With urban densities on the rise, cities are poised to exemplify greatness or self-destruction. My projects in these cities seek to mediate the extremes and bring a sense of stability to the disparate communities and districts that make them livable.”

Gerdo Aquino, FASLA, is the firmwide Co-CEO of SWA, an award-winning global practice operating on the leading edge of landscape architecture, urban design and planning. Gerdo is a big thinker, designer, author, and educator based in Los Angeles and is known for his research interests in reimagining the public realm as a means to improve quality of life within the densifying urban fabric of our cities and towns. Issues of urban ecology, resiliency, mobility, air and water quality, programming and access to open space frames much of his work and serves as the foundation of public lectures around the world.

Gerdo co-authored the award-winning research publication Landscape Infrastructure: Case Studies by SWA. Recent work includes a planning study to cap over a section of freeway in downtown Los Angeles; Milton Street Park, a linear levee park in Los Angeles; design and resiliency planning for a section of the Sava River Waterfront in Belgrade, Serbia; community outreach and design for a new central park in Glendale and a main plaza in Culver City, both in Southern California.

Gerdo is a licensed landscape architect in 8 states, holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and earned his Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture for the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He is also an adjunct associate professor at the University of Southern California, where he has taught graduate level design studio for over 10 years.

Pamela Conrad, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP, is an internationally recognized landscape architect, Faculty Lecturer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and Architecture 2030 Senior Fellow. Her passion for the environment is deeply rooted – from growing up on a farm in the mid-western United States to studying plant science and regenerative landscape architecture. Pamela’s 20-year career has focused on implementing carbon sequestering nature-based solutions in the built environment ranging from large scale habitat restoration to urban waterfront adaptation. She has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Bloomberg, TIME Magazine for Kids, Build Beyond Zero (2022), and on stage at the UN COP27/28 Climate Conferences.

Pamela’s influential carbon research is elevating the net positive impacts of the exterior built environment. She focuses on finding solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises and planning for a resilient future as the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Climate Action Plan Chair and International Federation of Landscape Architects Climate and Biodiversity Working Group Vice-Chair, including spearheading the Climate Action Commitment of net zero emissions by 2040 from 75,000+ professionals globally.

Isabel is an associate partner at Field Operations where she has been practicing landscape architecture for over 17 years. She is also the landscape architect member of the New York City Public Design Commission. Educated in both architecture and landscape architecture, Isabel brings exceptional attention to design creativity, detailing, and construction implementation. Fully bilingual in Spanish and English, Isabel is a strong communicator with deep experience leading extensive public engagement efforts and complex multi-agency approvals for large and transformative public realm projects. She has led the design and implementation of notable projects including various phases of New York’s High Line; Dallas’ West End Square; the renovation of the historic Lincoln Road District in Miami Beach; and the master plan and implementation of various phases of The Underline in Miami.

Alejandro is a director at Field Operations. With over a decade of experience, he is a meticulous and creative thinker who brings unparalleled thought to his craft and a collaborative approach to his projects, resulting in public spaces that are vibrant, distinctive, and highly memorable. Alejandro is fluent in both English and Spanish and utilizes this for community engagement for the many projects he’s been involved with in Miami including various phases of The Underline, 1 Southside Park, and The Wynwood Plaza. Deeply passionate about urban ecology and food justice, Alejandro was a 2021 Forefront Fellow with the Urban Design Forum, exploring how to foster food equity in every New York City neighborhood. He has since co-founded Share Shed NYC, a volunteer-based organization working to grow and strengthen sharing networks among urban growers and community gardeners across the city and is an alumnus of Farm School NYC.

Paul Peters, a principal at Hood Design Studio, is renowned for spotlighting the intricate ties between nature and culture in his landscape designs. Through a meticulous layered approach, he transforms expansive sites into intimate spaces. Paul believes landscapes hold unique meanings for everyone, derived from personal memories and experiences. He is deeply invested in the conceptual phase, seamlessly weaving broad perspectives, conceptual thinking, and research throughout his projects, ultimately influencing societal perspectives. Earning his Master’s in landscape architecture from the University of British Columbia, Paul managed his own design-build firm in Vancouver for seven years. Since joining Hood Design Studio in 2016, he’s pioneered several groundbreaking projects. Notably, he’s contributed to the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC, the historic Oakland Museum of California’s renovation, and Nvidia’s state-of-the-art campus in Silicon Valley.

Jana is a street furniture consultant and Managing Director of mmcité in the USA and UK. With over 14 years of experience, she believes that street furniture is not just a functional necessity but an opportunity to create vibrant and successful living spaces. She has a passion for creating public realms that are diverse, inclusive, and valuable. Jana’s technical knowledge and experience help her to advise on sustainability and design suitability, ensuring that every project mmcité works on is optimized for long-term success. She understands the importance of working in international markets and bringing together the best of architecture and nature to create public spaces that everyone can enjoy.

Elaine began her career at Unilock over 25 years ago. Starting in sales, she then moved into various marketing roles before a ten-year stint as Director of Commercial Strategy. In 2023, Elaine took on a new role as Director of Sustainability, where she is focused on spearheading initiatives that drive Unilock down the path to becoming a carbon neutral company, while helping designers build beautiful landscapes that enhance our lives, our health and our environment.

Jack Murphy is Executive Editor of The Architect’s Newspaper. Previously, he was Editor of Cite: The Architecture and Design Review of Houston and Adjunct Professor at the Gerald D. Hines University of Houston College of Architecture and Design. He earned an undergraduate degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a graduate degree in architecture from Rice University. He has worked for award-winning architects in New York City, Houston, Austin, and Boston. His writing has appeared in Places Journal, Dwell, Architectural Record, The Architect’s Newspaper, Texas Architect, Cite, PLAT, Paprika!, New York Review of Architecture, The Houston Chronicle, and SF Gate, among other publications. He was Co-Editor-in-Chief for PLAT 7.5 Oversharing and PLAT 8.0 Simplicity and Assistant Editor of Totalization, edited by Troy Schaum and published by Park Books. He lives in Brooklyn.

Emily Conklin (she/her) is a writer, architecture historian, and the managing editor of The Architect’s Newspaper. She holds a M.S. in Historic Preservation from Columbia GSAPP, and her current areas of research include office to residential conversions and designs for coliving.

Albert is Brand Development Manager for mmcité USA & Canada. He has a background in architecture, planning and was practicing Landscape Architect. He has 14+ years in design experience. He has been a bartender, truck driver, commercial photographer, & helped grow 3 successful business along the way. Albert understands the value of wonderful open spaces and the public realm. He is well traveled and has a love for words and artful expressions.

John Bozeman has worked in the Building Materials Industry for nearly 30 years with an emphasis on exterior decking, and has been the Western Territory Sales Manager for Bison Innovative Products since 2012. John enjoys collaborating with architects, developers, engineers, and contractors and sharing his knowledge and experience to create unique, one of a kind outdoor living environments. He finds cultivating and building relationships with clients, and nurturing projects from the design phase to completion with them, to be very rewarding. John uses a hands-on approach to help make every project a success.