2021 ASLA COMMUNICATIONS AWARD OF HONOR: WxLA - Champions for Equality in Landscape Architecture

“从2018年起，WxLA开始致力于倡导性别公正，并由最初的5个创始人发展至今天的强大影响力。随着第一项行动的开展——促成通过变革解决性别平等问题的决议——以及持续进行具有影响力的研究和信息传播， WxLA对基于性别的工作场所挑战进行了深入调研，为实现行业内的公平性开辟了新的途径。具体的措施包括：与VELA项目以及维基媒体项目进行合作；Instagram接管和宣传；为18位年轻专业人士提供会议奖学金；以及数字资源工具包的创建。其目标是为景观设计行业建立更理想、更公平的道路。”
– 2021年评审委员会

“Starting in 2018, WxLA began advocacy for gender justice, growing from five founders to a movement within the landscape architecture profession toward equality. With its first act—a resolution geared toward addressing gender parity through commitments to change—and continuing in impactful research and messaging, WxLA has investigated gender-based workplace challenges and opened new avenues toward parity. These efforts include collaborations with the VELA Project and the Wikimedia Project; Instagram takeovers; a scholarship for 18 young professionals to attend conferences; and a digital toolkit of resources aimed at a better, more equitable path for the profession.”
– 2021 Awards Jury

来自 ASLA 对gooood的分享。
WxLA – Champions for Equality in Landscape Architecture | WxLA

项目概述
PROJECT STATEMENT

成型于2018年的WxLA受到公民行动、全球平权运动以及多位创始人的个人经历的启发，是一项针对景观设计行业内的性别公平问题的声援倡议。WxLA加强了人们对影响女性发挥最大潜力的挑战的认知，阐明了女性在行业中面临的种种障碍，提供了变革的策略并倡导了新的工作模式。在三年的时间里，WxLA率先提出了以行动为导向的倡议，包括前所未有过的针对景观行业中性别平等问题的（再）解决方案、动态的媒体策略（如Instagram活动和网站）、一项成功的WxLA奖学金计划以及具有创新性的“性别公正工作场所工具包”（Toolkit for a Gender Just Workplace）。

从最初的五位创始人到成千上万的追随者和志愿者，WxLA赢得了大量支持，为景观行业内的女性提供了发声的机会和促进变革的机制，同时也为传统的从业者和新一代从业者提供了灵感和启发。这一积极的势头将通过对一系列工作成果的褒奖而继续保持下去，并帮助传达ASLA在平等性方面的愿景与承诺。

Inspired by civic action, equality movements around the world, and the personal experience of its founders, WxLA emerged in 2018 as a vocal advocacy initiative for gender justice in landscape architecture. WxLA raises awareness for the challenges that prevent women from reaching their highest potential, illuminates the barriers to women, provides strategies for change and celebrate new models of working. In three potent years, WxLA spearheaded action-oriented initiatives such as the (first-ever) Women’s Landscape Equality (re)Solution, a dynamic media presence including an instagram campaign and website, a successful WxLA Scholarship and a Toolkit for a Gender Just Workplace.

From five founders to thousands of followers and volunteers, WxLA is a mobilized and empowered movement, providing a voice for women in the profession, a mechanism for enacting change and an inspiration to legacy and next-generation practitioners alike. Awarding these efforts will continue the momentum and send a message about the ASLA’s commitment to equality.

▲讲述我们的故事：WxLA由一群志愿者在2018年创立，为景观行业的女性提供了一个发声的机会、一项促进积极变化的机制，以及激励从业者的灵感源泉。Telling Our Stories. Founded by a group of volunteers in 2018, WxLA provides a voice for our profession’s women, a mechanism for enacting positive change and an inspiration to motivate practitioners. © Jeri Hetrick

项目说明
PROJECT NARRATIVE

成型于2018年的WxLA受到公民行动、全球平权运动以及多位创始人的个人经历的启发，是一项针对景观设计行业内的性别公平问题的声援倡议。WxLA加强了人们对影响女性发挥最大潜力的挑战的认知，阐明了女性在行业中面临的种种障碍，提供了变革的策略并倡导了新的工作模式。

