Advocacy

As the voice of the profession in Canada, the CSLA is an advocate for its members.

This web page provides tools, resources and documents to support advocacy for the profession. It includes links to statements on various topics, messages, and recommendations. Scroll below to learn more about the CSLA's advocacy tools, resources and initiatives.

Professional Positions and Statements

Read our statements and positions on:

1. Sustainable Housing: CSLA urges our nation’s governments to address Canada’s housing crisis without impairing natural environments or encroaching on greenspace. Read the Statement on Sustainable Housing
2. Biodiversity: CSLA encourages stronger action on the biodiversity crisis. The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework commits to conserving at least 30% of terrestrial, inland water and coastal and marine areas, and especially areas of importance for biodiversity, through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures. Read the statement on biodiversity
3. Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Racism, injustice, and intolerance must come to an end. The CSLA commits to taking action to change, no matter how long it takes. Read the statement on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
4. Truth and Reconciliation: Incorporation and consideration of Indigenous peoples, their values, their voices, and their knowledge in the planning, design and management of the Canadian landscape should be the goal of all landscape architects. Read the statement on reconciliation
5. Climate Adaptation: The CSLA believes that to ensure a prosperous future within a changing climate 
   we must create a society which has: an enhanced capacity for resilience, a willingness to transform to a better state, and a commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability of environments, cultures and well-being. Read the Climate Adaptation Position Paper
6. Licensure in the Profession: The CSLA believes that the licensure of the practice of landscape architecture in every province and territory is essential to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare. Read the CSLA's position on Licensure in the Profession
7. Nature-Based Solutions: The CSLA believes that NbS offer innovative opportunities to meaningfully address multiple sustainability crises (e.g., climate change, food and water security, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, human well-being, and natural disasters). Read the CSLA's White Paper on Nature Based Solutions by Design
8. The Power of Nature for Mental Health and Well-Being:  Growing evidence supports the benefits of
   nature on mental health, highlighting the need for landscape architects' involvement. The diversity
   in the practice enables landscape architects to actively contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of Canadians by making natural spaces more accessible. Read the CSLA's paper on the power of nature for mental health and well-being

9. UN's Sustainable Development Goals: The CSLA supports the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and believes that the profession of landscape architecture is an important contributor in achieving these goals. Learn more about how landscape architecture supports the SDGs

10. Canada's 2030 National Biodiversity Strategy Milestone Document: The CSLA has provided detailed feedback and recommendations to enhance Canada's 2030 National Biodiversity Strategy. Our response emphasizes the significant role that planning and design professionals play in biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Read the document

Advocacy Tools and Resources

1. Report on the State of the Profession of Landscape Architecture: CSLA engaged InterGroup Consultants to prepare a study that tells the full story of how landscape architects contribute to a thriving and sustainable society. This data is meant to inform advocacy, support and quantify the profession's impact on Canadian society. Learn more or read the report.

2. Recommendations to the Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations: Read the CSLA's Recommendations to the Standing Committee on Finance where the CSLA can call on the federal government to advance issues of importance to the profession.

3. Liveable Communities Brief: Use the CSLA's Livable Communities brief, which illustrates how landscape architecture makes our communities more livable and use the brief to present the profession when meeting with related professions, advocate for the profession at municipal, provincial and federal levels of government, inform clients on the benefits of the profession.

4. Articles on how the profession enhances our communities: Read more

5. Landscape Architecture Designated a STEM Discipline: Did you know that the Canadian government had identified landscape architecture as a STEM discipline? This matters for the profession! It means that landscape architects can immigrate to Canada using the Express Entry immigration program, which gives priority to skilled STEM workers. Learn more

Networks, Workgroups, Representations, Committees

CSLA board, staff, and members also serve on a number of committees, working groups, roundtables, and other forums to promote landscape architecture, including:

1. FIRPAC (Federal / Industry Real Property Advisory Council): FIRPAC provides a forum for the public and private sector to discuss issues pertaining to the planning and management of Federal Real Properties including the disciplines of architecture, engineering, construction, facility management, interior design, heritage conservation, quantity surveying and landscape architecture. Learn more
2. Main Street Action Network: Coordinated by the Canadian Urban Institute, this network of associations is concerned with promoting innovative, sustainable, responsible and resilient design solutions for main streets.

3. CC-IUCN / IUCN: The Canadian Committee for the IUCN (CCIUCN) provides a voice and networking platform for Canadians involved in IUCN work. Through the CCIUCN, individuals and organizations that support the IUCN in Canada share information and create opportunities for collective action (https://cciucn.ca/). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations, including the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA). By harnessing the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,400 Member organisations and the input of some 15,000 experts, IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. Learn more. The CSLA is a member of the CC-IUCN.

4. Canadian Climate Change Adaptation Platform: Adaptation Skills Working Group : The objective of the Adaptation Skills Working Group is to identify and promote opportunities and conditions that will foster the development and application of adaptation knowledge, skills and behaviours within the workforce, focusing initially on occupations with a key role to play in adaptation, such as engineering, planning, landscape architecture, accounting and others, across Canada.

5. Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut forestier du Canada (CIF-IFC): In December 2022, the CIF-IFC received funding to establish the first national and interactive view of urban forestry geospatial data in Canada. The project is intended to ensure urban forestry geospatial data is easily sourced, discoverable, and interoperable. The project has three main objectives: (1) conduct a review of Canadian cities with open access urban forestry geospatial data; (2) develop a National Advisory Committee of urban forestry and geospatial experts to create best management strategies for how urban forestry geospatial data can be showcased; and (3) finalize best management practices to collect, compile and standardize data from major cities across Canada, and create a learning hub where this data can be centralized. The CSLA is pleased to have representation on the CIF-IFC's new National Advisory Committee. For more information on the project and CIF-IFC, please see: https://www.cif-ifc.org/