Landscape First: Opening Address

On Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4, The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture will host Landscape First: Unearthing the Benefits of Nature-Based Solutions, a conference exploring what can be achieved when landscapes are prioritized in urban settings. With the generous support of the Still Water Foundation, the event will bring together elected officials, institutional leaders, community stakeholders, and professionals in planning, design, and engineering for one-and-a-half days of discussion about how nature-based solutions inspire creativity, unite neighborhoods, improve health, and support new infrastructure for urban resilience.

All events are free and open to the public with prior registration at https://sites.utexas.edu/landscapefirst/registration/

Thanks to our convening partners: the Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA), the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA), AIA Austin, Design Austin, the Congress for New Urbanism, Central Texas Chapter, the Texas Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and Waterloo Greenway.

OPENING ADDRESS: LANDSCAPE AS INSPIRATION 
5:00-6:30 p.m. 
Discover how innovative nature-based solutions promote community engagement and advance new sustainable and resilient visions for cities. 

Moderator: Phoebe Lickwar, ASLA, FAAR, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, UT Austin School of Architecture; Founding Principal, Forge Landscape Architecture 
Speaker: Ignacio Bunster-Ossa, FASLA, VP for Landscape Urbanism and Resiliency, The Collaborative