Join me in San Francisco October 5-9, 2007 at ASLA’s 2007 Annual Meeting and EXPO for one of the most spectacular celebrations of our profession as we explore "Designing with Nature: The Art of Balance."

Landscape architecture is the art of balance—sustaining nature through design.  The 2007 reflects this and casts a wide net—providing practical insights and thought-provoking sessions on a broad range of topics to help create sustainable environments—for the most ambitious education program to date. From trends in residential design such as outdoor kitchens, the latest in digital technology, and disaster preparedness and mitigation to best practices for small firms, building sustainable sites, green roofs and more—this year’s program will nourish your creativity, delight your aesthetic senses, and sharpen your problem—solving skills.  Our goal is inspire and prepare you for greater stewardship, leadership, and promotion of our profession.

Back by popular demand, one of the meeting’s most popular features—Inside the LA Studio sessions—has been expanded with many of the most highly decorated firms participating this year.

A Mayor’s Roundtable session will bring your face-to-face with some of our country’s most innovative civic leaders to discuss today’s most critical urban issues—community design, water management, public transportation, walkability, smart growth, and parks/open space—as identified by our members in a recent survey.  In addition, a panel of leading journalists from the most prestigious newspapers in America will share their perspective on topics of interest to our profession.

Field sessions will take us out and about the city by the bay to tour the historic Golden Gate Park, Treasure Island, Octavia Boulevard’s transformation from freeway viaduct to elegant surface roadway, key projects from the Waterfront to Mission Bay, and some of San Francisco’s most innovative sustainable sites.

It is my great pleasure to invite you to attend ASLA’s 2007 Annual Meeting and EXPO. Come share the vision so we can strengthen our profession and learn to talk to others—the public, our elected civic leaders, allied professionals, and clients—about how we practice the art of balance to design beautiful, functional, and sustainable environments for our communities.  I look forward to seeing you in San Francisco this fall!

Patrick W. Caughey, FASLA
President
American Society of Landscape Architects