You are here: / / / IFLA’s history: A timeline

IFLA’s history: A timeline

Foundation of IFLA in 1948 at Jesus College, Cambridge, © The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL)

Founded in 1948 in Cambridge, the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) has a long history to look back on.

By 1948, the idea of an international collaboration of landscape architecture became reality. Until today the Federation aims to strengthen the exchange of knowledge and networking across various countries in the field of landscape architecture, and to contribute to a sustainable future. Within the project “IFLA 75: Uncovering Hidden Histories in Landscape Architecture”, researchers discovered and compiled interesting stories and insights about IFLA´s early members. These will be presented in an online-exhibition on the MERL website, and contain personal reports from those who participated in the first conference and meeting in 1948, information about the state of the profession in these countries and notable landscape architects of that period.

Since the foundation of IFLA many new countries have joined the network and the Federation is nowadays represented on all continents. It is organized in five regions: Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. To foster the exchange and share knowledge, IFLA members have held congresses every two years until 1978 and since then annually. These took and still take place in various member states addressing relevant topics concerning landscape architecture and related issues. In addition Council Meetings are taking place.

Have a look on the timeline1 with important events of IFLA´s history and it´s development into a worldwide organization, with a special focus on the early decades until the 21th century.

Explore the timeline

1 Information based on George L. Anagnostopoulos, IFLA: Past, Present, Future (Versailles: IFLA, 2000), Akibo Tobiloba and Steffi Schüppel (eds.), The IFLA 75th Anniversary Green Book (Versailles: International Federation of Landscape Architects, 2023), IFLA Europe, IFLA World, IFLA APR, CIVA Bruxelles (IFLA-Archives) and research within the project “IFLA 75 – Uncovering Hidden Histories in Landscape Architecture”
The timeline shows only selected milestones and makes no claim to be complete.

Milestones of IFLA´s history

  • 1948

    1

    Foundation

    Conference: London, United Kingdom / Great Britain (subsequently designated Ist Congress, about 160 participants). Theme of the Conference and Exhibition: “The work of the landscape architect in relation to society”

    Founding meeting: The International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) was officially founded on 14 August at the Jesus College in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
    Representatives from Belgium, Chile, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America, United Kingdom participated in that meeting. The Netherlands representative was not present on-site, but is seen as a founding counsellor. Not all participating countries became members from the beginning on.

    Further insights about the early members of IFLA were compiled by the IFLA 75 project team and will be shown on the MERL website

    Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe became IFLA´s first president

  • 1949

    2

    First Council

    First Council meeting Paris, France
    Countries represented: Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States

  • 1950

    3

    Approval of Constitution

    Congress Madrid, Spain. Theme: “Art and utility in the landscape”

    Germany joined

  • 1951

    4

    Council meeting Brussels, Belgium

  • 1952

    5

    Congress Stockholm, Sweden. Theme: “An idea and its realisation”

    Austria, Israel and the United States of America joined

  • 1953

    6

    Council meeting London, United Kingdom / Great Britain

  • 1954

    7

    Congress Vienna, Austria. Theme: “International landscapes”

    Walter Leder became president

  • 1955

    8

    Council meeting Copenhagen, Denmark

  • 1956

    9

    Congress Zürich, Switzerland. Theme: “Landscape in contemporary life”

    Prof. René Pechère became president

  • 1957

    10

    Council meeting Cologne, Germany

    Portugal joined

  • 1958

    11

    Congress Washington DC, USA. Theme: “Landscape architecture in the modern world”

    Sidney Shurcliff became president

    Poland joined

  • 1959

    12

    Council meeting Cambridge, United Kingdom / Great Britain

  • 1960

    13

    Congress Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Theme: “Space for living”

    Hungary joined

  • 1961

    14

    Council meeting Tarragona, Spain

  • 1962

    15

    IFLA is registered as an international Federation in Versailles (France)

    Congress Haifa, Israel. Theme: “The landscape architect’s role in shaping tomorrow’s landscape”

    Prof. Francisco Cabral became president

  • 1963

    16

    Council meeting Warsaw, Poland

  • 1964

    17

    Congress Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan. Theme: “Landscape architecture in human life”

  • 1965

    18

    1st UNESCO Recognition: Recognition of IFLA by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in category C (mutual information relationship)
    Further recognitions by UNESCO: 1970 category B (information and consultative relationship), since 1987 category A (consultative and associate relationship)

    Council meeting Lisbon, Portugal

    Australia and Venezuela joined

  • 1966

    19

    Congress Stuttgart, Germany. Theme: “The landscape architect in town and landscape planning”