利用不同类型的在线平台、社交网络、提供支持的行业出版物以及完全由志愿者组成的领导层和成员团队，WxLA试图借助当代工具来建立一个积极推行变革的联合体。在最开始的三年中，WxLA率先采取了以行动为导向的工作举措，包括以下几个具体内容：

书写和讲述我们的故事

WxLA的故事开始于2017年前后，四位资深的女性专业人士辞去了她们在国际大型知名景观公司中的职务，转而致力于开展自己的实践。这些女性在工作场所中遭遇了不同的基于性别差异的挑战，同时，这些挑战又与今天由女性领导实践的新兴趋势展现出某种相似性。一位男性从业者将这几位女性汇聚起来，并在2018年于费城举办的景观设计会议上促成了专题讨论会的进行。

WxLA致力于在单次讨论的价值之外形成更广泛的影响，并且帮助建立以行动为导向的、合作性的且有效的长期过程。WxLA的基础工作之一是创建女性景观平等（再）解决方案（Women’s Landscape Equality (re)Solution），并在专题讨论会中正式启动。紧接着，几位创始人在2019年4月出版的《景观建筑杂志》上发表了一篇名为《更伟大的时代》的专题文章，以文字形式记录了这一动态的演变过程。

尽管WxLA是一个倡议性的组织，它的故事与发展过程已经得到许多国内和国际出版物的报道，包括《纽约时报》、《景观建筑杂志》和《The Dirt》等。几位创始人及其盟友被邀请在美国各地大学和会议上发言并主持讨论，包括德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校、佛罗里达州ASLA年会、纽约ASLA年会、LABASH 2020、2018年ASLA景观建筑会议、2020年ReVision会议、渥太华ASLA、Victor Stanley系列讲座和Stuart Weitzman设计学院的Mind the Gap系列讲座。

为性别公正创造宣传工具

WxLA创建了首个女性景观平等（再）解决方案，其最初的陈述是：“作为景观设计师，我们知道多样性为这个星球带来了生命、健康与奇迹。我们也知道，要想恢复生态系统日渐退化的多样性，就必须进行积极的干预。现在正是景观设计学通过严谨、大胆且积极的变革来解决行业中性别平等问题的时刻。”这份仅占一页纸的文件于2018年秋季被发布在change.org网站上以供从业者和公司领导者阅读和颁布，它总结了女性领导力所面临的挑战，并给出了一项直截了当的承诺。到目前为止，（再）解决方案已被分享至网络平台、《景观建筑杂志》等出版物以及全球各地的公司网站上，并获得了超过5000人的签名。

2021年，WxLA推出了“性别公正工作场所工具包”（Toolkit for a Gender Just Workplace）。这套工具首先是为各州分会的参与而开发的，它为公司领导层和团队成员提供了切实可行的研究和最佳实践方法。此后，这项工作内容还在妇女历史月（Women’s History Month）期间以文章形式发表在《世界景观建筑》上。该工具包由以下几个框架构成：透明的业务、灵活的人力资源、援助系统以及性别公正文化。它总结了女性从行业中流失的情况，承认了她们所面临的实际挑战，并且提供了一条具体的、更具公平性的前进道路。

利用网络平台建立联盟

WxLA借助战略性的工具来传播和分享信息，并在其联盟成员之间创造对话。继（再）解决方案获得成功后，WxLA团队开启了专门的instagram账号，用于举办丰富且充满启发性的活动。例如，通过征集提名，50多家由女性领导的景观公司在官方平台上得到了表彰。每家公司的简介都包含了领导团队的介绍、使命以及被赋予创新称号的原因。另一个例子是，WxLA邀请关注者身穿定制的WxLA品牌T恤和运动衫进行自拍，最终获得了数百张照片分享以及拍摄者的观念、想法和充满力量的宣言，作为不同线上和线下活动的预热。

