ASLA and the Economy: The saga continues….

[John.Dallinga]

Since letting my ASLA membership lapse about a year ago upon being laid off (and therefore not being willing to part with the fee for an associate member), I have not followed ASLA’s response (or lack there-of) to the economy via the Dirt blog or the magazine if I find it on a newstand. Some here on the lounge have voiced discontent with the level of sympathy conveyed by our professional organizaton thus far. However, upon paging through the June issue of LAM I’m pleased to report that that may be changing.

 

http://www.asla.org/land/LandArticle.aspx?id=27120

 

I can only hope that the heir to the Editor-in-Chief position shares the same sentiment and concern that we all have for where our profession is headed and how we might take better strides to show our value and reclaim our place at the table. 

[nca]

After reading that, all I can say is…about freaking time.

I’ll let others comment before I divulge my own opinions.

[Jonathan P. Williams, RLA]

That is just a start. There is a long road ahead of the profession. I think changes are happening all over the profession and hope that with a new editor our leading organization will give us some good articles on what those changes are and what they mean.

[Noah Mabry]

Michele I think your point here is dead on. I read/hear/see a lot of news segments about green and sustainable design and construction. The guests on these shows and segments are almost always architects, sometimes scientists or engineers, but NEVER LAs. It really annoys me that when the opportunity to represent the proffession on issues that fall directly into our wheelhouse present themselves we have abducated the role to other fields which aren’t primarily focused on landscape or the environment the way we are. Regardless of the recession affecting LA offices ability to hire, our PR department has done little as far as I can see to make the proffession visible to the public. It wouldn’t kill us to have a little more demand for our services no matter what dismal state the overall economy is in.

[alland]

I am trying in my corner…..http://www.examiner.com/x-53639-New-Brunswick-Gardening-Examiner~y2010m6d17-Its-2010-What-does-green-mean

lets all try in ours, evey little bit…

[nca]

I agree Noah.

It’s not tha I want ASLA to make work for us, but I think the purpose of the organization, or one of, is to promote our service to the community at large. I remember watching the show narrated by Brad Pitt on PBS (e-squared design). Every episode I caught I found myself waiting in vain for them to interview/include a landscape architect to no avail, and they were focused on ‘green’ design.

I don’t see this as a ‘nanny-state’ situation, it’s a professional organization doing what it’s supposed to.

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

I think that we need to be honest with ourselves a bit, too. There is a lot more that an architect can do to affect energy consumption and material uses than very many of us can. A green roof still requires a building and let’s face it, bioswales and rain gardens do not make great repetitive articles or eye candy on a magazinepage. Of course a majority of articles are on architecture projects and the technical research and practices that go into such projects.

It is not that we don’t make a difference. It isthat most of it has become standard procedure and is not an interesting read or photo shoot to a wider audience.

An article on a green roof for instance, is a lot more exciting if it is on a funky building with lots of other bells and whistles as well as other “green” things going on throughout the project. If they did a segment on an LA’s green roof it would pretty much begin and end with the green roof.

[nca]

Aside from that how about some of the neighborhood, city, and regional planning being done from the perspective of landscape? What about the socio-economic, and environmental aspects of public spacemaking in he 21st century? The Lurie Garden at Millenium Park in Chicago and the Highline come to mind.

Let’s not sell ourselves short.

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

… and those are interesting and are well written about, aren’t they?

[Noah Mabry]

I’m not saying I expect the ASLA to really do anything to alter the overall economic situation or be the sole driver in publisizing the proffession, or that we have a greater (or lesser) role to play than other fields. All I’m really getting at is that when I see a story on the environmental/ecological impacts of any design, I assume I’m not going to get the perspective of an LA. I’m almost always right and I just tend to think that’s unfortunate.

And as a funny little aside Nick, a little while ago Brad Pitt was on the Ellen Degeneres show. The topic of what he would have wanted to do had he not been an actor came up. His reply was along the lines of “I want to be an architect or engineer, but with plants.” How much better would it have been for him to say Landscape Architect outright?!

Just a thought on how some PR could help!

[nca]

That’s hilarious Noah. I never heard that.

In my mind that is a perfect example of what we’re driving at with regard to the shortcomings of our professional organization to, well…organize.

It’s now coming out as I’m interpreting that ASLA has been doing som internal reshaping, which is all fine and good, but I hope future actions are more in line with the will of the community as a whole in terms of creating outlets for the profession instead of all the internal glad handing that get’s us nowhere.

[Anonymous]

I let my AIA Associate membership lapse until my local chapter sent me a form to apply for a fee waiver – which was granted! Maybe ASLA has the same?

[Rick Spalenka]

ASLA at least has the option of paying the dues through monthly bank account deductions. A little less painful. ASLAs annual convention site says they expect over 6,000 LAs attending. Any comments?

[Jon Quackenbush]

“An architect or engineer, but with plants…”

What a maroon.

[alland]

I was at the Philadelphia show 08 or 09, (cant recall) and arrived in the am for an LARE review. I was surprised how few people were there in the morning, I guess many groups go out on their excursions on the first day. When I left in the afternoon, I saw quite a few registering onsite. Like many conventions, you are all pretty much excluded into the classes you registered for during the day, giving you the only chance to ‘network’ at the organized get togethers, which I believe may cost extra to attend. This and last year may differ because of the downturn.

I was however, VERY dissapointed that the exhibitors display was not open when I was there. Most of the reason I was able to attend was it was close to home, and that is alot of cash to spend for no exhibitors on the first day. They were still setting up, and it was as quiet a graveyard.

Anyway, that was my first experience.

[Author]

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