image: Craig Kuhner
In a 2014 survey of ASLA’s Professional Practice Networks (PPNs), we asked members about their favorite cities and regions for practicing landscape architecture. Not surprisingly, there was no single answer that dominated the responses, which reflected the regional diversity of those who took the survey—the largest segment of respondents hailed from the West (30%), with roughly 20% each from the East, South, and Midwest, and 6% of respondents practice internationally.
In Part I, we focused on the top choices for favorite cities and regions to work in, which covered much of the U.S.: the Pacific Northwest, Southern California and the Bay Area, the Midwest, New York City, and New England. In Part II, we’ll focus on a few less frequent picks, ranging from international locations to regions in the U.S. you might not have considered landscape architecture hotspots before. Below, we highlight some of the most popular responses.
Southeast
“Culturally rich and the general public has knowledge of and respects the profession.”
“Things grow fast so you can see (relatively immediate) results in a few years versus a decade.”
“The Southeast has a great planting palette and the right amount of regulation to provide plenty of landscape, but not over regulated to tie the designer’s hands too much to do anything fun.”
“The Delta—anywhere between Memphis and New Orleans. It’s mostly emotional and nostalgic for me, but also the rich culture, the range of economies, the beauty of the land, the potential I see.”
“Hilton Head, South Carolina and the Virginia Tidewater area—the sense and respect for the protection and importance of nature and our environmental surroundings.”
“Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry—the culture, the urbanism, the history, and the passion for the landscape.”
image: Bill Timmerman
Southwest
“Limited plant palette requires selected creativity within this harsh environment.”
“Complexity of natural systems.”
“People think the desert is void of life but it has incredible plant and wildlife ecosystems—it’s dramatic and subtle at the same time. So many hidden treasures!”
New York’s Hudson Valley
“Wide range of landscapes and proximity to New York City, Boston, the Adirondacks, Vermont, and the Finger Lakes.”
“Combination of incredible natural beauty, rich history and culture, growing arts communities, passion for land protection.”
image: James Ewing Photography
Baltimore, Maryland
“There are very disparate groups of people; I enjoy the challenge of bringing them together.”
“People who care about the quality of their community.”
“In the industrial ruins of Baltimore—invites a balance of new work within existing infrastructure.”
Northern Colorado
“It’s my community, a very pedestrian oriented, get-outside kind of place with good design principles.”
Michigan
“Love the native landscape in Michigan. So much variation of plants and challenging soils—either sandy or clay.”
“All of the water! Plus there are more landscapes than you could imagine: sandy beaches, rocky shores, mountains (very small!), rolling hills, lakes, streams, wetlands…”
Houston, Texas
“Many opportunities and tremendous growth.”
“Mix of urban, suburban, rural, prairie, woods, and coastal environs.”
“Strong residential market for landscape architects, and the climate is conducive for work year round.”
Hawaii
“Need you ask?”
image: Zhao Jie (AECOM), Scott Burrows (consultant), Wei Shan Photography Association
International
- Ontario, Canada
- Calgary, Canada
- Latin America
- “The culture, the people, the opportunity to help clients understand stewardship and the role of a Landscape Architect.”
- “I like how un-standardized and un-sterile this region is, in combination with a really flora-rich, lush palette. These countries are striving to create their own self-identity in their works of art and architecture.”
- Europe
- “History, ability to take side trips as part of meetings/site visits.”
- Sweden
- Africa/Developing Nations
- “The level of excitement and interest that those you are working for show in the project.”
- China
- “Solving massive environmental problems.”
At the start of 2014, a questionnaire was sent out to members of ASLA’s Professional Practice Networks (PPNs). The theme: career paths in landscape architecture. As you can imagine, responses were varied, and included many insightful comments and suggestions. Synopses of the survey results were originally shared in LAND over the course of 2014, and we are now re-posting this information here on The Field. For the latest updates on the results of the annual PPN Survey, see LAND’s PPN News section.