The idea of “environment” is foundational to landscape architecture – as backdrop, as surround, as something to help save. But what is the environment, or an environment? First and foremost, it is a word that is so pervasive - and its meaning taken for granted - that it is easily forgotten how recently the term has proliferated, particularly as a qualifier for myriad disciplines, institutions, and activities: environmental history, environmental studies, environmental science, environmental justice, environmental art, environmental planning, environmental protection, environmentalism. In our upcoming issue, LA+ Environment, designers and scholars illuminate the wide range of interpretations, histories, and projects that engage with this elusive idea.