WxLA进一步利用其instagram平台来提高人们对其他由女性领导的倡议行动的认知。在2019年7月的一周时间内，VELA项目（一项通过自身数据分析对景观设计公正性进行可视化的倡议）向公众分享了调查结果。在2019年12月，维基百科项目展示了其研究和撰写女性景观设计师简介的工作。在2020年和2021年2月的黑人历史月期间，志愿者们在WxLA的instagram上发布了有关黑人妇女的鼓舞人心的帖子和故事，讲述了她们对于行业的贡献和对从业者起到的激励作用。在2021年国际妇女节，WxLA接管了ASLA在instagram平台的国际官方账号，与ASLA的6万名关注者分享了工作和研究成果。

WxLA的线上行动通过其网站（wxlandscape.org）得到了进一步加强。该网站提供了与该联盟相关的生动图像、有关倡议的各类信息、组织的背景故事以及对其背后庞大的捐款者基础的赞誉。在网站上，访问者还可以查找和探索各种宣传工具（如reSolution、近期文章和出版物）、了解奖学金和申请过程，并访问会议照片和播客节目。此外，网站的注册用户还可订阅季度新闻简报以持续关注未来的倡议活动。

投资下一代领导者

WxLA认识到了接触下一代从业者的必要性，并于2019年创建了WxLA奖学金计划。该奖学金通过GoFundMe活动筹集到超过3万美元资金和1万美元的实物捐赠，并在T恤衫定制活动中筹集到数千美元，用于资助18位年轻的职业女性参与在圣地亚哥举行的景观建筑会议（2019年）、ReVision会议（2020年）以及一系列指导活动和小型教育论坛。这批优秀学者是由两个截然不同的世界级专业评审团从来自全球的100多名申请人中评估和挑选而出，她们将被号召并选择参与各类宣传任务、研讨会和演讲，以帮助行业提高公正性和权利方面的意识。

除了自身的宣传，WxLA的领导者和联盟成员还协助其他刚刚出现和即将形成的倡议。在ASLA的邀请下，WxLA的创始人讲述了她们与新创立的拉丁裔团体和LGBTQX专业人士团体的成功合作以及期间遇到的挑战。WxLA还为部分学者和附属机构的拨款申请、研究金申请和提名提供支持，并将继续利用在线平台，为其他拥有相同目标的倡议提供支持，包括NAMLA（全国少数群体景观设计师协会）、BlackLAN、Llama Colectivo、VELA项目、Woland基金会以及JSR基金会等。

从最初的五位创始人到成千上万的追随者和志愿者，WxLA赢得了大量支持，为景观行业内的女性提供了发声的机会和促进变革的机制，同时也为传统的从业者和新一代从业者提供了灵感和启发。这一积极的势头将通过对一系列工作成果的褒奖而继续保持，并帮助传达ASLA在平等性方面的愿景与承诺。

▲《景观建筑杂志》上关于WxLA的报道。继2018年景观建筑会议的专题讨论会之后，WxLA的创始人在《景观建筑杂志》（2018年4月）上撰写了一篇专题文章。这篇文章描述了当代女性在实践中的经验，并倡导了性别公正。WxLA in Landscape Architecture Magazine. Following a panel discussion at the 2018 Conference on Landscape Architecture, WxLA founders authored a feature article in Landscape Architecture Magazine (April 2018). The piece described the contemporary experience of women in practice and advocated for gender justice. © Landscape Architecture Magazine

▲新闻中的WxLA：在世界各地的行业媒体上，WxLA和性别平等倡议行动被《世界景观建筑》评为2019年景观行业的最热门趋势之一。WxLA in the News. Appearing in industry press around the world, WxLA and the fight for gender equality was named one one of 2019’s top trends in landscape architecture by World Landscape Architecture. © NA

▲为性别公正创造宣传工具：WxLA将其支持者的想法和愿望（例如在2019年景观建筑大会上记录的内容）转化为一系列促进性别公正的实践工具。Creating Advocacy Tools for Gender Justice. WxLA translates the ideas and aspirations of its supporters – like those recorded during an interactive convening at the 2019 Conference on Landscape Architecture – into a series of tools for gender-just practice. © Jeri Hetrick

