We would like to thank all the Professional Practice Network (PPN) leaders and members who: 

• shared their experiences and expertise as authors for The Field blog;  
• served as hosts, presenters, and engaged audience members for Online Learning webinars; 
• and participated in the PPN events at the ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture in Washington, DC, in 2024. 

We hope that all who contributed to this shared body of knowledge have forged new connections and felt inspired by your peers in landscape architecture. 

Want to be more engaged with your PPN this year? 

If the 2024 highlights below spark your interest, and you want to help make future virtual events, conference gatherings, and blog posts happen, then PPN leadership is a great way to stay connected with your PPN all throughout the new year. PPN activities are much more feasible (and fun!) to organize when there are a few PPN volunteers lending a helping hand to make things happen. 

Appointments are for one year, and all ASLA members are welcome to volunteer. Most leadership teams meet virtually once a month during regular working hours. Come nerd out with like-minded professionals about your practice area niche! 

Volunteer as a PPN leader > 

Below, we showcase the top five Field posts and the year’s PPN webinars. For the full recap, please see the complete PPNs’ 2024 in Review on the ASLA website. 

Year in Review: The Field 

 Grandma Prisbrey’s Bottle Village, HALS CA-42, Simi Valley, Ventura County, CA / image: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division 

Contributions to The Field, ASLA’s PPN blog, are by members and for members, and we encourage all ASLA members with an idea or an experience to share to write for The Field. Fresh content appears weekly, and 89 posts were published in 2024 from more than 100 authors.

Here are The Field’s five most-read posts published in 2024:

1. Putting AI to Work: Practical Applications of AI in Landscape Architecture

     by Lauren Schmidt, PLA, ASLA

     Digital Technology PPN

2. The 2024 HALS Challenge Competition

     by Scott Keyes

     Historic Preservation PPN

3. My Meadow Lab, Part 1 

     by Dan Greenberg, ASLA 

     Planting Design PPN 

4. From Landscape Architecture to Art (and Back?): “Realities” of Nature, Layered Up

     by Darren Sears 

5. Words of Wisdom for Our 2024 Landscape Architecture Graduates

     by Chloe Gillespie, Associate ASLA, Magdalena Aravena, PLA, ASLA, Jennifer Ng, PLA, ASLA, Adrian Alexander, Associate ASLA, Megan Barnes, Lexi Banks, Associate ASLA, Gretchen Wilson, PLA, ASLA, LEED, WEDG, Emily Siler, Associate ASLA, Kim Case, PLA, ASLA, CSI CDT®, and Dr. Bo Zhang, ASLA 

Education & Practice PPN

Explore the full top 10 from The Field >

Year in Review: Online Learning

 University of Maryland Yahentamitsi Dining Hall / image: courtesy of Lindsay Story, Ayers Saint Gross 

ASLA offers live and on-demand Online Learning webinars, many of which are hosted by the PPNs on a topic of special relevance to their members. There were 19 PPN webinars and virtual events in 2024—here are the ones with recordings or summaries available: 

PPN Zoom Book Club: Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors, by Rue Mapp 

Children's Outdoor Environments PPN 

Panel on Transit Oriented Development 

Transportation and Urban Design PPNs 

Partnering with Indigenous Peoples in Design 

Campus Planning & Design PPN 

Building the Future of Landscape BIM: A Look at the 2023 BIMForum LOD Spec and Beyond 

Digital Technology PPN 

PPN Zoom Book Club: Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children, by Angela Hanscom 

Children's Outdoor Environments PPN 

PPN Zoom Coffee Chat: Transit Oriented Districts: Urban Design Experience 

Urban Design PPN 

Urban Design PPN 

Standards for the Accessible Design of Outdoor Play & Recreation Destinations - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW) 

Children's Outdoor Environments PPN 

Innovative Strategies for Community Engagement: A New Web-based Toolkit for Landscape Architects 

Community Design PPN 

GIS Technology Trends for Landscape Architecture - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW) 

Digital Technology PPN 

PPN Zoom Book Club: The Nature of Inclusive Play: A Guide for Designers, Educators, and Therapists, by Amy Wagenfeld, Affil. ASLA, and Chad Kennedy, ASLA, PLA, LEED AP 

Children's Outdoor Environments PPN 

Invasive Species Management Research - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW) 

Sustainable Design & Development PPN 

Inclusive Play Matters: Evidence-Based Design Best Practices for Play and Recreation Destinations - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW) 

Children's Outdoor Environments PPN 

See the full list of 2024’s virtual PPN events > 

ASLA’s Professional Practice team wishes you a happy new year, and looks forward to continuing our work together—here’s to a successful and productive 2025!