    Richard Schreiner became president

  • 1967

    20

    Council meeting Sardinia, Italy

  • 1968

    21

    ILO Recognition: Recognition of the profession by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)

    Congress Montreal, Canada. Theme: “The role of the landscape architect in the planning, development and conservation of non-urban environment for leisure”

    Former Czechoslovakia joined

  • 1969

    22

    Publication of IFLA´s constitution

    Congress Montreal, Canada. Theme: “The role of the landscape architect in the planning, development and conservation of non-urban environment for leisure”

    Dame Sylvia Crowe became first female president

  • 1970

    23

    Congress Lisbon, Portugal. Theme: “Landscape problems in developing countries with special reference to the tropics”

    Prof. Olaf Aspesaeter became president

  • 1971

    24

    Founding of ISCCL: Foundation of the International Scientific Committee on Historic Gardens and Sites in collaboration with the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
    New name since 1999: International Scientific Committee on Cultural Heritage (ISCCL)

    Council meeting Caracas, Venezuela

  • 1972

    25

    Contribution of IFLA at the UNO conference in Stockholm, Sweden about “Problems of human environment”

    Congress Brussels, Belgium. Theme: “The gardener of the earth is the environment’s healer”

    Argentina joined

  • 1973

    26

    Council meeting Paris, France

    Mexico joined

  • 1974

    27

    Creation of committees: IFLA established four committees on areas suggested by UNESCO, which reflect its primary interests: Legislation and Administration, Preservation of Historic Landscapes, The Social Value of Landscape and Landscape Planning in Urban Areas
    Workshop titles of the project “IFLA 75: Uncovering Hidden Histories in Landscape Architecture” allude to them

    Congress Vienna, Austria. Theme: “Naturally designed environment”

    Prof. Hubert B. Owens became president

    New Zealand joined

  • 1975

    28

    Council meeting San Antonio, USA

  • 1976

    29

    Congress Istanbul, Turkey. Theme: “The role of the landscape architect in coastal area management and development”

    Floris G. Breman became president

    Brazil joined

  • 1977

    30

    Council meeting Vilvorde, Denmark

  • 1978

    31

    Declaration of Intent: IFLA published the “IFLA Declaration of Intent” outlining its goals and principles

    Establishment of the headquarter and secretariat at Versailles, France

    Congress Salvador, Brazil. Theme: “Spontaneous development of human settlements in countries on their way to industrialisation: the role of the landscape architects in planning and development for an improved quality of life”

    Dr. Hans F. Werkmeister became president

    Philippines, South Africa and Turkey joined

  • 1979

    32

    New constitution approved

    Council meeting Brussels, Belgium

    Congress Cambridge, United Kingdom / Great Britain. Theme: “Landscape 2000 – conservation or impoverishment?”

    Indonesia joined

  • 1980

    33

    Congress Bern, Switzerland. Theme: “River and lake landscapes”

    Greece joined

  • 1981

    34

    Congress Vancouver, Canada. Theme: “The frontier landscape”

    Iceland, India and Korea joined

  • 1982

    35

    Congress Canberra, Austrialia. Theme: “Australia: a challenge”

    Zvi Miller became president

    Colombia, Senegal and Singapore joined

  • 1983

    36

    Congress Munich, Germany. Theme: “City – nature –future”

  • 1984

    37

    Congress Siofok, Hungary. Theme: “The urban fringe”

    Malaysia and Nigeria joined

  • 1985

    38

    Congress Tokyo and Kobe, Japan. Theme: “Seeking new steps towards the creative environment”

    Morocco joined

  • 1986

    39

    IFLA-ICOMOS International Conference in Warsaw, Poland “Rural Landscape Management-History, Contemporaries, Future”

    Council meeting Ocho Rios, Jamaica

    Prof. Mihàli Möcsenyi became president

  • 1987

    40

    The Eastern Region is established (nowadays Asia-Pacific region)

    Congress Paris, France. Theme: “Plaisir du paysage”

    Former Yugoslavia joined

  • 1988

    41

    IFLA Central Region is established

    Congress Boston, USA. Theme: “International perspectives, collaboration and communciation”

    Former USSR joined

  • 1989

    42

    Foundation of IFLA Europe: IFLA Europe (European Region of International Landscape Architects) is established as European Foundation for Landscape Architecture

    Congress Manila, Philippines. Theme: “The realities of the tropics – a challenge”

    Chile, Luxembourg, Tawain and Thailand joined

  • 1990

    43

    Congress Bergen, Norway. Theme: “The landscape of coastlines and fjords”

