Happy New Year and Welcome to 2013!

 

When is "13' a lucky number?

When you are alive to enjoy it!

Ok . . . So that is a bit of a lame riddle, but here we are. The Mayan end of the world didn't happen and while we've probably fallen over the cliff, if you are reading this then you made it to 2013 . . . Way to Go!!!

So what does this year have in store for us? Well, for starters it looks like this will be the year of the big bank real estate dump. With inventories low and housing starts at improving but still historically low levels, the banks will begin to release their stock of foreclosed properties. So, if we did go over the cliff and the Obama tax increases don't get in the way, the preowned housing and commercial property market, and thus the remodel market, should show strength in '13.

In 2013, LASN will be running a series of articles debating the sustainability of dense urban growth and development. As hurricane Sandy exemplified the concentrated impact of a natural disaster, Chicago exemplifies the violence and crime associated with densification, Detroit demonstrates the cost of concentrated industry, and with a growing trend toward increased densification, the discussion is more relevant than ever.

2013 will be a year in which many battles will be fought due to the re-emergence of the construction industry. The questions of who gets what work, who can sign which plans and who are the best practitioners for the project are going to lead to pointed arguments from competitive fields and their representative associations.

This will lead to discussions about the licensure of Landscape Architects and how they are represented. We are getting more and more letters calling for debate in this arena. Two main subject matters are rising to the top of this discussion. Some of you are questioning whether the Landscape Architect title clearly represents the profession and the scope of work. I see this as a matter of public relations and legal definition, work best undertaken by the ASLA to broaden the scope of work and better define it in the eyes of development professionals and the general public.

Also, as more and more Landscape Architects are adding the RLA moniker to their professional title, and as more and more development professionals are recognizing that acronym, debate is arising whether registered (RLA), licensed (LLA), practicing (PLA), or some other title should be the standard. I prefer the RLA as it is established, simple, direct and conforms to the wording of the Council of Landscape Architectural "Registration' Boards (CLARB). One way or the other, I believe it is counterproductive to not have a standard.

On the home front, look for a new Product Search Engine at landscapearchitect.com (LOdC). LOdC already has the most extensive landscape product directory in the world. Over the next few weeks you will see significant changes in product searches and results, making the LOdC Product Search Engine one of your most important bookmarks.

With all of the subjects above, LASN would love to hear your thoughts and opinions and will do our best too provide a forum to facilitate these discussions. As such, at landscapearchitect you will find a new, reactive blog/comment feature tied to every new article published. We encourage you to look for and participate in the discussions and share your thoughts and ideas.

So . . . As we move into 2013 only time will tell if it is a lucky year for you and me, but with some critical thought, proper preparation and assertive, opportunistic energy it may very well turn out to be one of the most important years for the profession . . .

Happy New Year and God Bless . . .

George Schmok, Publisher