Landscape Architect
A landscape architect is an environmental design professional who applies the art and science of land planning and design on many scales, ranging from entire regions to cities, towns, neighborhoods, and residences. The profession is quite diverse, and students may attend more than sixty undergraduate and graduate programs in the United States and Canada, many of which offer comprehensive and/or individualized training in the following areas:
- Landscape Design: Outdoor space designing for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and public spaces
- Site Planning: Designing and arranging built and natural elements on the land
- Urban/Town Planning: Designing and planning layout and organization of urban areas, including urban design, and the development of public spaces such as plazas and streetscapes
- Regional Landscape Planning: Merging landscape architecture with environmental planning, including land and water resource management and environmental impact analysis
- Park and Recreational Planning: Creating or redesigning parks and recreational areas in cities, suburban and rural areas, and larger natural areas as part of national park, forest, and wildlife refuge systems
- Land Development Planning: Working with real estate development projects, balancing the capability of the land to accommodate quality environments
- Ecological Planning and Design: Studying the interaction between people and the natural environment, focusing on flexibility for development, including highway design and planning
- Historic Preservation and Reclamation: Preserving, conserving, or restoring existing sites for ongoing and new use
- Social and Behavioral Aspects of Landscape Design: Designing for the special needs of the elderly or physically challenged
The study of plant sciences is often an integral part of the above specialties. Increased focus on ecological planning and natural systems design includes the study of native plant materials and
ecosystems. The development of public and private gardens and recreation destinations places specific focus on ornamental horticulture using cultivated plant materials.
A landscape architect and his assistant work on a map in Raleigh, North Carolina.Opportunities abound for landscape architects working for residential and commercial real estate developers, federal and state agencies, city planning commissions, and individual property owners. Salaries vary widely depending on experience and whether one works for a private or public organization, but it equals or exceeds those of architects and civil engineers.
Future opportunities for landscape architects are extremely promising. The increasing complexity of projects requires interdisciplinary communication and commitment to improving the quality of life through the best design and management of places for people and other flora and fauna.
Arborist; Horticulturist; Ornamental Plants.
Bibliography
American Association of Landscape Architects. [Online] Available at http://www.asla.org.
Simonds, John O. Landscape Architecture, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.
Wirth, Thomas. The Victory Garden Landscape Guide. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1984.
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