▲女性景观平等（再）解决方案于2018年秋季发布，至今已签署超过5100次，它对与性别相关的挑战和障碍进行了高水准的总结，呼吁采取行动，并为签署者提供一系列承诺。The Women’s Landscape Equality (re)Solution. Published in the Fall of 2018 and signed over 5,100 times since, the (re)Solution offers a high-level summary of gender-based challenges and barriers, a call for action and a series of commitment for signers to accept. ©WxLA

▲性别公正工作场所工具：在《世界景观建筑杂志》上发表的《设计大时代：性别公正工作场所工具》提供了一系列切实可行的研究、战略和最佳实践，为公司领导者和团队成员提供了指导。Tools for a Gender Just Workplace. Published as “Designing the Bigger Time: Tools for a Gender Just Workplace” in World Landscape Architecture Magazine, a series of tangible and actionable research, strategies and best practices give guidance to both firm leaders and team members alike. ©WxLA

▲利用在线平台建立联盟：借助各类平台、社交网络和支持性的行业出版物，以及完全由志愿者组成的领导层和成员，WxLA正试图利用当代工具建立一个具有变革意义的联盟。Building a Coalition Using Online Platforms. Using a variety of online platforms, social networks and supportive industry publications as well as an entirely-volunteer leadership and membership following, WxLA is using contemporary tools to build a coalition for change. © Jeri Hetrick

▲充分利用在线工具：WxLA在选择和使用在线平台方面展现出战略性和有效性，使其影响力最大化：官方网站用于持续更新事件和问题，Instagram用于实时分享，YouTube则用于偶尔举办的特别活动，如播客系列节目等。Leveraging Online Tools. WxLA is strategic and effective in its use of select online platforms for maximum impact: a website for ongoing updates on events and issues, an Instagram feed for real-time sharing and YouTube for occasional special events like a podcast series. ©WxLA

▲WxLA的Instagram活动： 凸显由女性领导的实践。WxLA的Instagram账号拥有超过2000名关注者，主要用于发布行业内女性领导者的观点、事迹和个人介绍。WxLA Instagram Campaign: Celebrating Women-led Practices. With over 2,000 followers, WxLA’s Instagram feed features quotes, facts and faces of women leaders in the profession. ©WxLA

▲“前倾”的品牌形象：在WxLA的定制logo颂扬了女性的雄心壮志，倾斜的字体蕴含着“向前迈进”的意味，变化的紫色色调则象征着不同的声音，强调出多样性的美感。A Brand Identity that Leans In. WxLA’s custom logo celebrates female ambition (it literally leans in) and different voices (by deploying various shades of purple), reinforcing the beauty of diversity. ©WxLA

▲WxLA品牌在行动：在过去几年的各类活动中，众多支持者身着定制的WxLA品牌T恤和运动衫自拍并分享至网站。The WxLA Brand in Action. Hundreds of custom WxLA branded t-shirts and sweatshirts have been sold and are proudly worn by the supporters including for various selfie campaigns over the past few years. ©WxLA

▲WxLA的Instagram内容：WxLA利用Instagram平台为妇女平等运动中的盟友付诸努力，让VELA项目、维基百科项目和黑人历史月的志愿者工作有机会在这里分享内容。WxLA Instagram TakeOvers. WxLA leverages its Instagram platform for allied efforts in the women’s equality movement, with multiple takeovers. Here, the VELA Project, the Wikipedia Project and a volunteer effort for Black History Month all shared content. ©WxLA

▲投资下一代领导者：WxLA为年轻的专业人士提供发声渠道并传播信息，图中展示的是WxLA学会首期课程，七位来自全国各地的杰出女性获得了景观建筑会议的交流和教育机会。Investing in Next Generation Leaders. WxLA spread the word with young professionals, including the inaugural class of WxLA Scholars, shown here. These seven incredible women from across the country benefited from the networking and educational opportunities of the Conference on Landscape Architecture. © Jeri Hetrick

