Message from Our Chapter President: Melanie Buffa, ASLA
Dear ASLA Southern California Members,
The countdown is on! Only a few short months remain until the 2026 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture comes to Los Angeles! Centered around this year’s theme, Action!, the conference celebrates the ideas, projects, and partnerships that are moving our profession forward. From thought-provoking educational sessions and immersive field experiences to the ongoing Legacy Project, this year’s theme is woven throughout every aspect of the program, demonstrating how landscape architects transform vision into meaningful change.
This year also introduces an exciting new way to kick off the conference: a virtual pre-conference event offering 2.0 PDH and an early preview of the conference theme, “Action! Design in Motion, Work in Progress.” It’s a great opportunity to begin engaging with this year’s ideas before arriving in Los Angeles and to earn professional development hours along the way.
Once you’re here, you’ll experience firsthand the impact of design through visits to projects such as the LA River, Earvin “Magic” Johnson Park, and the Wilmington Waterfront Promenade, where resilience, equity, ecological restoration, and vibrant public spaces come to life. Beyond the tours and sessions, this is an incredible opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, expand your professional network, discover new ideas, and be inspired by the work happening across our region and beyond.
With Los Angeles serving as this year’s host city, we expect strong attendance, so I encourage you to register and book your travel early. Join us for an unforgettable week of learning, connection, and action—we can’t wait to welcome you to Southern California!
Warmly,
Melanie Buffa
Chapter President, ASLA Southern California
Special Events & Field Sessions
Beyond the education sessions and EXPO, Special Events and Field Sessions are a great way to enhance the conference experience and get out and explore LA. Special Events include things like the Sketch LA ’26 Student Sketch Walk, the Business Executive Lunch, the ASLA Professional and Student Awards Ceremony, the Women in Landscape Architecture Walk, the Fellows and Honors Gala, and the ASLA/Land8 Wrap Party, running Tuesday, Sept 15 through Friday, Sept 18. Field Sessions are in-depth, ticketed excursions led by local practitioners on Thursday, Sept 17 and Friday, Sept 18, with topics ranging from LA River restoration and wildfire recovery at Eaton Canyon to a behind-the-scenes look at Disneyland’s landscape design and a Huntington Gardens deep-dive — many led by our own SoCal ASLA members.
- Both can be added on through your Maritz confirmation email/login
- Most require a separate ticket purchase; Field Session tickets are final sale and sessions run rain or shine
- Several Field Sessions are already sold out, so early sign-up is recommended
Plan Your Trip to LA
ASLA has put together trip-planning resources to help attendees get to and around LA, including low-emission travel tips and local recommendations from our chapter. The page links out to guides on airport/ground transportation, getting around via LA Metro and bike share, and local picks (designed landscapes, food, and culture) curated by SoCal ASLA.
- Guides cover flights, trains, and low-carbon travel options
- LA Metro Rail, bike share, and car-free ways to get around
- All conference hotels are within walking distance of the LA Convention Center
- Student carpool map for those driving in from nearby schools
Climate Action at ASLA 2026
ASLA has outlined easy ways attendees can support the conference’s sustainability efforts, plus a carbon offset program done in partnership with the National Indian Carbon Coalition. Offsets support the Blackfeet Nation’s forest carbon project in Montana, which protects 34 million trees and supports Indigenous-led environmental stewardship.
- Simple sustainability tips: low-carbon travel, reusable water bottles, plant-based meal choices, and hotel water/energy conservation
- $45 offset contribution = 3 metric tons of travel/conference emissions offset
- 100% of contributions go toward third-party verified offsets
Conference Co-Chairs
