As society rethinks labor, value, equity, and purpose, this session brings together emerging professionals and industry leaders together to explore change, build empathy, redefine success, and co-create a resilient, relevant, and human-centered future for landscape architecture rooted in shared accountability and collective imagination.

ASLA Climate and Biodiversity Action Committee leaders share lessons they've learned as they get to work on LA 2040 targets within their own organizations. From implementing change and building literacy to finding alignment and gaining momentum, discover how to prioritize, overcome roadblocks, and expand strategic action beyond the "sustainability club."

Over the past four years, the presenters have conducted ongoing research and development into AI. The 2025-2026 period has seen remarkable advancements in tools, agents, and challenges surrounding AI. This session reviews the impact of AI on firm policy, implementation roadmaps, chatbots, generative tools, and specific applied methods for design, production, management, and operations.

To meet the complexities of biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental justice, we must ask whose voices are not being heard. Often those unheard voices are our animal relatives. This session explores diverse and collaborative processes and actionable strategies to enhance biodiversity and support wildlife equity in planning and design.

The ASLA 2026 Conference on Landscape Architecture shifts into high gear for a General Session designed to move the profession from intention to action. Wall Street Journal bestselling author and strategic storytelling expert Kindra Hall was our 2026 keynote speaker, marking her first appearance on the ASLA stage.

Women are launching landscape architecture firms at growing rates, yet the realities of ownership remain largely unspoken. This candid panel brings together three founders to share hard-earned lessons on capital, credibility, leadership, and balance—offering honest insights, practical strategies, and encouragement for emerging and mid-career professionals pursuing firm ownership.

Becoming a firm owner brings additional opportunity and compensation, yet in many firms the role is largely undefined. Without new responsibilities or clear expectations, new firm owners may continue in their previous roles, lacking authentic transition to firm leadership. Attendees will leave this session understanding strategies for meaningful leadership transition.

Climate action planning looks different in a five-person studio than in a global practice—and that matters. This session brings together firms and organizations of varying sizes to explore how scale, capacity, and culture shape climate action plans, offering practical insights attendees can adapt to their own practice realities.

Landscape architects seek lasting, resilient landscapes, yet gaps between design intent and implementation often lead to preventable tree failure. Learn from standards authors and practitioners how the ANSI A300 Tree Care Standards strengthen specification writing, improve constructability, and enhance long-term tree performance.

Landscape architects and architects collaborate on nearly every major project, yet misaligned expectations often limit outcomes. This session explores how clearer understanding of landscape’s strengths—working from the “deep section” upward—can improve collaboration. Through real projects, presenters share practical strategies to reset expectations, strengthen communication, and create inclusive, resilient public environments.