What exactly does a landscape architect do?

Quick: Name one famous landscape architect. Did you immediately think of Frederick Law Olmsted, considered by many to be the father of the landscape architecture profession in the United States? You may know of him because of New York’s Central Park, which he designed with Calvert Vaux, another landscape architect. But do you know the name of a famous landscape architect practicing today? The profession goes far beyond planting trees, shrubs, and flowers.

National Landscape Architecture Month, celebrated each April, is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the profession and what exactly landscape architects do. Landscape architecture encompasses the design of almost anything under the sky. Think of iconic places like Boston’s Emerald Necklace and the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C. But also consider your downtown square, your local park, or even your own backyard. Green roofs, urban farms, and corporate campuses—all define landscape architecture.

Landscape architecture covers a huge spectrum, perhaps best understood by the profession’s mantra: achieving a balance between the built and natural environments. It requires a multidisciplinary approach involving environmental science, art, ecology, and much more, leading to extraordinary results like restoring wetlands, reducing hospital stays, securing buildings, and removing toxins from rainwater.

Founded in 1899, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is the national professional association representing landscape architects. ASLA promotes the profession and advances its practice through advocacy, education, communication, and fellowship. Central to ASLA’s mission and all outreach is stewardship of the land.

ASLA also works to increase the public’s awareness of and appreciation for the profession of landscape architecture and its contributions to quality of life. ASLA is an active advocate for the profession at the local, state, and national levels of public policy involving licensure, the environment, livable communities, surface transportation, historic preservation, and storm-water management issues, among others.

So, thank a landscape architect next time you stroll through a park or walk down a bustling street with outdoor cafes, seating, etc. They had more of a hand in creating those places than you might think.

Originally published on nbm.org in March 2013, this post has since been updated.