Has anyone here exited the Landscape Architecture industry?

[Tosh K]

I believe unemployment is calculated primarily on those collecting unemployment (previously employed) and looking – recent grads who never got work or are working PT and not actively seeking work aren’t part of that number.

We hve everything to do with healthcare – cleaning up
Inner city contamination (all the lead from gasoline pre1991 does a lot of damage to education and violence),  preventative health (urban agriculture and parks for recreation) count to cold hard dollars (location, location, location right?).  Many urban ag models make money,  heck some of those coops an csa’s really take it in.  Our work is part of this (helping understand the systems involved, and creating networks and repurposing urban land).

I only hope all those who went into other careers can help sell the value of LAs as a profession.

[Anonymous]

I’m not telling people to stay in landscape architecture, just to tell them to stay. I’m just saying that if you want to be an LA, study/work hard and be one. If you get turned on by economics and finance, cool. Do you… I’m just an LA that loves being an LA and honestly promotes the profession. I can’t bash the profession that has fed me the last 20 plus years.

 

You’re not making sense. You’re saying that LA is stagnant. No kidding, there’s not very many industries that aren’t. You stated that there are 14 million Americans unemployed and I’m sure all of them aren’t LAs? If my clients are losing their jobs and shutting down their businesses, they’re not going to be calling me for new work. Everything is connected.

 

Are you telling me this country will never build again? I don’t care how great you are MauiB you can’t see into the future. No one knows what the next “thing” that will spur growth in this country. Growth creates the need for construction.

 

Also, loading trucks wasn’t a career for me. I humped boxes at night so that I could become an LA.

[mauiBob]

Craig,

According to latest stats I saw from Dylan Radigan MSNBC show, the figures are dismal for non-college grads. High school grads and those with some college education make up roughly most of the unemployed. You’re just getting by remember? You said it, not me. Unlike a few years ago when business was great. I agree with you that the economy will pick up again…”someday” soon. But, I ask again, when will that be? In 2009, economists were saying by mid to late 2011 it would be robust. Now they say another 2 years or more. Someone who is looking for work NOW and with unemployment benefits running out don’t have the luxury of waiting around.

I beg to differ. There are many industries that are doing well as long as its not A&E related. Family and close friends are not hurting financially, because they are in recession proof professions. And yes there is such a thing.

Let me be honest and this may hurt a few people, but a part of me is happy for this construction slow down. There are some places when developers are building way too fast and destroying the environment. No amount of sustainable design can replace a wetland and other sensitive landscapes. I especially hate when developers plan projects on the fringe of the city growth boundary, instead of revitalizing crumbling city centers. This is something I’m in constant war with as a planner. I find my job now more rewarding than as a landscape architect working at private firms. Back then, you receive a project from a Civil or Architect and do you shopping mall design without ever asking ‘Does this make sense?’ There’s a project right now on Maui called ‘Wailea 670’ and backed by prominent developers. It was actually approved in 2001 by county planners, but has met lots of resistance in main part because of a lack of a proper EIS report. 10 years later and the battle continues. Unfortunately for the builders, they are now facing planners who are more environmentally friendly. Wailea 670 is one project that would give work for landscape architects, but the planners are the gate keepers and preventing work to move forward. I am so against this project! Trust me when I say it makes no sense to build in that part of area. As an LA, I would have a different opinion. I’m not anti-growth…just for sensible and responsible growth. Anyway that’s another argument for another day. I’m rambling!..

[mauiBob]

What are you talking about, Craig? From what I heard, Craig of NYC is the greatest LA on earth.

[Anonymous]

I’m just getting by because I started a business during a recession. By the way, I’m quite grateful to have enough work to just get by.

 

Anyway, if what you say is true, when people leave landscape architecture and related fields and start making the big bucks, they’ll be well informed clients that know what they want. When they start having kids, I’ll design parks and schools for them. And when the planners squash development on the fringes, I’ll gladly do more infill and brownfield work.

 

Sorry man, I don’t know what the future will bring. Who knows when things will get going again? It’s obvious the economist have no idea.

 

In the meantime I’m going to keep grinding on my “not-so-glamorous” projects, learning new stuff and meeting new people.

[Anonymous]

Nah…just a pretty laid back dude from Cleveland.

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

Resentment of people who are still in it and liking it is a very negative human condition.

[JMW]

nrschmid,

 

I read your Cyburbia post and I see your point about planning being absorbed by other, related disciplines (CE, arch) in hard times. Is it the same with LA? Will architects and CEs take over LA duties by cash-strapped developers and cities?

[April Prey]

Todd, how the hell are ya?  Comments like that are the reason why you are one of my favorite people in our class!  Don’t get me started on how inflation data reeks of lies as well…

 

I hope the summer break is treating you well and I look forward to seeing you in a month or so.

[April Prey]

OK, Todd visits DC and then they have a rare earthquake.  Coincidence? Let’s talk about how you managed that this fall!

Glad to hear about the GIS, I intended to work on AutoCAD all summer, but due to my laptop crashing twice, I’m now focused on building a desktop – which I never thought I’d do in a million years.  All my carefully chosen computer bits are on UPS trucks as I type.  It will be faster than my laptop and faster than anything UW has – more than I need but a system to grow into and will be fast enough for the next few years.  I just hope I get a chance to actually use it for school, but will probably be away from home too much during the year to use it, which kind of sucks.

 

Here’s to packing in 5 more weeks of summer!

 

[Author]

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