Professional Practice
Public Practice: Research & Documentation
Public Practice Landscape Architecture: Research & Documentation
Public practice landscape architects are obligated to ensure improvement project locations have been evaluated for historical, socio-cultural, and environmental significance. Research is performed by accessing informational sources including government archives for previous proposals, plans, contracts, case studies, community survey results and environmental reports. Research and project documentation created by public practice landscape architects is important for the following reasons:
- Data collected from research documents impacts decisions regarding site selection, project scoping and design development.
- Data can be used to defend or otherwise affect the project outcome.
- New project documentation provides an on-going historical context that assists practitioners, managers, and the public to understand prior decision-making and future expectations.
The public practice landscape architect may use research to help determine the contributing factors to the value of a site including:
- (Re-) Establishing historical significance
- The appropriate level of historical designation is considered as an objective.
- Ensuring upgraded designs do not erase the historical context or vernacular contributions of the original or subsequent projects.
- Rehabilitation of a project site does not change the original design intent.
- The design addresses previously noted environmental impacts.
- Investigations into habitat, biodiversity and preservation are advocated.
- Documentation that contributes to the justification for preservation costs and other appropriations.
- The improvement project becomes part of the archive.
- Documenting circumstances affecting project opportunities and constraints help address value to the public.
See the Engagement and Data Collection & Analysis categories.
“The public landscape architect is tied to the project long after the ribbon is cut by the politicians. This relationship with the site enables the public practice landscape architect to observe how the public space is functioning and to monitor that the infrastructure is of sound build. Noted successes and failures allow the public sector landscape architect to develop extensive expertise which will, in turn, influence the design of future public projects.”
– Kris Sorich, ASLA, Senior Landscape Architect, Chicago Department of Transportation
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