CSLA Resource Library

Pathfinder is a web-based application allows registered users to estimate the carbon footprint and time to carbon neutral for landscape projects based on site design and management. It may be used for projects in the design phase or already completed projects. The only required inputs are project type, site boundaries, and percentage of impervious and pervious surface; however, supplying more information will result in a more accurate estimate. Users enter project type, define site boundaries, and supply the site’s percentage of pervious and impervious surface. Users may then enter detailed information about their project regarding materials and site features like paving; walls, curbs, and headers; fences and gates; site elements; drainage and irrigation; subsurface elements, and mulch and soil. Users may then enter information on carbon sinks including wetlands, trees, lawn, and shrubs. Finally, users may enter information on maintenance including gas- and electric-powered equipment and fertilizer. The output is the Climate Positive Design Scorecard, which includes estimated years to carbon neutral for the project, amount of carbon sequestered and net impact over time up to 100 years, and embodied carbon profile. The site also provides design suggestions to help designers reduce the carbon footprint in the design phase. 

Building on a year-long internal research project, Sasaki has developed the Carbon Conscience App, a free tool to help designers assess carbon impact from the early stages of planning. In urban design projects, many decisions that lead to high carbon emissions are made early in the planning process, and so that stage offers the greatest opportunities for impacting the ultimate outcomes. How can we measure embodied carbon of our designs from the earliest concept design phase?

Eco v6 is a model that uses tree measurements and other data to estimate ecosystem services and structural characteristics of the urban or rural forest. Eco is a complete package that provides: Sampling and data collection protocols - For plot-based sample projects, total population estimates and standard error of estimates are calculated based on sampling protocols. For complete inventories, eco calculates values for each tree. Flexible data collection options – Use the mobile data collection system with web-enabled smartphones, tablets or traditional paper sheets. Automated processing - A central computing engine that makes estimates of the forest effects based on peer-reviewed scientific equations to predict environmental and economic benefits. Reports - Summary reports that include charts, tables and a written report.

Our world is grappling with complex challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and socioeconomic inequality. Those that plan, design, and engineering our communities and ecosystems have a pivotal role in shaping solutions that promote future resilience. In this webinar, internationally recognized landscape architect Pamela Conrad will share insights into addressing these crises through tangible approaches. She will introduce Pathfinder 3.0, Climate Positive Design Toolkit strategies, and highlight project examples emphasizing Nature-based Solutions. This session offers tools and guidance for integrating ecological, social, and economic benefits into projects while contributing to global efforts to combat climate and biodiversity challenges.

How do we halve the emissions of the built environment this decade?  How can landscape architects, architects, planners and engineers be agents of mitigation and systems change?  Kelly Alvarez Doran speaks to the unique agency and advocacy landscape architects and designers have to address the challenges we face, sharing recent work focused on low-carbon, climate adaptive design approaches to landscape and public infrastructure.

Joanna Eyquem discusses progress and examples of efforts to mainstream consideration of nature-based solutions, ranging from strategic approaches and technical guidance, to integration in municipal management and financial reporting.

Covering every Canadian treaty from 1763 to the present, the Yellowhead Institute's Treaty Map aims to challenge the commonly held view of treaties as land surrenders and offers a comprehensive, interactive learning and teaching tool, grounded in Indigenous perspectives of treaties.

Use this interactive web map to find nurseries and stores specializing in native plants across Canada. This web map is created and maintained by Network of Nature developers and volunteers. This map was last updated to the best of our abilities in early 2024. 

Canada’s current provincial and national risk assessment frameworks focus predominantly on the built environment and infrastructure, neglecting the more extensive social-ecological system. This narrow focus fails to capture the full extent of climate risks or contexts, particularly those affecting Indigenous communities, and excludes the social and political structures that compound risk within Indigenous communities. While Canada is grappling with applying a standard risk assessment framework, Indigenous communities, nationally and globally, are deeply concerned that such limited understandings of “risk” could contribute to neglecting climate impacts within the larger ecosystems. 

"Landscape architects need to better understand how local and state governments and developers calculate economic benefits and make go or no-go decisions on projects. This guide will help ASLA members: Understand the economic and financial context in which public and private clients operate; Become familiar with basic economic language and better communicate with clients about economic benefits; Show the benefits of using nature-based solutions in different types and sizes of projects"

The products and materials that landscape architects specify for their projects play a significant role in the overall global warming potential (GWP) of a project. They can also impact biodiversity, air and water quality. The guide outlines how environmental product declarations (EPDs) and other environmental reporting can be used to understand the environmental impacts of landscape materials and products and make decisions to reduce those impacts. It defines the standard types of environmental data that are applicable to landscape design and construction and helps landscape architects navigate product and material research. Landscape architects will learn about EPDs and other types of reporting and how they can inform decision making. Product manufacturers seeking to develop EPDs will gain new insights.   

Open Urban Forests – Establishing the First National View of Urban Forestry Geospatial Data in Canada is an innovative project established by the CIF-IFC, enabling access to urban forestry geospatial data across Canada and open access resources through the creation of an interactive learning hub. Data from this hub can be used to support decision-making and measure the continuous effects of climate change and other trends on urban forests across Canada.