Cover Story

Thriving in the work of landscape architecture requires maintaining inspiration, often as much as growing your knowledge and experience. To stay fresh, the right book can be your greatest ally.  In 2013, Land8 created a list of the “Top 10 Books for Landscape Architects”. We still value these texts (and may even have selected a few for re-inclusion on this list), but today our profession has grown increasingly dynamic, interdisciplinary, and deeply tied to the urgent needs of our planet. We need new guides to this expanded field.  Everyone loves their favorite landscape architect’s latest studio monograph, but we’re not playing favorites. You know if your fav studio has a new book out. Instead, we’ve chosen a spread of works in different topics within the profession to feed your practice a...Read More

Native plant grower, Southern California / image: image: Tree of Life Nursery, San Juan Capistrano, CA Today, landscape architects and designers have access to an unprecedented variety of plant species and hardscape materials. Thanks to modern advances in distribution, cutting-edge greenhouse technologies, streamlined inventory systems, and online resources our choices have expanded dramatically, no matter where we practice. However, this abundance can lead to decision fatigue, or conversely, complacency—repeatedly specifying a limited selection of exotic plants or standard materials simply out of habit and reconfiguring them for each site. Corporate or institutional clients and homeowners face similar challenges, turning to landscape architects for guidance not only for achieving aestheti...Read More

As the morning sun crested the Washington Monument on Saturday, October 5, 2025, a group of landscape architecture professionals, fanatics, visionaries, creatives, and diehards descended upon Washington, DC. Not only was this my first time in DC, it was my first time attending ASLA’s national conference, and I was especially excited to ride the Metro and visit the US Botanic Garden. Surrounded by iconic American landscapes, the 2024 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture kicked off with the theme of ‘Insight’. Weather permitted, lanyards jostled, and networking commenced for an unforgettable week. Paying homage to famous landscapes and paying attention to the leaders at the cutting edge of this profession left feet sore and sleep sparse. In the shadow of the nation’s capital, insi...Read More

In the bustling urban jungle of New York City, a proposal is brewing – a vision that transcends the concrete and steel we adore and is known for, ushering in a new era of green innovation. In a city renowned for this architectonic skyline, our focus now shifts to the sprawling green carpets and the public golf courses that dot the landscape. This isn’t just about redesigning the city; it’s about redefining its soul. A Concrete Jungle with Hidden Green Treasures New York City, often celebrated for the gritty urban landscape where dreams are made, finds itself at a crossroads. A city known for its towering skyscrapers and iconic landmarks is now presented with an audacious idea – a paradigm shift in how it views and utilizes its 13 publicly owned golf courses. This provocative tr...Read More

Green fissure / image: LAUD – Lucila Silva-Santisteban In the fabric of our language, words have different shades of meaning. Each word carries a special sense, reflecting its depth and complexity. However, one word, ‘environment,’ has kind of lost its original meaning, especially when we talk about landscape architecture. People often use it carelessly, and this has watered down its real significance, overshadowing the nuanced understanding that landscape architects want to convey. At its core, ‘environment’ is not just the background or a general term for our surroundings. It’s a concept that includes the complex relationship between living things and the world around them, stressing how nature and human intervention work together. However, in today’s talk, ‘environment’ has become a cat...Read More

Our cities are at a pivotal moment. Climate change, geopolitical unrest, economic volatility, artificial intelligence, and rapid technological advancements are reshaping how we live. The pandemic has intensified these changes, prompting a fundamental rethink of our urban environments. How can we create cities that promote social well-being, ecological balance, and human connection? Social sustainability—emphasizing resilience, play, and health—offers a promising framework. Play as Resilience Play is far from frivolous; it’s a cornerstone of human resilience. Cities need spaces that encourage laughter, exploration, and joy. Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens exemplifies this with its blend of roller coasters, heritage trees, and vibrant green spaces. This kind of playful urbanism can transfo...Read More

Alleyways are misunderstood. Upon hearing the term, most people are quick to think dirty, dangerous, or dark. While all of these reactions are valid, they undersell the magnificence of alleyways. Defined as “a narrow passage behind or between buildings,” the designation of an ‘alleyway’ can be ambiguous. For our purposes, we will define an alleyway as a narrow passage bisecting a city block, typically accommodating back of house functions like trash collection, utility routing, and delivery services. At one point in time, the idea of housing utilities at the back of the house was radical. In Chicago, public sentiment regarding alleyways eventually shifted to a sense of pride. Serving as neighborhood capillaries, they provide physical and social connections for Chicagoans. Simply, alleyways...Read More

“The earth has music for those who listen.” — William Shakespeare In our fast-paced, urbanized world, where the constant hum of city life often drowns out the subtle symphony of nature, finding ways to integrate human and natural environments is increasingly crucial. Businesses are catching on – ForestLive.com, SoundsRight.earth, WeBelongHere.world, and suggest an untapped niche for the field of Landscape Architecture. Soundscape Ecology stands tall in the pursuit of radical synergy between human-made and nature-grown environments, incorporating music and acoustic design principles into landscape architecture. This innovative practice promises to enhance urban spaces, improve human well-being, and support ecological health by mitigating an increasing divide between human activities a...Read More