Today, as we stand at a crossroads of climate crisis, social change, and rapid urbanization, our work is more critical than ever. ASLA remains steadfast in our vision to empower strong leaders to protect communities, restore ecosystems and bring people together. 

The landscapes we shape are always evolving—just like the world around us. As landscape architects, we’re always adapting, always finding ways to create something stronger, more resilient, more beautiful.   We design with the future in mind. The landscapes you design aren’t just places – they’re solutions. They protect communities, restore ecosystems and bring people together. 

For 125 years, ASLA has championed this profession as policies change and priorities come and go. As the world transforms, our foundation remains steady. Design excellence, integrity, stewardship, sustainability, leadership, and diversity—these values have always guided us, and will continue to shape our path forward.    

The Work We Do   

From the beginning, landscape architects have understood that good design makes life better. We create places that heal, that connect, that inspire. We do this work not because it’s easy, but because it’s needed.  From backyards to coastlines, from schoolyards to city streets, we are shaping a more resilient, sustainable world.  

When faced with the greatest challenge of our time—the climate crisis—we don’t hesitate. While others debate, we design solutions, integrating nature-based strategies that cool cities, manage floods, capture carbon, and protect biodiversity. But resilience isn’t just about climate—it’s about people. Great landscapes reflect the stories and needs of the communities they serve, amplifying diverse voices and breaking down barriers. We don’t do this alone; collaboration with communities, policymakers, and allied professionals is at the heart of ASLA’s mission and impact. 

Looking Ahead  

Our path forward is clear. ASLA will continue to champion this profession with the same determination that has guided us for more than a century to ensure we are future-ready. This means continuing to execute ASLA’s Vision 2030.  

We spent the last year developing the next phase of our Vision 2030 strategic framework. The new 2025-2027 strategic plan reflects direct feedback from our members as well as a series of focus group discussions held in Boise, Houston, Dallas and Austin. At ASLA, we value diversity of thought and perspective, so we invited civil engineers, private developers, public officials, and educators to join each of the discussions.  We talked about the business of landscape architecture, design and project development.  

Common threads highlighted the need to significantly improve the public’s awareness and understanding of landscape architecture. Over the next three years, we will focus on our common interest as a profession and the ties that bind us as members of the larger design, construction and development community — safe and healthy places to live, resilient communities, and a thriving economy. We want to see more investment in our public spaces, not less.  

We will protect and grow landscape architecture by addressing the challenges we face today and preparing for the ones ahead. We will push for policies that protect our environment and communities, while proving—again and again—that nature-based solutions aren’t just sustainable, they make economic sense.  

We will invest in the future of our profession, providing landscape architects with cutting-edge research, global networks, and professional development to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world. And we will work tirelessly to ensure that landscape architecture is seen, valued, and understood—because our work doesn’t just shape spaces, it shapes lives. We will continue to create the world we believe in—with purpose and with an unwavering belief in the power of landscape architecture.  

Our Responsibility  

Finally, if you attended the annual conference in Washington D.C. last year as we celebrated 125 years, you heard the inspiring words of Dr. Maya Angelou. At the ASLA Conference in 1995, she delivered a powerful keynote, reminding us of our responsibility to ourselves and to each other. She said, “Be a rainbow in the clouds.”  (You can hear Dr. Angelou's full quote in the video below.) 

That is what landscape architects do. In times of uncertainty, we create resilience. In moments of crisis, we bring solutions.  And every day, we shape places that heal, protect, and inspire.