climates SUN-B02: Avoid Lost in Translation: Communicating Complex Ecological Concepts in Landscape Architecture SUN-C02: Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Academia: Through the Students’ Lens MON-B04: Hudson River Rising: Case Studies of Climate-Adaptive Design through Public-Private Collaboration

Environmental Justice

FRI-FS-05: The Twin Cities’ Contested Landscapes, Design Justice, and Community-owned Public Spaces – sold out! FRI-A03: Community as Design Consultant/Landscape Architect as Facilitator: Shifting the Design Relationship FRI-C05: Centering Community Voices in Equitable Design Solutions: Restorative Justice on Portland’s I-5 FRI-C07: Learning with the Land: A Case for Public Landscape Curricula FRI-D04: Bucking the Trend: Fighting Sameness in Landscape Architectural Aesthetics and Representation FRI-D10: Designing an Equitable and Inclusive Experience in the Balboa Cultural District SAT-A02: Designing and Implementing Floating Wetlands for Biodiversity and Human Connections to Nature SAT-A06: Exploring Trauma-Informed Design at Parrott Creek SAT-A09: Climate Change and the Racialized Landscape: Fighting the Impacts of Racist Policy SAT-A10: Reimagining the Master Plan: Equity, Engagement, and Environmental Justice in South Baltimore SAT-B03: Healing on the Inside: The Benefits of Nature Interactions within Carceral Environments SAT-B09: Human Tolls: Building a Public History of a Community Divided by I-35W SAT-DD-02: Remembering the Children: Rapid City Indian Boarding School Lands Project and Memorial SAT-C01: Inside the LA Studio—Kounkuey Design Initiative SAT-C03: Cultivating Climate Justice: New Frameworks for Rural Resilience SAT-C06: Making History: Participatory Design to Commemorate Park Histories in LA’s Salazar Park SAT-C07: Hyperlocalism: Finding the Story of Place SUN-B04: Reconciliation in Practice: Decolonizing Landscape Architecture SUN-C10: Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities: How Green Schools Promote Wellness and Equity MON-FS-03: The Falls Initiative: Connecting Process and Place

Healthcare & Therapeutic Design

FRI-FS-02: Art, Community, Healing: Innovative Public Spaces for a Destination Medical Center – sold out! FRI-D05: Designing with Sensory Needs in Mind SAT-B03: Healing on the Inside: The Benefits of Nature Interactions within Carceral Environments SUN-C06: Healing Landscapes: Toolkit for Truth-Driven Planning Decisions SUN-C10: Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities: How Green Schools Promote Wellness and Equity MON-A06: Longwood Outside—Urban Activation and Placemaking at a Medical District
Fort Snelling / image: TEN x TEN

Historic Preservation

FRI-A02: If This Stream Could Talk FRI-A08: What's Next for The Necklace?: Evolving Historic Parks for the 21st Century FRI-FS-07: Still Here: Honoring Sacred Indigenous Landscapes on the Mississippi River – sold out! FRI-FS-08: The Past, Present, and Future of the Minneapolis Grand Rounds – sold out! FRI-B09: Preservation vs. Resilience at the Tidal Basin: Do We Have to Choose? FRI-FS-11: Revitalizing Modernist Public Space through Public-Private Partnerships in Downtown Minneapolis – sold out! SAT-A04: A Path Forward: Identifying Accessibility Challenges and Solutions for Historic Landscapes SAT-A07: In Consideration of Ground: From Research to Practice SAT-B09: Human Tolls: Building a Public History of a Community Divided by I-35W SAT-DD-02: Remembering the Children: Rapid City Indian Boarding School Lands Project and Memorial SAT-C06: Making History: Participatory Design to Commemorate Park Histories in LA’s Salazar Park SAT-C07: Hyperlocalism: Finding the Story of Place SUN-B04: Reconciliation in Practice: Decolonizing Landscape Architecture SUN-C03: Gather Here: Reinvigorating Iconic Spaces for Celebration, Protest and Community in Boston SUN-C09: Repositioning Campus Landscapes: Can Engaging Native Nations Promote Social and Environmental Resilience? MON-FS-03: The Falls Initiative: Connecting Process and Place MON-FS-05: Liminal Landscapes: Celebrating Life, Death and the Everyday at Historic Lakewood Cemetery
Boom Island Park, Minneapolis / image: Lane Pelovsky, courtesy of Meet Minneapolis

