Call for poster abstracts
2026 Scenic Symposium

Sept. 23–24, 2026
Missouri Botanical Garden | St. Louis, Missouri

Be part of the nation’s premier symposium on scenic conservation.

Scenic America, in partnership with Scenic Missouri, invites abstract submissions for the inaugural Posters Session at the 2026 Scenic Symposium. This new session will highlight innovative work advancing scenic conservation across the country.

About the symposium

The Scenic Symposium brings together leaders, practitioners, and advocates working to preserve and enhance the visual character of America’s communities and landscapes.

This year’s program will reflect Scenic America’s core priorities:

• Discouraging billboard proliferation
• Championing scenic byways
• Advocating for utility undergrounding
• Promoting aesthetically welcoming community spaces
• Supporting parks and open landscapes

Poster session overview

Selected posters will be displayed throughout the symposium, with a dedicated session for presenters to engage directly with attendees.

We welcome submissions highlighting applied projects, research, policy initiatives, planning efforts, design strategies, advocacy campaigns, partnerships, or implementation models that advance scenic conservation.

Submissions may address work at any scale and at any stage of development.

Topic areas

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Billboard and outdoor advertising regulation and reform
• Scenic byways and corridor management
• Parks, open spaces, and public lands stewardship
• Placemaking, community character, and design
• Undergrounding utilities and infrastructure design
• Data center land use and energy requirements
• Context-sensitive transportation and land-use planning
• Public engagement, advocacy strategies, policy innovation, and regulatory approaches
• Research that informs scenic protection

Who should submit

We welcome nonprofit, government, academic, design, and transportation professionals; conservation and community organizations; and students and early career professionals.

Submission requirements

Please include the following:

• Abstract title
• Author(s) and affiliation(s)
• Abstract (250 word maximum)
• Geographic focus (if applicable)
• Primary contact name, email address, and phone

Abstracts should clearly describe the project, its relevance to scenic conservation, and key insights, outcomes, or lessons.

Deadlines

Abstract submission deadline: June 1, 2026
Notification of acceptance: July 1, 2026

Submit your abstract

Please complete the form below to submit your abstract for consideration.

Information on reduced fees for poster presenters

Please note: Poster presenter fees do not apply to the submission of abstracts. Fees will be collected from the selected presenters after we notify them that we have accepted their poster proposals for inclusion in the symposium.

All poster presenters may attend the entire symposium.

• Poster presenter with current student ID — $15
• Poster presenter paying before July 31, 2026 — $124 (50% discount off the early-bird fee)
• Poster presenter paying by Sept. 11, 2026 — $139 (50% discount off the regular fee)

Information on photo at top: Jouaienttoi, Kresko Victorian Garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden, CC BY-SA 4.0