All of California and beyond / San Diego, Spring 2027

CALL FOR PRESENTERS: Eco-“logical” Density

Eco-“logical” Density
Designing for Quality of All Life, Amid Rapid Growth
April 2027 | San Diego, CA
A Climate & Biodiversity Action Symposium
Hosted by the San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JANUARY 30, 2027
 

SUMMARY

The San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) invites proposals for its Climate & Biodiversity Action Symposium, Eco-“logical” Density. As cities worldwide face growing housing demands, increasing populations, and intensifying climate challenges, how we accommodate growth has profound implications for the health of our communities and ecosystems. Using San Diego as a lens, this symposium will explore how density can become an opportunity to create healthier, more equitable, climate-resilient, and ecologically rich places. We welcome presentations that challenge conventional approaches to urban growth and offer innovative ideas, research, projects, and practices that support quality of life for all.
 

DESCRIPTION

Nearing 3.3 million people and home to more than 6,000 plant and animal species, San Diego County is both the most biologically diverse and the fifth most populous county in the continental United States. Between 2022 and 2025, San Diego County added over 43,000 residents, driving roughly 12% of California’s entire statewide population growth. The City of San Diego, which has consistently represented approximately 43% of the county’s population since the 1990s, drove 72% of this increase, adding more than 30,000 residents and surpassing 1.4 million people for the first time. These converging pressures make San Diego a compelling place to examine a challenge facing growing urban regions everywhere: how can we accommodate more people without sacrificing the qualities that make our cities livable, distinctive, and ecologically vibrant?
 

Eco-“logical” Density invites us to rethink density—not simply as more people and more buildings, but as an opportunity to create healthier, more connected, and more ecologically rich communities. As housing needs intensify and climate challenges become more urgent, the design of our neighborhoods, public spaces, and urban landscapes will play a critical role in determining how well people and other species can thrive together. Density need not come at the expense of nature; thoughtfully planned and designed, it can help create places where social connection, human well-being, and ecological health reinforce one another.

Through presentations, case studies, and panel discussions, the symposium will explore the intersections of housing, public space, biodiversity, urban forestry, climate resilience, mobility, health, and community. How can nature be integrated into denser neighborhoods? How can parks, streets, and civic spaces support growing populations while strengthening ecological connections? How can we design for extreme heat, wildfire, and other climate-related challenges? And how can development coexist with—and contribute to—the remarkable wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems that sustain our cities and regions?

We welcome proposals from landscape architects, architects, planners, ecologists, researchers, policymakers, advocates, community leaders, and others working across these disciplines. We are particularly interested in local experience, interdisciplinary collaboration, innovative research, built projects, community-led initiatives, and actionable strategies that can inform San Diego and other rapidly growing urban regions. Presentations may address emerging ideas, successful precedents, lessons learned, or new approaches to balancing development with climate action, biodiversity, and equitable access to healthy public spaces.

At its core, Eco-“logical” Density asks us to think beyond the human scale: What if the measure of a successful growing city isn’t simply how many people it can accommodate, but how well it supports all life?

We invite you to contribute your ideas, experience, and vision to this conversation.

Submission Guidelines

Please provide a concise, clearly articulated proposal that identifies your central idea, its relevance to the symposium theme, and its value to attendees. Proposals may feature built projects, applied research, emerging ideas, community-led initiatives, policy approaches, or interdisciplinary collaborations. We encourage submissions from a broad range of disciplines and professional backgrounds.

Would you be interested in participating in a panel discussion or facilitated conversation? *