In 2022, the ASLA Board of Trustees approved six public policies that were updated and proposed by the Policy Committee – Community & Stakeholder Engagement, Environmental Justice, Housing, Human Health & Welfare, Transportation, and Universal Design. These documents are available for all members to use in advancing each chapter’s policy priorities. All 43 ASLA public policies are available here.

When a chapter wishes to pursue an advocacy campaign or engage with policy makers, ASLA public policies are an important resource to guide message development. Whether writing an op-ed for the local newspaper, meeting with an elected representative and staff, or speaking in a public setting, these policies state what ASLA believes and supports, offers a justification for why landscape architects are invested in the issue, and provides reliable sources of information to cite.

The six policy updates come at a pivotal time. Appreciation for the value of community engagement is wavering. Environmental injustices are compounding across the nation. Housing remains broadly unaffordable, sprawling, and vulnerable to a changing climate. The pandemic has exacerbated physical and mental health troubles. Road and pedestrian deaths are near their highest points in decades. One in four people in the United States live with a disability, yet the built environment does not adequately plan for their access to critical resources.

The new policies highlight how and why landscape architects are positioned to help develop sustainable solutions to these complex problems.