In honor of National Landscape Architecture Month in April, landscape architects across the country will host a variety of activities to celebrate the profession and explain how their work contributes to the public's well-being. In keeping with this year's theme, many events will demonstrate how green design can encourage healthy living.
"Since its founding in 1899, public health has always been an integral concern of the landscape architecture profession," said Nancy Somerville, executive vice president and CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. "Landscape architects create spaces that promote physical activity, including parks, recreational facilities, bicycle paths, walking trails, and complete streets that offer alternatives to a reliance on cars."
A new ASLA brochure, "Designing for Your Health and Well-Being," describes how to promote healthy living through landscape architecture. Also, to mark the month, the entire April issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine is available online for free.
National Landscape Architecture Month also encompasses Earth Day on April 22 along with the April 26 birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), the father of landscape architecture, designer of New York City's Central Park and other iconic landscapes, and founder of the American Society of Landscape Architects in 1899.