International Practice

FRI-A03: Community as Design Consultant/Landscape Architect as Facilitator: Shifting the Design Relationship FRI-B07: Creating Urban Oasis for All: Biodiversity Restoration In Qianhai Water City SAT-A02: Designing and Implementing Floating Wetlands for Biodiversity and Human Connections to Nature SUN-A04: Origin-Connection-Practice: Community Landscape Research in Rural and Urban Angola SUN-B07: Find Your Voice: Asian Immigrants Explore the Journey to Design Leadership SUN-B09: Borderlands as Common Grounds: Multi-Scalar Design in the United States and Mexico SUN-C05: BIG PARKS, BIG IMPACTS: Raising the Stakes for Performative Landscapes
image: EPNAC

Landscape—Land Use Planning

FRI-A05: Future/Farm FRI-B03: Cultivating Legacy: Transformative Engagement Strategies to Build a Park for All FRI-C07: Learning with the Land: A Case for Public Landscape Curricula FRI-C08: Making the Most of Leftover Land SAT-A10: Reimagining the Master Plan: Equity, Engagement, and Environmental Justice in South Baltimore SAT-B05: Visualizing Louisiana’s Coastal Future: Climate Communications and the 2023 Coastal Master Plan SAT-C08: How Green Infrastructure Captured the Heart of Lexington: Town Branch Commons SUN-A09: Democracy is Messy, and Getting Messier.... SUN-B09: Borderlands as Common Grounds: Multi-Scalar Design in the United States and Mexico SUN-C06: Healing Landscapes: Toolkit for Truth-Driven Planning Decisions MON-A02: When Communities are Patrons of Design MON-A03: Soft Retreat: Balancing Risk, Recreation, and Resilience on the Island of Nantucket MON-DD-01: Try it Out: Empowering Communities through Social Science and Play MON-B01: Unraveling Rural Myths: Strategies for Building Community and Investment in Rural Landscapes MON-B05: The Future of Downtown Indianapolis: Designing for Inclusive Economic Growth After COVID-19
Gold Medal Park, Minneapolis / image: Lane Pelovsky, courtesy of Meet Minneapolis

Parks & Recreation

FRI-A08: What's Next for The Necklace?: Evolving Historic Parks for the 21st Century FRI-FS-08: The Past, Present, and Future of the Minneapolis Grand Rounds – sold out! FRI-B03: Cultivating Legacy: Transformative Engagement Strategies to Build a Park for All FRI-B05: Riverside Park Detroit: Transforming Park, Transforming Lives FRI-B10: From Gray to Gold: Achieving SITES Certification at Gilead Park FRI-C04: Cultivating Complexity at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Horticultural Diversity and Ecological Stewardship FRI-D07: Below the Surface: Strategies for Designing Big Parks on Complex Structures SAT-A08: The After Party: Landscape Architect’s Role in Establishing, Curating, and Maintaining Landscapes SAT-B07: Sublime and Simple Detailing: Sustainable Materials for Low-Maintenance Environments SAT-C04: Tactical Recreation—Activating Urban Spaces through Recreation SAT-C06: Making History: Participatory Design to Commemorate Park Histories in LA’s Salazar Park SUN-A07: Magic Johnson Park: Healing Land, Water, and Community SUN-A09: Democracy is Messy, and Getting Messier.... SUN-A10: Connecting the Dots: Leveraging Infrastructure Funding for Public Improvements SUN-B06: Design, Construction, Occupancy, Repeat: the High Line’s Fifteen Years of Development SUN-DD-01: The Possibility Government Collaborative: Uniting Public Realm Practitioners! – sold out! SUN-C01: Bridging Urban Ecologies—Integrating Wildlife Crossings into Urban Parks SUN-C05: BIG PARKS, BIG IMPACTS: Raising the Stakes for Performative Landscapes SUN-C07: The Improbable Reinvention of a Marginalized Landscape: Shirley Chisholm State Park MON-FS-07: Mississippi River and Minnesota River Greenways and Trailheads from Floodplain to Blufftop

