In April 2025, The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture hosted “Landscape First: Unearthing the Benefits of Nature-Based Solutions,” a convening which explored what can be achieved when landscapes are prioritized in urban settings. With the generous support of the Still Water Foundation, the event convened 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. At the conclusion of the gathering, it seemed the conversations were just beginning.
To expand upon the urgent topics raised in "Landscape First,” the school has invited a selection of convening speakers to contribute reflective essays to a new series with the continued support of the Still Water Foundation. These seven pieces present a broad range of case studies and meditations on leading through landscape.
CONTENTS
“Why Landscape First?" by Gullivar Shepard, Partner, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
“Green Infrastructure, Human Health, and Generative AI” by William C. Sullivan, Ph.D., ASLA, FCELA, Professor and Director of the Smart, Healthy Communities Initiative, University of Illinois
“The Campus as a Landscape of Inspiration and Action” by Frederick (Fritz) Steiner, Ph.D., FASLA, FCELA, FAAR, Dean of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania
“The City as a Landscape” by Gina Ford, FASLA, Principal and Co-Founder, Agency Landscape + Planning
"Fight or Flight: Space Colonization and the Future of Landscape Architecture" by Ignacio F. Bunster-Ossa, FASLA, Vice President for Landscape Urbanism and Resilience, the Collaborative
“Landscape as a Setting for Art and Culture” by Mary Margaret Jones, FASLA, FAAR, President and CEO, Hargreaves Jones
EPILOGUE FORTHCOMING
Interview with University Architect Brent Stringfellow, AVP of Campus Operations and Campus Architect, UT Austin
EDITOR
Anahita (Ani) Bradberry
