Modern Living Symposium in 2026 Survey Name * First Name Last Name Email * Please review the topics below and select which ones you would like to see at the Modern Living Symposium in 2026. Sustainability Self-Sustaining Gardening and Landscaping Designing Our Future: Sustainable Landscapes Design Strategies for Increasing Biodiversity Cultivating Native and Sustainable Plants in New England Sponge Cities: How Sponge Cities Offer a Sustainable Solution to Rising Sea Levels Hardscapes & Softscapes: Harmonizing materials and living systems. Land Stewardship How Can We Educate Clients on the Reasons Behind Their Design and Maintenance Choices? What Role Do Landscape Architects Play in Environmental Stewardship? Workforce The Growing Labor Shortage Facing The Landscaping Industry With declining immigration impacting the workforce, how can companies adapt? What steps can businesses take now and, in the future, to address labor shortages? Rising Demand for H-2B Workers Visas: H-2B Visa Program Challenges & EB-3 Visa as a Solution Not interested in any of these topics Integration Blurring the Line: Seamless integration between building architecture and outdoor spaces. Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Architects, builders, and landscape architects working together from concept to completion. Bridging the Architect-Builder Gap: Best practices for collaboration, communication, and shared vision. Technology Smart Landscapes: Sensors, irrigation tech, and data-informed landscape management AR/VR in Landscape Design: Using immersive tech to visualize and refine site plan Regulations Zoning, Codes & Green Standards: Navigating regulations to push sustainable outcomes Licensing & Liability in 2025 and Beyond: Legal updates every builder and architect should know Potential Speakers (Read bios and select topics that interest you) Kate Orff Founding Principal, Partner, RLA, FASLA, SCAPE; first landscape architect to receive MacArthur Foundation’s “genius” grant; ASLA Council of Fellows; National Design Award in Landscape Architecture from Cooper Hewitt; Named “Hero of the Harbor” by Waterfront Alliance; Named Urbanist of the Year by The Architect’s Newspaper; Named in TIME 100 most influential people in world; Author of Toward an Urban Ecology and a contributor to All We Can Save; Published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, and National Geographic. Agritecture Designer is a digital program that has modeled over 500 greenhouses and vertical farms to date, providing entrepreneurs with numerous tools to successfully plan their urban farms. Design Team: Christopher LaGuardia, FASLA, Principal Landscape Architect, Robert Young, Architecture & Interiors, Architect, James C. Grimes Land Design, Landscape Contractor - an ASLA multi-award-winning design team with accomplished projects. Keith Wagner, Landscape Architect and Founder of Wagner Hodgson, projects have a strong sculptural dialogue between buildings and landscape. With over three decades of experience, Keith’s award-winning work spans all project types and has been widely published. He is an active visiting professor at ESF – Syracuse University, a design juror, and a frequent lecturer. Elected to Council of Fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects. John B. Steiger, President and Founder of WPR, Certified Financial Planner™, Accredited Investment Fiduciary® Designee; University of Vermont graduate; started at Fidelity Investments, working with large corporations in cash management investments; moved to financial advising in '93; CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, a Chartered Financial Consultant®, an Accredited Estate Planner, and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® Designee. Kate Orff : Retooling a Landscape Architecture Practice Relative to the Uncertainty of Climate Change Kate Orff : Creating Spaces to Foster Social Life Agritecture Designer : Urban Rooftop Farm as a Model of Integrated Design Design Team Panel Discussion : Low Impact Strategies to Aid in Stabilizing and Preserving Seaside Bluff Design Team Panel Discussion : The Home and Landscape, an Appreciation of Place. Keith Wagner : Landscape’s Immense Power and Vulnerable Beauty with Careful Attention to Human Scale and Detailing John B. Steiger : Steps for Navigating Business Growth and Changes Are there any other specific speakers you would like to consider, outside of New England, if any? What other topics would you like to learn about? What hands-on training labs would you like to see at the Modern Living Symposium? Thank you for completing this survey. We appreciate your input!
