Designing Change: Landscape Continuity in an Age of Uncertainty 

Designing Change: Landscape Continuity in an Age of Uncertainty 

Symposium
black and white contact sheet of historic images of Roberto Burle Marx and members of the Longwood team and the public at the opening of the Cascade Garden

Dates & Price

Wednesday, October 15–Thursday, October 16, 2025

The Fountain Room at Longwood Gardens


 

Fee
$289 prior to August 15
$329 August 16–September 30

Registration opens April 2025

Registration closes on September 30

Curated by Anita Berrizbeitia, Professor of Landscape Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design, this two-day symposium welcomes landscape architects and designers, preservationists, ecologists, thought leaders, and industry professionals to one of the great gardens of the world to engage with world-renowned speakers and enjoy many opportunities for discussion. The symposium also examines the unprecedented preservation, relocation, and reconstruction of the Cascade Garden, designed by acclaimed Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx and newly opened at Longwood Gardens.

During the symposium, enjoy an impressive roster of speakers comprised of award-winning scholars, landscape architects, ecologists, and ethnobotanists. Events include a welcome reception and keynote on the Cascade Garden preservation; lightning talks on existing preservation paradigms; a panel discussion on the intersection of biological and cultural conservation; and a concluding keynote on the future of historic estate landscapes, among many other highlights.

Featured speakers include:

  • Kongjian Yu, Ph.D., Pioneer of the “Sponge City” Concept
  • Kristin Frederickson, Principal of Reed Hilderbrand
  • Steven Heyde and Sylvia Van Damme, Ph.D., Authors of The Future of Estate Landscapes in Europe
  • Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi, Partners and Cofounders of WEISS/MANFREDI

Session chairs:

  • John Beardsley, Curator of the Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize
  • Charles Birnbaum, Founder, President and CEO of The Cultural Landscape Foundation

More information on the symposium program and registration to be shared soon.