    Theodore Osmundson became president

    Malawi joined

  • 1991

    44

    Congress Bergen, Norway. Theme: “The landscape of coastlines and fjords”

  • 1992

    45

    Congress Seoul-Kyung Ju, Korea. Theme: “Tradition and creation in the landscape”

    George L. Anagnostopoulos became president

    Lithuania and Costa Rica joined

    Australia, Canada, Great Britain and USA resigned

  • 1993

    46

    Congress Cape Town, South Africa. Theme: “Landscape architecture for developing countries– focus on Africa”

  • 1994

    47

    IFLA published the “IFLA Declaration on Sustainable Development”

    IFLA-ICOMOS Conference in Fulda, Germany: “Back to nature: The change from Baroque style to English style”

    Congress Mexico City, Mexico. Theme: “Metropolis: landscape architecture and ecology”

    Slovakia joined

  • 1995

    48

    Congress Bangkok, Thailand. Theme: “Tourism development and landscape change”

    Czech Republic and Slovenia joined

  • 1996

    49

    Congress Florence, Italy. Theme: “Paradise on earth – the garden of the 21st century”

    Prof. Arno S. Schmid became president

    Latvia joined

  • 1997

    50

    Congress Buenos Aires, Argentina. Theme: “Recreation and landscape – the re-created landscape”

  • 1998

    51

    50th anniversary

    Celebration of the 50th anniversary of IFLA in Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Congress Bali, Indonesia. Theme: “Landscape architecture – quest for the future, responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities”

  • 1999

    52

    Congress Copenhagen, Denmark. Theme: “Danish landscape architecture”

  • 2000

    53

    Congress San José, Costa Rica. Theme: “Conservation and eco-tourism”

    Richard L.P. Tan became president

    Australia, Canada, Great Britain and USA rejoined

  • 2002

    54

    Martha Cecilia Fajardo became president

  • 2004

    55

    IFLA signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP)

  • 2006

    56

    Proposal to organize IFLA in four regions: Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe

    Foundation of IFLA Asia-Pacific: The IFLA Asia-Pacific Region is established (former Eastern Region)

    International Union of Architects (UIA) signed MoU with IFLA

    Dr. Diane H. Menzies became president

  • 2010

    57

    Désirée Martinez de Uriarte became president

  • 2011

    58

    The IFLA World Council approved the “IFLA Declaration on Landscape Architecture Education”

  • 2012

    59

    Foundation of IFLA Africa: The IFLA Africa region was officially launched during the 49th World Council in Cape Town.

  • 2013

    60

    New constitution and by-laws were approved (came into force in 2014)

    The Tamaki Makaurau declaration was approved, with the intention of establishing IFLA policy that respects and includes indigenous knowledge and culture.

  • 2014

    61

    Prof. Kathryn Moore became president

  • 2016

    62

    Foundation of a Climate Change Working group within IFLA

    Conditional approval of IFLA Middle East

  • 2017

    63

    Ratification of the “IFLA Global Accord – adaption for a changing world”, which reaffirms the commitment of landscape architects to the well-being of current and future societies and environments.

  • 2018

    64

    Prof. James Hayter became president

  • 2019

    65

    IFLA signed MoU with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

  • 2020

    66

    Foundation of IFLA Middle East: IFLA Middle East Region was formally ratified.

  • 2021

    67

    Adaptation of the “IFLA Declaration on Climate Change and Landscape Architecture”: IFLA adopted its declaration to address the role of landscape architects in mitigating the impact of climate change.

  • 2022

    68

    Ratification of the Climate Action Commitment seeking to reduce carbon emissions, protect natural environments, restore biodiversity and foster innovative approaches to planning and design.

    Launch of the research project “IFLA75: Uncovering Hidden Histories in Landscape Architecture” (until 2024)

    Bruno Marques became president

  • 2023

    69

    75th anniversary

    Celebration of the 75th anniversary of IFLA, bringing together landscape architects from 78 associations of member countries

    Publication of the book Akibo Tobiloba and Steffi Schüppel (eds.), The IFLA 75th Anniversary Green Book (Versailles: International Federation of Landscape Architects, 2023)

    Hybrid session by the IFLA 75 project team at the IFLA World Congress Stockholm, Sweden / Nairobi, Kenya. Theme: “IFLA 75: Histories and networks, a shift in perspective”

  • 2024

    70

    IFLA´s 60th World Congress “Code Red for Earth” in Istanbul, Turkey

© , NELA