urban planning vs. landscape architecture

I’m not familiar with the dual programs, but I am an LA who worked for 15 years in a planning department, and I know of others who also have. The best I can tell you is that yes, some positions exist in planning for people with other backgrounds, not just LA but geography, even political science and GIS trained people. However, they are usually bigger departments that can sub-assign roles and I never left mine (reviewing plan sets for landscape compliance with the development ordinance, and assistance to the historic preservation commission). You would probably rise faster and have more opportunities with training in planning. On the other hand, planning won’t satisfy a deep desire to do site design, and a planning degree is not training that will help you in most LA offices. Money is important but life is long – base the decision on what you know about yourself and where you think you can weather the ups and downs. Notice I didn’t say “do what you enjoy the most.” You can’t really predict how far you can go, you probably won’t have a completely smooth ride, and both can be satisfying when they are the right fit.

I think you should review the degree requirements for the types of organizations you intend on seeking employment from to find your answer. There was a time when LAs were the primary source to fill planning positions. This is changing. As graduates from planning programs become more experienced and more plentiful, you will find fewer opportunities for LAs as planners in the future I suspect. If you plan on going the policy route, a degree in planning is going to get you further, faster. If you are more concerned with immediate salary, get a law degree and forget about LA vs PLA entirely 🙂