ASLA Oregon

October 22, 2010 Edit

in Advocacy, Education, General, National

State of the Profession

An interesting document from National ASLA outlines some great information regarding the 'State of the Profession' which outlines a number of factoids on the profession worth checking out.  For instance, did you know, that as a member of ASLA, you are one of 17,236 members in 48 chapters representing all 50 states?   Also, there are 61 accredited landscape architecture programs - offering a range of undergraduate and graduate degrees. Additionally, some info on the demographics of membership:

Some specific information on ASLA and landscape architect, for your information:

• There are about 30,000 landscape architects in the United States (U.S. Department of Labor, 2006), including 11,092 Full or Fellow ASLA members; therefore, ASLA represents roughly 37 percent of the landscape architecture profession.
• More firms are becoming multi-disciplinary. Some 7,144 companies employ at least one active member: 6,992 in the U.S. and 152 outside of the U.S. For context, U.S. Census data for 2005 reports 6,505 landscape architecture firms.
• Approximately 15,000 landscape architects are licensed.
• Licensure is not a requirement for membership in ASLA.

Some other info, such as a general overview of the history:

"Founded in 1899, the American Society for Landscape Architects is the national professional association for landscape architects, representing 17,000 members in 48 professional chapters and 68 student chapters. The Society’s mission is to lead, to educate, and to participate in the careful stewardship, wise planning, and artful design of our cultural and natural environments. Members of the Society use the “ASLA” suffix after their names to denote membership and their commitment to the highest ethical standards of the profession."

More information, download the full two-page document here.