Blog
Residential Design Trends 2026: Take the Industry Survey
Residential Design Trends 2026: Your Feedback Counts! From native planting and sustainable materials to outdoor kitchens, AI-assisted workflows, and climate-resilient landscapes, the practice of residential landscape architecture is always in flux. Landscape designers know what’s coming next. Your experience drafting site plans, selecting materials, and talking to clients can show current challenges and future opportunities in the industry. Take our short Residential Design Trends survey and help us create a snapshot of residential landscape design today. Loading…
AI in Landscape Architecture
How the Profession is Navigating the Robot Revolution Artificial intelligence (AI) has officially entered the landscape architecture studio. As a rendering tool, a writing and research assistant, and a spreadsheet wizard, it’s quickly becoming part of everyday practice. Like most technological shifts in design, reactions are mixed. For many landscape architects, AI offers real benefits. The question is how it’s implemented. The Practical Benefits of AI in Landscape Architecture Tasks that once consumed hours — drafting outlines, organizing specifications, generating concept imagery, formatting proposals, or assembling preliminary planting studies — can happen in minutes. For small firms, especially, that efficiency matters. Some practitioners are experimenting with AI to help analyze tree ...Read More
The Recreation Boom Is Real; the Missing Piece Is Getting Around Without a Car
Rural towns are making a strategic pivot: build an outdoor recreation economy that can steady local livelihoods when extractive industries swing from boom to bust. In Utah, places like Vernal and Richfield are investing in new experiences—mountain bike and off-highway vehicle networks, events, and destination anchors like the Ashley Gorge Via Ferrata—to bring visitors in and keep dollars circulating closer to home. The national context is just as striking: outdoor recreation contributed $1.3 trillion to U.S. GDP in 2024 and supported 5.2 million jobs. But economically healthy communities need more than recreation. People want to move around safely and efficiently once they arrive. The outdoor economy is about destinations—and active transportation. Rather than encouraging a car-centric app...Read More
Reflecting Pool Protests
What changes on the National Mall say about preservation vs renovation The Reflecting Pool “is one of the most iconic structures in the United States, and is an integral part of ‘one of the important axes in the nation, one that aligns several key national symbols including the U.S. Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial,‘” according to a complaint filed by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF). TCLF has sued the U.S. Department of the Interior, claiming the current application of blue paint to the basin of the Reflecting Pool is being done in violation of federal law. The Reflecting Pool holds profound historic significance, serving as the staging area for marches on Washington, the Pentagon, and many inaugurations. Today, t...Read More
How to Hack the ASLA 2026 Education Schedule for Real-World ROI
Let’s be honest: At a conference as big as ASLA, the “analysis paralysis” is real. Between the field sessions, the EXPO floor, and a massive list of education sessions, it’s easy to end up with a schedule that looks more like a random collection of cool topics than a strategic plan for your career. But if you want to turn your time in Los Angeles this September into a practice upgrade you can use on Monday, you have to go in with a “Monday morning” mindset. Whether you’re an early-career landscape architect, a seasoned firm owner, or an allied pro (looking at you, architects, arborists, and contractors), here is how to hack the conference’s education sessions to get the most value for your specific vibe. 1) The “Early-Career Accelerator” Track If you’re ...Read More
Meet the Winners of the 2025 Land8 Social Media Awards
The results are in. LAND8, in partnership with the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), is proud to announce the winners of the 8th Annual Social Media Awards in Landscape Architecture—recognizing the individuals and firms using social media to expand the reach and impact of the profession. From tackling climate challenges and elevating social justice conversations to sharing practical knowledge and experimenting with new forms of storytelling, this year’s external jury chose winners who exemplified social media with purpose—not just to showcase work, but to shape how landscape architecture is understood. Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Land8 Social Media Awards Allied Partners The Landscape Architecture Bash (LABash): Instagram | Website | LinkedIn An annual landsca...Read More
Why Landscape Architects Should Champion Nature Play in Design
