According to the August 2022 LASN survey, Parks are the second most worked on type of project for landscape architects (59%), falling only behind commercial development (68%) in percentage of work and representing the leading type of publicly funded projects for the profession. With Streetscapes at 57% and then Custom Residential at 54% and Multi-Family Residential at 46%, the profession is split pretty closely between private funded and public funded work at least as a percentage of projects.

 
Ok . . . I know I've been picking on ASLA lately, but relating to privately funded projects there is good cause. Still, while the vast majority of landscape architects work on privately funded development, the vast majority of landscape architects also work on public projects . . . And here is where the ASLA is mostly focused . . . For good reason . . . There is a lot opportunity for landscape architects to grow in the realm of public projects.
Student/academic growth and public awareness are essential to the growth of the profession. It didn't help that a Super Bowl ad featured a landscape architect who looked like the same "Posy Planter" that inspired Ray Page to organize the literal first licensure of landscape architects circa 1956. Instead of laughing it off (see page 108), I think the ASLA should reach out to Booking.com and Melissa McCarthy, alert them of their mistake and issue press releases to the mainstream news outlets, and demand a retraction. Consistently reaching the public with an organized campaign to improve the image of the profession in the eyes of the entire country should be a priority of the society.
Another priority and an area where ASLA has done a decent job is lobbying for public funding of parks and landscape-inclusive improvements. There is a lot of opportunity in those arenas and a growing trend toward equity and climate-based publicly funded projects. I doubt public spending is going to stop or even slowdown in those markets for some time. It's important that ASLA narrow the focus, though, to including the work of Landscape Architects into those projects. There will be a lot of competition . . .
We should also be working more with groups like the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA). There's a news item on page 96 about the NRPA's new Business Council, represented by leading companies, of which many are long-time LASN Advertisers. There are also two design-oriented firms on the new board as well. One is an Architect and the other an Engineering company. Both company websites appear to feature stunning landscape design work. What is missing on the Board is a firm representing Landscape Architects. Parks play a particularly important role in public spending and neither the architects nor the engineers are uniquely qualified to design an entire park. There should be many opportunities for Landscape Architects to be the lead in these landscape-dominant publicly funded green space projects . . .
Anyways . . . Some say there should always be a park within walking distance. Hardly anyone I know would disagree with that, as virtually everyone enjoys a park! There's a lot of opportunity out there. Now is the time for ASLA to make sure that everyone knows that the only "Real Park" is a Park designed by a Practicing Landscape Architect.