.webp?language=en-US)
Throughout August I’ve traveled across the Midwest from Chicago to Toledo to Indianapolis in the lead up to ASLA’s Conference on Landscape Architecture in Minneapolis Oct 27-30–it’s less than two months away!
Be sure to register before the Advanced Rate expires on Tuesday, September 12th!
I had the honor of joining Sarah White, Chapter President and Susan Ragaishis, Executive Director of the Illinois Chapter for the awards program that celebrated a wide range of excellent projects. It was a beautiful evening and it was a lot of fun spending time with a very engaged and mutually committed group of chapter members.
Speaking of awards, the Illinois chapter event was held on the rooftop of the Old Chicago Post Office designed by the firm Hoerr Schaudt which just won a 2023 Professional Award General Design Honor Award for their design of The Meadow. Congratulations!!
And since Chicago is not far from Minneapolis I hope to see a big turn out for the conference–and as many folks pointed out–it’s an easy trip by train!
And while Minneapolis is known for its robust park system, Toledo has also answered the call from its community and the result is Glass City Metropark. I joined Cheryl Zuellig, Michael Johnson and Michelle Johnson of SmithGroup the firm that led that project, as they hosted park staff from the region to discuss new ways parks are helping address the climate crisis. I presented ASLA’s Climate Action Plan and then folks broke into small groups to discuss how future park plans can draw down more carbon and support biodiversity.
Dave Zenk, Executive Director of the Metroparks of Toledo talked about how each iteration of Glass City Metropark has activated a diverse range of park goers. In an area that was a coal-fired power plant for nearly a century, the project has remediated and reclaimed 70 acres for community use. From kayak launches to concert venues and a sledding hill there are a wide array of activities.
Rounding out my Midwest tour, I joined the Indiana chapter for their awards program and I moderated a panel discussion on Women in Landscape Architecture with SuLin Kotowicz, FASLA, ASLA President Elect of VIRIDIS Design Group, Meg Storrow, FASLA of Storrow Kinsella Associates, April Westcott, FASLA, ASLA VP Elect of Membership of Ball State University and Ali Khan, student at Ball State University. It was an engaging conversation between leaders at different points in their careers. We talked about the pressure of balancing work and family and how that manifests across gender.
In September I’m heading to Oklahoma for their chapter gathering and then to Nairobi, Kenya for the IFLA Conference.
Hope to see you all in Minneapolis!
Torey Carter-Conneen, CEO ASLA