A late-2008 article in
U.S. News & World Report listed landscape architect as one of the best careers for 2009. This must have come as quite a surprise to many in the industry, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports between January 2007 and January 2011, employment in the landscape architectural services category slipped from 40,500 to 24,500—a decline approaching 40 percent. Monthly employment losses peaked during the summer of 2009, when the industry lost nearly 10,000 jobs on a year-over-year basis. During the most recent months for which data are available, year-over-year job losses have been in the range of 2,000 to 3,000.
Predictably, a combination of reduced residential and nonresidential building substantially impacted spending on landscape design and architecture. But other issues have emerged as well, including a growing body of government regulations that have massively expanded the need for agency approvals for land alterations.
That said, more recent data characterizing the level of industry activity signal improvement, or at least ongoing stabilization. A recent survey conducted by the
American Society of Landscape Architects indicates that billable hours during the third quarter of 2010 were significantly higher among 17 percent of respondents. Another 17.5 percent of respondents reported billable hours were slightly higher, and 22 percent rated them as about the same. Data regarding inquiries for new work reflected a similar level of stabilization, with roughly 40 percent stating inquiries were up either significantly or slightly during the third quarter of 2010. Another 26 percent indicated the level of inquiries had not changed during the past year.
The outlook calls for steady improvement. For instance, demand for fencing in the United States is forecast to expand nearly 3 percent a year (to 935 million linear feet) through 2014, according to a recent article featured in Landscapeonline.com. By the year 2014, the level of demand is expected to be marginally better than a decade earlier.
In addition, the landscape industry has continued to evolve due to environmental considerations and quality of life issues. One of the latest debates taking place in the design industry is between advocates for “new urbanism” and advocates for “landscape urbanism.”
According to Charles A. Birnbaum, president of the
Cultural Landscape Foundation, new urbanists generally support regional planning, open space, context-appropriate architecture and planning. They believe their strategies can countervail traffic congestion, increase the supply of affordable housing and rein in sprawl. For many years, their views have gained favor with policymakers, particularly in areas with lengthy commutes, significant land constraints and a general desire to use land more efficiently.
On the other side of the debate is Charles Waldheim, a professor of landscape architecture at
Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Waldheim is a proponent of landscape urbanism, which views landscape architecture—rather than building architecture—as the design medium likely to improve the organization of cities and enhance the urban experience.
While this debate may appear esoteric to outsiders, at the heart of the industry’s ongoing evolution is a desire to promote ecological sustainability, economic efficiency and a higher quality of life. Any industry that is relevant to the achievement of these goals—including landscape design and construction—is likely to have a bright future. Once the current real estate downturn is over, expect a significant surge in demand for landscape designers in the private, not-for-profit and public sectors.