Think back 20 years. What did "Green Design" mean? And what was your accessibility plan for that office project? Thanks to the many design and construction associations and their dedicated members, architects now have a method of working with groups like the U.S. Green Building Council, which certifies "green" projects and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which ensures that all Americans have broader access to offices, housing, entertainment and public spaces.

ASLA 2004 award recipient, Feral Geometry, Dallas, TX, by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc., photo by Carolyn Brown. A series of lawn steps extend from the house, a site of transition from interior to an exterior area of horizontal expansion.

The following are current governmental interests of the AIA, which has a number of member-organized groups supporting their efforts:

• Sustainable, healthy, livable communities.
• New incentives for affordable housing, green buildings, historic preservation and Brownfield renewal.
• Energy and water conservation.
• Better, safer schools and civic spaces.
• Affordable health insurance for small businesses.
• Liability laws that minimize lawsuit abuse.
• Reduced permitting delays.
• Clear building codes and accessibility guidelines.
• Sound licensing regulations.

According to Ann Looper, ASLA Director of Public Relations & Resource Development, the two top priorities for ASLA as identified by its Board of Trustees are government affairs advocacy and raising the visibility of the profession.

At the federal government affairs level, top issues for the ASLA include:

• Support for directives and funding to replace existing makeshift building and monument security devices with comprehensive, well-designed solutions.
• Funding for the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS).
• Increased funding for environmental, planning, and transit initiatives in the surface transportation reauthorization.
• A new Safe Routes to School program.
• Various initiatives providing more efficient use of water supplies and stormwater infrastructure improvements.

At the state level, ASLA has promoted the 50 by 2010 Licensure Campaign for the past four years to establish practice act licensure in every state and the District of Columbia by the year 2010. In 47 states, the term landscape architect can apply only to someone who is licensed. The association is pushing for 50.

Most professional associations have similar government agendas, which can be accessed via their web sites.