2026 Conference Theme
Catalyzing Connections:
Integrating strategies, knowledge, and action with communities in landscape architecture
Overview
Today’s challenges and solutions in the landscape architecture discipline demand new ways of connecting knowledge, people, and practice while merging traditional methods and tools with innovative practices across ecological, cultural, social, economic, and technological dimensions. The 2026 CELA Conference invites landscape architecture educators, researchers, scholars, and professional practitioners to explore how deeper collaborations can drive catalytic transformation in our discipline by integrating research, scholarship, education, and practices with communities. Building on CELA’s ongoing efforts to create strategies, knowledge, and action items to bridge research and practice, this year’s conference theme emphasizes not only connection but meaningful synthesis of ideas, approaches, and perspectives that lead to new methods, models, opportunities, and outcomes for the future of education, scholarship, and leadership.
Purpose
The 2026 CELA Conference provides a platform to explore how landscape architecture as a discipline and area of practice can better integrate ideas, knowledge, people, and practices to create catalytic, meaningful, and enduring outcomes. Our objective is to cultivate a vibrant exchange of ideas that advances the discipline and elevates both the practical impact of scholarly efforts and the theoretical foundations of professional practice. The conference offers opportunities highlighting the evolving roles of educators, scholars, and practitioners in addressing environmental, economic, and social challenges, and how stronger connections across institutions, disciplines, and sectors can support our scholarly activities in the landscape architecture discipline.
Key Questions
- How can landscape architecture effectively integrate research, scholarship, education, and practice with our communities to address today’s complex environmental, economic, and social challenges?
- What new strategies, methods, models, and tools are emerging that emphasize meaningful collaboration across academic and professional practices, engaging private and public sectors?
- In what ways can partnerships between educators, scholars, and practitioners support in creating sustainable, healthy and resilient communities?
- How do we ensure that scholarly work contributes to real-world impact while remaining grounded in disciplinary rigor?
- What roles can CELA and its members play as catalysts to advance synthesis, dialogue, and shared leadership to shape the future of landscape architecture?
Call to Action
Join us in Cincinnati for the 2026 Annual CELA Conference and let’s collectively explore how connection across methods, disciplines, and communities can become a catalyst for producing more impactful outcomes for integration and innovation in landscape architecture. Through shared inquiry and diverse perspectives, we aim to strengthen the networks, practices, and ideas that will shape our field into the future.