April was Landscape Architecture Month!

In honor of National Landscape Architecture Month (NLAM) this past April, landscape architects across the country hosted a variety of activities to celebrate the profession and explain how their work contributes to public health and active living. In keeping with this year’s theme, many events demonstrated how effective landscape design can promote sustainable, livable communities. And now is the time, as childhood obesity surges to epidemic proportions, the healthcare costs associated with depression, diabetes, asthma and heart disease push even higher and divisive politics provide no solutions.

“Since its founding in 1899, public health has always been an integral concern of the landscape architecture profession,” explains Nancy Somerville, executive vice president and CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Landscape architects help communities maximize opportunities for daily exercise like walking and biking. They encourage communities to move towards compact, transit-oriented land-uses by designing ‘Complete Streets’ and other transportation networks that connect mixed-use developments, neighborhood schools, and a range of affordable housing choices. They assist communities in developing healthy green buildings and open spaces that promote efficient water and energy use, and provide substantial amounts of vegetation to clean air and cool urban temperatures. Through thoughtful landscape design, communities can avoid the expensive health epidemics associated with automobile dependence and sedentary lifestyles, along with the high costs to the environment created by dysfunctional patterns of living, including urban sprawl. Read more here…

The ASLA CA Sierra Chapter hosted a number of exciting events for Landscape Architecture Month – THANK YOU TO ALL WHO JOINED IN!

Here are some highlights of past Sierra Chapter events.  Information and results of past design competitions are on the Awards page.

Bryte Park Conceptual Designs

This project began with a successful public charrette in March 2010 at City Hall in West Sacramento.  Volunteers from Sierra Chapter worked with community members to develop visions for redeveloping Bryte Park.  These visions were developed into eleven color-rendered conceptual designs were presented to the public at a wine and cheese reception on April 20, 2010.

Rachel presents her group's design.

Dalton discusses design options.

Coyle Elementary Tree Planting

A small group of Sierra Chapter members joined with the Sacramento Tree Foundation, members of the CCC, and other volunteers to plant trees at Coyle Elementary in Citrus Heights in March, 2010.  Approximately 40 trees were planted over the course of the morning and we had a great time.  Thanks to everyone who came to help!