National Landscape Architecture Month: Career Discovery 2014

Print this Article | Send to Colleague

Landscape architects will join across the country during the month of April to promote the landscape architecture profession to students, specifically underrepresented minorities. They’ll hold public events showcasing just what can be done through hands-on work with the public, speaking engagements, and in-school presentations. This year's activities will be up soon, but until then, feel free to take inspiration from our 2013 Activities page.

With the theme of Career Discovery with a focus on underrepresented minorities, National Landscape Architecture Month (NLAM) 2014 will spur a countrywide movement, teaching children, young adults, and even teachers just how artfully landscape architects design their world. From community parks to residential design, there’s a field out there for any ambitious student, regardless of the color of their skin.

The U.S. population will be much more racially and ethnically diverse by 2060, according to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau. The total minority population increased by 88 percent between 1980 and 2000, while the non-Hispanic white population grew by only 7.9 percent. Even so, the landscape architecture profession considerably underperforms against these numbers. In a recent ASLA survey of graduating landscape architecture students, nearly 84 percent of respondents were Caucasian, 12 percent were Asian or Pacific Islander, 6 percent answered Hispanic/Latino, 2 percent identified as an American Indian, while a mere 1 percent were African-American. These numbers have held steady for nearly 13 years; it’s time to make a change! 

Back to Florida Landscapes eBrief