By Leah Romero with Dr. Suzanne Quinn Across parks, schools, and neighborhoods, communities are asking for outdoor spaces that do more than satisfy a minimum standard. They want places that enrich daily life, support well-being, and reflect sustainable values. More and more municipalities are now requesting or even requiring that every new playground or park include elements of nature play, reflecting a growing recognition of its benefits for children and communities. But what is nature play? While it does not yet have an official definition, at KOMPAN, we think of it as an approach to play space design that merges best practices and standards from traditional play environments with the psychological and developmental benefits of immersion in the natural world. For landscape architects, th...Read More
Eight Reasons Why LABash 2026 Left Us Buzzing
LABash 2026 recently convened at The Ohio State University (TOSU). This year’s theme, “Cross-Pollinate,” reflected what materialized in real life—landscape architects exchanging ideas, listening as much as they talked, and experiencing the city of Columbus and The Ohio State University as living classrooms for their craft. Here are 8 highlights from the event: 1. Celebrating creativity: 1,000 Trees Gallery + The Ramp Up Awards Leading up to the conference, event organizers invited participants, students, artists, and other landscape architecture enthusiasts to build a “forest unlike any other.” The 1,000 Trees Gallery consisted of crafted model trees, each made by a different artist, which all came together as a shared installation. The exhibit reminded us that our field is built from ind...Read More
Aluminum Landscape Edging and Restraints
There are many choices when it comes to landscape edging, including wood, steel, concrete, and plastic how¬ever aluminum outperforms them all. Aluminum has a high strength-to-weight ratio. It is lightweight, very strong, and 100% recyclable. Permaloc manufactures edging and restraints utilizing non-corrosive 6063 aluminum that is a grade higher than that which is used in marine applications. The lightweight characteristics of aluminum make it a contractor’s choice as it can be cut and formed in the field, transported, and installed by one person, thereby saving labor costs that would otherwise be passed on to the end user. As a Landscape architect, design is key. Aluminum just looks better as an architectural accent and will last the test of time.
Spring Forward: Four Must-Attend Events to Fuel Your Landscape Architecture Career
The transition from studio culture to professional practice is one of the most exhilarating—and occasionally overwhelming—chapters of a landscape architect’s career. As an emerging professional, you’re learning how to detail a bioswale or navigate an RFP—while developing your vision as a design professional. This spring, the calendar is blooming with opportunities to help you bridge that gap. Whether you are looking to ground your practice in historical precedent, master the “soft skills” of the office, or dive into the research shaping our future, these upcoming events are the perfect fuel for your professional fire. Below is your guide to some standout gatherings to help you grow your skills, expand your network, and connect your work to larger conversations in the field. CEL...Read More
8 Reasons to Attend LABash 2026
The LABash Conference, a landscape architecture conference led by students, for students, is being held March 11-13, 2026 at The Ohio State University. Here are eight reason on why you should attend! 1. 1000 Trees Gallery – Nick Antonelli LABash invites you to experience a forest unlike any other you’ve seen before. Come to the LABash’s gallery space to see your tree standing among 1,000 others, each one a unique 96expression shaped by hands from across the continent. Guided by this year’s theme of cross-pollination, the installation brings together crafted model trees to form a whimsical, expressive, and evocative landscape that grows through shared creativity. These trees are much more than a collection of found material, they are subjective symbols of place, memory, and landscape....Read More
Beyond the Ramp: Designing for the Whole Play Space
By Jill Moore, inclusive play specialist, Landscape Structures Inc. When I roll into a new park, one of the first things I notice is whether inclusion ends at the ramp or if it extends to the entire space. Too often, I see beautiful playstructures that “meet the code,” but don’t truly invite everyone to participate. As a wheelchair user, going to the playground as a child frequently meant I was relegated to the sidelines. Now, as an inclusive play specialist and an advocate within the space, I get to see firsthand the impact of creating playgrounds that go beyond minimum requirements. The law sets the floor. As designers, planners, and advocates, we can reach for the ceiling. That perspective isn’t new at Landscape Structures. Back in 1993, our Cofounder Steve King, was appointed to the Fe...Read More