▲WxLA奖学金计划：为了培养下一代女性景观领导者，WxLA筹集了超过4万美元的现金和实际服务，以全力支持18位女性参加2019年和2020年的景观建筑年会。The WxLA Scholarship. Eager to invest in the next generation of female landscape leadership, WxLA raised over $40,000 in cash and in-kind services to fully support eighteen women to attend the annual conference on landscape architecture in 2019 and 2020. ©WxLA

▲WxLA的奖学金计划：2019年和2020年，两个世界级和多元化的专业评审团从来自全球的100多名申请人中评估和挑选出了18位优秀学员（如图所示）并为之颁发了奖学金。The WxLA Scholarship. In 2019 and in 2020, two world-class and diverse juries of seasoned and emerging leaders collectively evaluated the over 100 applicants from around the world, ultimately selecting 18 scholars. Here is the 2020 WxLA Scholars! ©WxLA

▲在圣地亚哥举办的WxLA会议：从五位创始人到成千上万的追随者和志愿者，WxLA赢得了大量民众的支持，为景观行业内的女性提供了发声的机会和促进变革的机制，同时也为传统的从业者和新一代从业者提供了灵感和启发。A WxLA Convening in San Diego. From five founders to thousands of followers and volunteers, WxLA is a mobilized and empowered movement, providing a voice for women in the profession, a mechanism for enacting change and an inspiration to legacy and next-generation practitioners alike. © Jeri Hetrick

PROJECT NARRATIVE

Inspired by increased civic action, energetic equality movements around the world and the personal experiences of its founders, WxLA emerged in 2018 as a vocal advocacy initiative for gender justice in landscape architecture. WxLA raises awareness for the challenges that prevent women from reaching their highest potential, illuminates the barriers women face, provides strategies for change and celebrates new working models.

Using a variety of online platforms, social networks and supportive industry publications as well as an entirely-volunteer leadership and membership following, WxLA is using contemporary tools to build a coalition for change. In its potent first three years, WxLA spearheaded action-oriented initiatives including the following:

Writing and Telling Our Stories

WxLA’s story begins with four senior female professionals leaving leadership positions in large and internationally recognized landscape firms to begin their own practices in and around 2017. Recognizing the similarities in their own personal experiences of gender-based challenges in the workplace and an emerging trend of new women-led practices, a senior male professional gathered these women and facilitated a panel discussion at the 2018 Conference on Landscape Architecture in Philadelphia.

Eager to have broader impacts beyond the benefits of a one-time discussion, this group coalesced as the founders of WxLA, a name that emerged organically through early actions. Committed to an action-oriented, collaborative and effective long-term process, one of WxLA’s foundational efforts was the creation of the Women’s Landscape Equality (re)Solution, launched at the panel discussion. Immediately following, the founders captured this organic evolution and formation in writing in a feature article called “The Bigger Time” in Landscape Architecture Magazine published in April of 2019.

Though nascent in its life as an advocacy organization, WxLA, its stories and its coalition have been featured in numerous national and international publications including the New York Times, Landscape Architecture Magazine, World Landscape Architecture Magazine and The Dirt. Its founders and allies have been invited to speak at and led discussions at universities and conferences around the country including The University of Texas at Austin, the Florida ASLA Annual Meeting, the New York ASLA Annual Meeting, LABASH 2020, the ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture in 2018, the ReVision Conference of 2020, Ottawa ASLA, the Victor Stanley Lecture Series and the Mind the Gap Lecture Series at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design.

Creating Advocacy Tools for Gender Justice

WxLA created the first-ever Women’s Landscape Equality (re)Solution. It begins, “As landscape architects, we know that diversity brings life, health, and wonder to our planet. We also know that where ecosystems have declined in diversity, restoration takes active intervention. Now is time for landscape architecture to address gender parity in the profession through a conscientious, courageous, and active declaration of change.” This one-page document, posted to change.org in the Fall of 2018, provides a summary of the challenges to women in leadership and a straight-forward series of commitments for practitioners and firm leaders to read and enact. To date, the (re)Solution has been shared across online platforms, publications like Landscape Architecture Magazine and on firm websites around the country. To date, the (re)Solution has garnered over 5,000 signatures.

