INTRODUCING: The LASN Town Hall
Comments From Readers Like You!
After almost a decade, LASN is reintroducing the Letters to the Editor monthly section with a twist. Now called "The LASN Town Hall," this section of the magazine will include comments the editors have received via email, survey responses, and mail.
The goal is to include you, the reader, in the conversation and present a healthy mix of perspectives on various topics.
You will also notice a guest opinion article in this month's issue. If you have an essay-length article topic on something relating to the profession or the culture of the profession, send a pitch our way! Email editorial@landscapearchitect.com or call 714-979-5276 x124.
And now, here is The LASN Town Hall from the October 2025 Issue:
LASN 40th Annivesary Issue
"I can attest to a first-hand account of the AILA in Florida. In the early 60s, you could put all of Florida's academically educated Landscape Architects into a small living room. Convincing a legislative body of the importance of this law at that time was difficult, since many still didn't understand what the profession did and other industries opposed it. Ultimately, about 350 individuals were granted a license with a grandfather clause for those in related fields or with academic qualifications. Few of them were interested in joining ASLA, and ASLA wasn't interested in having them. The AILA in Florida was an alternative for licensed individuals not thought to be of a stature commensurate with that of the ASLA and without academic standing in landscape architecture. The irony of all this is that that group of seasoned professionals looked down on as second class by the upper echelons of the profession would go on to train young graduates for decades, and they were called upon to solve problems for difficult site situations.
In 1976-77, my father - registration #21 - was president of The Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association (FNGA), many of whose members also belonged to the AILA. When Florida was hit with a devastating freeze that largely wiped out the citrus industry in 1977, FNGA was called upon to testify in D.C., gaining millions of dollars for relief. At that time, the AILA was struggling to add membership, and the FNGA was critical in the merger that made all AILA members and fellows ASLA members and Fellows.
As for me, I learned the most about being a Landscape Architect from the AILA. I've practiced for over 40 years and have yet to have anyone ask me if I was a member of any professional group. I used to sign my name and have ASLA on my business cards, and I will never forget when a client asked me: "I see you have ASLA after your name, where did you go to Junior College...I have a son that doesn't do well academically and wonder if that would be a good choice for him?" She thought I had an associate degree!!!"
Jeff B, PLA, Florida
"The 40th Anniversary magazine edition was outstanding. LASN has been in a leading role for the profession of landscape architecture while serving the broader green/landscape industry of products and services. All the best ahead!"
Anonymous
"Great magazine. Although we have always understood LASN's reach started on the West Coast, and hence more articles are geared toward that area, great strides have been made to include projects from other parts of the country, and would like to see that grow!"
PLA, Alabama
"I appreciate the healthy mix of reporting industry news, policy updates, product features, project and firm highlights. I also appreciate that the political views are not front and center. It is a far more well-rounded publication in my opinion, and is in touch more with a broader audience within the industry. ASLA magazine, while a good publication, does not speak to the whole audience, in my observation. I ceased reading ASLA magazine during the last couple of presidential elections. Too much emphasis on politics and not enough on the actual industry."
Anonymous
"Appreciate having an industry magazine that is independent from ASLA."
Anonymous
Licensure
"ASLA is a professional/marketing organization. CLARB is the licensure organization. Two extremely different purposes. ASLA should PROMOTE licensure, but not be a part of it."
PLA, Alabama
"Far better than licensing, ASLA should have assigned to itself practice quality control as the guilds of old. This would have obviated the ongoing destruction of the profession engendered by local authoritarian land-use regulation over the practice by uninformed bureaucrats and politicians."
PLA, California
"In the past, ASLA membership was a privilege, not a right."
PLA, Florida
"ASLA is a social club and does not grant licensure to professionals - it is a resource to the profession only. ASLA promotes the works of the top 3-5% of the profession, seldom is their recognition of the majority of the profession."
PLA, AICP, CID, Colorado
Do It Better
"You guys do a good job, by now you ought to be able to broaden your coverage area. Think about looking for stories in the EU, Central America, Asia, etc. Design in the US is great, but other countries do good design, and they build for the longer term, especially in the EU."
PLA, Colorado
"Displaying small projects and highlighting small businesses/firms. There is some good work being done by professionals that get little recognition simply because the people running them wear a lot of hats and don't always have the time to put forth the paperwork and narratives necessary to help their work get displayed in a public publication or entered to receive an award. Large firms and or large/complex projects seem to currently get a lot of the spotlight and recognition."
Anonymous
"A lack of projects that are led by minority-owned landscape architecture firms being featured in your magazine. What percentage of landscape architecture projects featured in your magazine are led by white-owned landscape architecture firms?"
PLA, California
"Coverage of what some of the old timers are doing ... What to expect in the future of the profession ... Plants that are desirable for various climates, actives, and stamina for long life ... Once retired what do we do or where do we go??? And yes, we can have an effect on good politics ..."
PLA, California
