The idea that nature is also infrastructure isn’t new. But it’s now more widely understood to be true. Nature can be harnessed to provide critical services for communities, protecting them against flooding or excessive heat, or helping to improve air and water quality, which underpin human and environmental health. When nature is harnessed by people and used as an infrastructural system it’s called “green infrastructure.”

Climate change is a threat to people and the ecosystem services on which we depend. Extreme weather events are on the rise. Flooding, drought, and wildfires are more frequent and more severe. Higher temperatures are increasing community health risks. The changing climate is causing species dislocation and accelerating the rate of species extinction. Global agricultural systems are increasingly stressed. These early effects are harbingers of the more severe consequences that science tells us we can expect in the future if we do not act.

ASLA actively encourages communities to create or improve access to places that enable physical activity, including parks, recreational facilities, bicycle paths, walking trails, and sidewalks. Join ASLA in pushing for more places that are made to make you move.

Landscape architects help communities by designing multi-use transportation corridors that accommodate all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, people with disabilities, and people who use public transportation. These multi-use transportation systems reduce reliance on a single-use automotive transport, which in turn reduces traffic, improves air quality, and promotes a sustainable way of life. Join ASLA in urging our policy makers to support transportation for all.

Economic vitality, homeland security, quality of life, and natural ecosystems all rely on ample, clean water. Landscape architects help communities large and small manage their stormwater with innovative green infrastructure solutions, such as green roofs, rain gardens, bioswales, and pervious pavements. Join ASLA in urging our policymakers to support strategies that reduce stormwater runoff and improve our nation’s water supply.