Washington, D.C. — March 10, 2009 — The American Society of Landscape Architects ( ASLA ) announced today it will form a Blue Ribbon Panel of design professionals to discuss and make recommendations on the National Park Service’s milestone plan, released online last week, which outlines a comprehensive overhaul of the historic National Mall. The National Park Service is seeking public comment on the plan during public meetings scheduled in Washington , D.C. , on Wednesday, March 11 and Saturday, March 14.

The panel’s leading landscape architects, architects and planners will meet this month to analyze the results of the National Park Service’s years-in-the-making planning effort. The National Mall represents one of the most prominent works of landscape architecture in the world – including the award-winning revitalization of the Washington Monument completed in 2008. As thought leaders on the role of landscape and design in public places, panel participants will provide invaluable input on creating a sustainable future for “ America ’s Front Yard.”

“The National Mall has long been a canvas for our nation’s history, and it stands today as an enduring symbol of our country’s heritage and democratic ideals,” said ASLA President and Blue Ribbon Panel facilitator Angela Dye, F ASLA . “It deserves the attention of our nation’s foremost experts in the design and maintenance of the public spaces that both honor our past and represent our optimistic future.”

The panel, preliminarily slated to include Angela Dye, FASLA; Joe Brown, FASLA; Gary Hilderbrand, FASLA; Harry Hunderman, FAIA; and Robin Fran Abrams, AIA, ASLA will convene March 19-20 in Washington , D.C. , and publicly present its findings during a press conference in April 2009. For more information about ASLA and the Blue Ribbon Panel on the National Mall Project, visit www.asla.org/nationalmall.

About ASLA

Founded in 1899, ASLA is the national professional association for landscape architects, representing more than 18,200 members in 48 professional chapters and 68 student chapters. The Society's mission is to lead, to educate, and to participate in the careful stewardship, wise planning and artful design of our cultural and natural environments. Members of the Society use their “ ASLA ” suffix after their names to denote membership and their commitment to the highest ethical standards of the profession. Learn more about landscape architecture online at www.asla.org.



Contact:

Jim Lapides
American Society of Landscape Architects
Tel.: 202) 216-2371
E-mail: Email Contact