In 2021, WxLA launched its “Tools for a Gender Just Workplace”. Developed first as a presentation for state chapter engagement, the toolkit provides tangible and actionable research and best practices aimed at both firm leaders and team members alike. The work went on to be published in article form in World Landscape Architecture during Women’s History Month. The toolkit is framed through organizing themes: transparent business, flexible human resources, systems of recourse and gender-just culture. It both summarizes the attrition of women from the profession, acknowledges the specific challenges they face and offers a concrete and more equitable path forward.

Building a Coalition Using Online Platforms

WxLA uses a few strategic tools to spread its message, share information and create dialogue among its coalition. Following on the success of the (re)Solution, the WxLA team launched a vibrant instagram site that has since hosted a number of energetic campaigns. As one example, a call for nominations led to over 50 women-led landscape practices being celebrated on the site. Each firm profile included its leadership, mission, and reasons for being lauded as innovative. As another example, WxLA invited selfies of followers wearing their custom-designed WxLA-branded t-shirts and sweatshirts. Hundreds of these selfies have been shared with thoughts, ideas and empowering messages as a lead up to different events or online happenings.

WxLA further leveraged its instagram platform to raise awareness of other women-led initiatives. Over a week in July of 2019, The VELA Project (an initiative focused on visualizing equality in landscape architecture through its own data-driven analysis) shared its findings. Over a week in December of 2019, the Wikipedia Project showcased its work researching, writing and contributing profiles of women landscape architects to Wikipedia. During Black History Month in February of 2020 and 2021, volunteers populated the WxLA instagram feed with inspiring posts and stories about black women who have helped to share the profession and inspire us all, and particularly women of color. On International Women’s Day of 2021, WxLA hosted a takeover of National ASLA’s instagram, sharing its work and research with ASLA’s 60,000 followers. To date, WxLA’s instagram has over 2,000 followers.

WxLA’s online presence is enhanced by its website: wxlandscape.org. The website offers vivid imagery of the coalition, information about initiatives, a summary of the organization’s back story and a tribute to its extensive donor base. From the website, visitors can also find and explore the various advocacy tools (like the reSolution, recent articles and publications), learn about the scholarship and its application process and visit photography and podcasts from various convenings. The website also allows visitors to sign up to stay informed of upcoming initiatives via quarterly newsletters.

Investing in the Next Generation of Leaders

Feeling the need to reach next-generation practitioners, the WxLA created a WxLA Scholarship program in 2019. Fundraising over $30,000 via a GoFundMe campaign, garnering another $10,000 of in-kind donations and generating thousands more on a custom t-shirt campaign, the scholarship enabled eighteen young professional women to attend the Conference on Landscape Architecture in San Diego (2019), the ReVision Conference (2020) and a series of mentoring events and smaller educational forums. Two distinct and diverse world-class juries of professionals evaluated and selected the scholars from over 100 applicants from around the world. Scholars are enlisted and sometimes volunteer to participate in events – including takeovers, workshops and presentations – to advance awareness and help grow empowerment.

In addition to its own advocacy, WxLA leaders and coalition members have also assisted other burgeoning and forming initiatives. Invited by ASLA, the WxLA founders presented the challenges and successes of starting an advocacy initiative with emergent groups of LatinX and LGBTQX professionals. WxLA has supported grant writing, fellowship applications and nominations for a number of its scholars and affiliates. Further, it continues to use its online platform to shine its light on the good work of other mission-aligned initiatives like NAMLA (National Association of Minority Landscape Architects), BlackLAN, Llama Colectivo, the VELA Project, the Woland Foundation and the JSR Foundation.

From five founders to thousands of followers and volunteers, WxLA is a mobilized and empowered movement, providing a voice for women in the profession, a mechanism for enacting change and an inspiration to legacy and next-generation practitioners alike. Awarding these efforts will continue the momentum and send a message about the ASLA’s commitment to equality.

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