ASLA Connecticut Joins DesegregateCT

The chapter is pleased to announced that it has signed on as a supporter of DesegregateCT, a coalition of over 40 organizations and nonprofits with expertise in land use, construction, design, civil rights, and community development. The goal of the coalition is to reform statewide land use laws to ensure a more just and equitable Connecticut.

Landscape architects are leaders in the development of built environments, stewardship of the natural environment, and protection of public health, safety, and welfare. We believe that local zoning regulations in Connecticut are deeply flawed with respect to equity, the economy, and the environment. These policies encourage poor land use decisions in the development of housing, business, industry, energy, and transportation. Furthermore, they have accelerated cutting of timberlands, loss of agricultural lands, erosion of topsoil, siltation of watercourses, degradation of wetlands, and other environmental problems. The resulting sprawl of single-family subdivisions, shopping centers, office parks, and multi-lane highways represents a profound failure of smart growth principles and the policies intended to implement them.

Our profession is committed to advancing just and equitable land use policies in Connecticut so that communities can make better land use decisions. Incumbent in this work is acknowledging the significant social, economic, and environmental harm that has already been caused by our poor land use decisions. Repairing the harm will require a concerted effort by designers, planners, and community leaders to develop our communities and protect our natural resources in fundamentally new ways.

The participation of landscape architects is important to the success of this endeavor! If you are interested in assisting the coalition's efforts, you can get involved in several ways:

1. Writing editorials or letters to the editor in local media.

2. Serving as a presenter or panelist in education programs.

3. Providing existing statistics, data visualization, polling and/or other research.

4. Volunteering personnel and time to conduct new research.

5. Supporting advocacy efforts through outreach to legislators.

6. Helping produce videos with real people & their stories.

Please contact admin@ctasla.org if you would like to become involved as a volunteer. The chapter will continue to provide updates about the coalition's progress and advocacy initiatives.