Design and Planning

Find yourself looking around and noticing the ways we use space? A college quad feels completely different from a town green or a neighborhood park. Learn how to create spaces that set the stage for the activities of our daily lives.

Who’s designing outdoor spaces using trees and plants? >>
Who’s helping determine how we use land? >>
Who’s helping decide how remaining tree resources will be used? >>

Landscape architects look at a specific site and determine how it will be designed, including the way the ground will slope and the locations of walkways, trees and other plants. They design city parks, college campuses, housing developments, zoos and theme parks, private gardens, and many other types of spaces.

Training Routes

• Landscape Architecture

Both of these professionals look at land use on a larger scale. They identify ‘zones’ and propose specific types of use (such as housing, commercial, industrial, public access) for each zone. Regional planners work with areas that have lower population densities, while urban planners focus mostly on land use within cities.

Training Routes

• Landscape Architecture

While regional planners and urban designers work mostly at the macro level to determine land use zones, landscape architects work mostly at the micro level after a zone has been defined. They look at a specific site and determine how it will be designed, including the way the ground will be slope and the locations of walkways, trees and other plants. They also specify details, such as types of paving materials, light fixtures and benches.

Training Routes

• Landscape Architecture

Regional planners identify ‘zones’ and propose specific types of use (such as housing, commercial, industrial, public access) for each zone. Most new development happens on land that’s already clear of trees - primarily farmer’s fields. However, occassionally a new development, such as a new ski slope, will be proposed for a forested area. Some regional planners work for state and local governments. Others work as independent consultants and are hired by businesses to do feasibility studies on their development plans.

Training Routes

• Landscape Architecture