International Federation of Landscape Architects

International Federation of Landscape Architects is a global organization that represents the landscape architecture profession, with members from over 60 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States. The organization was founded in 1948 by landscape architects from Europe, North America, and South America, with the goal of promoting the profession and advancing the quality of landscape architecture worldwide, as seen in the works of Frederick Law Olmsted, André Le Nôtre, and Lancelot Brown. The IFLA has collaborated with other international organizations, such as the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Health Organization, to address global issues like climate change, sustainable development, and urban planning, as discussed at the Rio Earth Summit and the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. The organization has also worked with national and local governments, including the European Union, US Department of State, and the City of New York, to develop and implement policies and projects that promote sustainable and resilient landscapes, such as the High Line in New York City and the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

● History

The history of the organization dates back to the post-World War II era, when landscape architects from Europe and North America came together to form a global network, inspired by the work of Buckminster Fuller and Eero Saarinen. The first meeting of the organization was held in Cambridge, England in 1948, with representatives from United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia, and was attended by notable landscape architects like Garrett Eckbo and Dan Kiley. Since then, the organization has grown to include members from over 60 countries, including Brazil, China, India, Japan, and South Africa, and has collaborated with other international organizations, such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Wildlife Fund, to address global issues like biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. The IFLA has also played a key role in promoting the profession of landscape architecture, as seen in the work of Ian McHarg and Lawrence Halprin, and has worked to establish standards and guidelines for landscape architecture education and practice, as outlined in the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board and the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards.

● Organization

The organization is governed by a council, which includes representatives from each of the member countries, including Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, and Turkey. The council is responsible for setting the overall direction and policy of the organization, as well as overseeing the work of the various committees and working groups, which include the IFLA Asia-Pacific Region, IFLA Europe Region, and IFLA Americas Region. The organization also has a secretariat, which is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization, and is headquartered in Versailles, France, with regional offices in Beijing, China, New Delhi, India, and São Paulo, Brazil. The IFLA has collaborated with other international organizations, such as the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Tourism Organization, to promote the conservation and management of cultural and natural heritage sites, such as the Great Wall of China and the Grand Canyon.

● Membership

Membership in the organization is open to national associations of landscape architects, as well as individual landscape architects, from countries like Austria, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, Ghana, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Members have access to a range of benefits, including networking opportunities, professional development resources, and access to international events and conferences, such as the IFLA World Congress and the ASLA Annual Meeting. The organization also provides a platform for members to share knowledge and best practices, as seen in the work of Peter Walker and Martha Schwartz, and to collaborate on international projects and initiatives, such as the One Planet Living and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

● Activities

The organization is involved in a range of activities, including advocacy, education, and research, as seen in the work of Harvard University Graduate School of Design and the University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design. The IFLA works to promote the profession of landscape architecture and to raise awareness of the importance of landscape architecture in addressing global challenges like climate change, sustainable development, and urbanization, as discussed at the Habitat III and the COP21. The organization also provides support and resources for landscape architects working in developing countries, such as Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The IFLA also partners with other organizations, such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, to support the development of sustainable and resilient landscapes, as seen in the Green Infrastructure and the Eco-City.

● Awards

The organization presents a range of awards to recognize excellence in landscape architecture, including the IFLA Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award, which is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the profession, and has been awarded to notable landscape architects like Peter Latz and Adriaan Geuze. The IFLA also presents awards for outstanding student work, as well as for contributions to the profession, as seen in the work of Ian L. McHarg and Lawrence Halprin. The awards are presented at the organization's annual congress, which is held in a different location each year, and has been hosted by cities like Tokyo, Japan, New York City, USA, Paris, France, Beijing, China, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The congress provides a platform for landscape architects to share knowledge, network, and learn from each other, as well as to showcase their work and achievements, as seen in the IFLA World Congress Exhibition and the ASLA Annual Meeting and EXPO. The IFLA has also collaborated with other international organizations, such as the International Union of Architects and the World Council of Civil Engineers, to promote the importance of landscape architecture in addressing global challenges like climate change, sustainable development, and urbanization, as discussed at the Habitat III and the COP21.

Category:Landscape architecture