Planting Design

FRI-A01: Bringing Nature Home: Designing Ornamental Gardens to Enhance and Restore Biodiversity FRI-DD-01: Living Surfaces—How to Design Successful Green Roofs that Optimize Biodiversity FRI-B06: Taking a Critical Lens to Urban Planting: Explore Design Challenges and Strategies FRI-B08: “Who owns that?” Filling Design Gaps Between Landscape Architects, Architects, and Engineers FRI-C04: Cultivating Complexity at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Horticultural Diversity and Ecological Stewardship FRI-D01: Building Biodiversity and Stewardship with Our Native Meadows SAT-A07: In Consideration of Ground: From Research to Practice SAT-A08: The After Party: Landscape Architect’s Role in Establishing, Curating, and Maintaining Landscapes SUN-B05: A Green Obsession: Exploring the Transformative Power of Horticulture SUN-DD-02: Water or Waste? Adaptive Approaches to Water Resources Management MON-A04: Media for Growing Trees Under Pavement: Research and Practice

Residential Landscape Architecture

FRI-A01: Bringing Nature Home: Designing Ornamental Gardens to Enhance and Restore Biodiversity FRI-C03: Behind the Curtain: Storytelling and Design Process of Residential Landscapes FRI-D09: Focusing on Your Why: Optimizing Your Firm's Success and Legacy SAT-A05: Changing Perceptions: Garden Design in Light of Shifting Climates and Community Priorities SAT-B02: The Overlooked Role of Residential Landscapes in Addressing the Biodiversity Loss Crisis SUN-C08: Small(er) Firm Diversity, Evolution, Growth, and Longevity in a Megafirm Market MON-FS-01: Rooting in Place: Jackson Meadow’s Ecological, Cultural and Design Legacy
Green stormwater / image: University of Minnesota

Sustainable Design & Development

FRI-A04: Engineering with Nature in San Francisco: Collaboration and Process Across Disciplines and Scales FRI-DD-01: Living Surfaces—How to Design Successful Green Roofs that Optimize Biodiversity – SITES-specific CE FRI-B01: 30x30 and Green Infrastructure: Tools for Multi-Scale Conservation and Design FRI-B04: Landscape Strategies for Water Independence FRI-B10: From Gray to Gold: Achieving SITES Certification at Gilead Park – SITES-specific CE FRI-C01: Grand Junction: Climate-Crisis Resiliency, Stormwater Management, Riparian Corridor Reparation, meets Social Overlay FRI-D03: Decarbonizing Details: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Site Construction SAT-A03: Living Shorelines in Coastal Cities: Where and How to Build Them SAT-B05: Visualizing Louisiana’s Coastal Future: Climate Communications and the 2023 Coastal Master Plan SAT-B07: Sublime and Simple Detailing: Sustainable Materials for Low-Maintenance Environments – SITES-specific CE SAT-C02: How Do We Know What's Working? Getting Real with Landscape Metrics SUN-B03: Realizing Climate Action Ambitions: Pathways to Decarbonization SUN-C05: BIG PARKS, BIG IMPACTS: Raising the Stakes for Performative Landscapes MON-A01: Time for Action: Advancing Biodiversity through Policy and Practice – SITES-specific CE MON-B04: Hudson River Rising: Case Studies of Climate-Adaptive Design through Public-Private Collaboration

See the conference website or mobile app for all sessions offering SITES-specific credit.

Stone Arch Bridge / image: Toole Design Group

Transportation

FRI-FS-04: Tour de Minneapolis Bike Infrastructure – sold out! FRI-FS-08: The Past, Present, and Future of the Minneapolis Grand Rounds – sold out! FRI-C08: Making the Most of Leftover Land SAT-A01: Inside the LA Studio—MnDOT SAT-B09: Human Tolls: Building a Public History of a Community Divided by I-35W SAT-B10: Designing a Lower Salt Future SAT-C08: How Green Infrastructure Captured the Heart of Lexington: Town Branch Commons SAT-C10: Equitable Transportation Design with Small Communities SUN-A10: Connecting the Dots: Leveraging Infrastructure Funding for Public Improvements SUN-DD-01: The Possibility Government Collaborative: Uniting Public Realm Practitioners! – sold out!
Riverfront, Minneapolis, MN / image: Lane Pelovsky, courtesy of Meet Minneapolis

