Honoring the Artists Who Make Great Places to Play

 

"The enjoyment of scenery employs the mind without fatigue and yet exercises it; tranquilizes it and yet enlivens it; and thus, through the influence of the mind over the body gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the whole system." 

- Frederick Law Olmstead

 

Frederick Law Olmstead is the father of American Landscape Architecture. Among his celebrated designs are the US Capitol, the Biltmore House and Estate, and New York's Central Park. His work and quotes are particularly poignant as we begin the month of April. April is World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM), a month-long celebration of landscape architecture and designed public and private spaces. Established by the American Society of Landscape Architects, WLAM aims to demonstrate how landscape architecture affects our daily lives. 

GameTime is joining the celebration by sharing our projects that helped bring a landscape architect’s vision to life. Our hope is by showcasing these park and recreation projects we can join in the national story about connecting people with the natural environment, and help promote the landscape architecture profession. Look for our World Landscape Architecture Month posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn throughout the month of April. The posts will be tagged with #WLAM2020.

Crescent Harbor Park in Sitka, Alaska is the culmination of a community's passion and architect Monique Anderson's bold vision

 

What is Landscape Architecture?

Landscape architects analyze, plan, design, manage, and nurture the built and natural environments. Landscape architects have a significant impact on communities and quality of life. They design parks, campuses, streetscapes, trails, plazas, and other projects that help define a community. 

 

How Many People Are Landscape Architects?

Some 24,700 employees work in the landscape architecture field in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Labor in 2016; this is a growth of about 10 percent from 2014, the previous count. 

Approximately 16,400 landscape architects are licensed in the United States. Licensure is required in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Landscape architecture is one of only around 60 professions to be licensed in all 50 states.

 

What Are Some of the Benefits of Landscape Architecture?

It boosts our sustainability, improves our health and promotes green infrastructure. The idea that spending time in nature can make you feel better is intuitive. People who have been suffering from stress, sickness, or a trauma can spend quiet contemplative time in gardens or taken to the mountains or woods to heal. But nature is not just wilderness. The benefits of nature can also be found in our communities’ parks and green spaces. Researchers are amassing a body of evidence to prove that green infrastructure works: these systems are shown to be more cost-effective than outmoded models of grey infrastructure, and also provide far more benefits for both people and the environment. Nature can be incorporated everywhere to provide many benefits at once.