In the 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, the City of New Orleans has embraced a paradigm shift in how to view water as an asset, make better public spaces, and support economic and civic reinvestment. This dialogue examines the designer’s role in this conversation in conjunction with larger public participation.

From rebuilding post-Katrina New Orleans to guiding the largest infrastructure investment in a generation, Mitch Landrieu knows what it takes to lead through crisis and transformation. In this powerful keynote, Landrieu challenges landscape architects to step into a bigger, more public role—at the center of shaping more equitable and climate-ready communities.

Have you ever had an ADA violation at construction even though you know you designed it right? Our presentation goes beyond design to discuss why and how things go awry during construction. The slideshow will provide field examples from ADA consultants with over 1,000 ADA plan reviews and inspections completed.

Vertical concrete in the landscape can be achieved in many ways; shotcrete provides greater flexibility, a smaller carbon footprint, and a faster completed scope. Here you’ll learn the fundamentals of shotcrete, key components to specifying it, and how to advocate for it, and you’ll see its carbon savings with built work.

Emerging professionals seek firms that prioritize transparency and opportunities for growth, while firms seek a creative, diverse body of employees that push the boundaries of design. We will explore innovative tools and strategies that foster collaboration, flexibility, and diversity and ensure long-term success.

Three multidisciplinary designers explore the representation of planting beyond the plan. Fueled by advancements in visualization, alternative planting design modes can positively impact the evolution of planted systems. Using case studies with diverse clients, scales, and sites, attendees will gain an understanding of innovative ways of communicating planting design.

Effective management of a materials library requires intention, organization, and a thorough understanding of user needs. In this session, discover how digital tools and research-backed strategies can be used to establish, streamline, and enhance your firm’s materials library and commitment to innovative and sustainable material practices.

Resilience hubs are community-serving facilities tailored to strengthen daily relationships between neighbors and capacity to recover after emergencies. Hubs can also catalyze city-wide resilience and sustainability. This panel will share lessons learned designing a wide variety of resilience hubs with community-based organizations in the U.S., including Puerto Rico.

While biodiversity is a goal for many landscape architects, few projects use science to document the impacts of designed landscapes on ecosystems or species. Featuring case studies from various countries and regions, this session will present diverse approaches to understanding how landscape interactions influence the biodiversity of sites and communities, aligned with the SITES v2 framework.

Delve into the residential design process from three distinct perspectives. Each designer’s bespoke solution focuses on functionality and aesthetic harmony, but their approaches to achieving the final result vary. By listening to each process, you can identify which aspects resonate with you and might be applicable to your own projects.