Urban Design

FRI-B05: Riverside Park Detroit: Transforming Park, Transforming Lives FRI-B06: Taking a Critical Lens to Urban Planting: Explore Design Challenges and Strategies FRI-C05: Centering Community Voices in Equitable Design Solutions: Restorative Justice on Portland’s I-5 FRI-C08: Making the Most of Leftover Land FRI-D06: Civic Design for the Next Generation: DC Water Headquarters on the Capital Riverfront FRI-D10: Designing an Equitable and Inclusive Experience in the Balboa Cultural District SAT-A03: Living Shorelines in Coastal Cities: Where and How to Build Them SAT-A09: Climate Change and the Racialized Landscape: Fighting the Impacts of Racist Policy SAT-A10: Reimagining the Master Plan: Equity, Engagement, and Environmental Justice in South Baltimore SAT-C04: Tactical Recreation—Activating Urban Spaces through Recreation SAT-C08: How Green Infrastructure Captured the Heart of Lexington: Town Branch Commons SAT-C09: Family Friendly Cities: Crafting Great Urban Spaces for Kids, Teens, and Caregivers SUN-B10: Open Space Masterplan for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) SUN-C03: Gather Here: Reinvigorating Iconic Spaces for Celebration, Protest and Community in Boston MON-A06: Longwood Outside—Urban Activation and Placemaking at a Medical District MON-B05: The Future of Downtown Indianapolis: Designing for Inclusive Economic Growth After COVID-19

Water Conservation

FRI-B04: Landscape Strategies for Water Independence FRI-D06: Civic Design for the Next Generation: DC Water Headquarters on the Capital Riverfront SUN-A03: Scorched Earth: A Model for Campus Resiliency In Rapidly Changing Climates SUN-A07: Magic Johnson Park: Healing Land, Water, and Community SUN-DD-02: Water or Waste? Adaptive Approaches to Water Resources Management
WxLA-MN Members at their Annual Party. Don't miss the Women in Landscape Architecture Walk, led by WxLA-MN, on Monday, October 30, before you dive back into education sessions for the day! / image: Laura Kamin-Lyndgaard, ASLA

Women in Landscape Architecture

FRI-A07: Preparing for Successful Leadership Transition: How to Navigate the Two-Way Street FRI-B02: Facing Imposter Syndrome: Providing Mental Health Tools for Practitioners, Students, and Firms FRI-C09: Reimagining Mentorship for a New Generation FRI-D02: Creating Culture: Studio Perspectives FRI-D09: Focusing on Your Why: Optimizing Your Firm's Success and Legacy SAT-B01: Inside the LA Studio—Coen+Partners SAT-B04: Trickle-Up Research: Inquiry and Curiosity in Design Practice SAT-C01: Inside the LA Studio—Kounkuey Design Initiative SAT-C05: Lead, Follow, Adapt? Exploring Different Approaches to Changing Firm Culture SAT-C09: Family Friendly Cities: Crafting Great Urban Spaces for Kids, Teens, and Caregivers SUN-A08: “What Revolution Do You Want To Lead?” And Other Essential Startup Questions SUN-B07: Find Your Voice: Asian Immigrants Explore the Journey to Design Leadership SUN-B08: Alternative Business Ownership Models SUN-C03: Gather Here: Reinvigorating Iconic Spaces for Celebration, Protest and Community in Boston SUN-C04: Pregnancy, Parenting, and Practice—Let's Talk About It SUN-C08: Small(er) Firm Diversity, Evolution, Growth, and Longevity in a Megafirm Market MON-A05: Developing Leadership, Advocacy, and Resiliency Among Emerging Professionals

Don't forget to secure your field session and deep dive tickets—several of these have sold out already! And, this post just covers the conference's education sessions. See the full schedule for EXPO events, PPN meetings, and all the other special events coming up very soon in Minneapolis.

Here's a few more tips for a great conference experience:

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