What’s Next for Landscape Architecture?

By Will Sewter, PLA, RLA, ASLA
Director of Landscape Architecture

What’s Next for Landscape Architecture?

There is a quiet assumption in much of the built environment, that the building is the project.

This assumption may exist because the building is where majority of budgets are concentrated, where attention is concentrated during design, and where, most often, recognition is given after construction. The exteriors, by comparison, are too frequently treated as an afterthought, something to be cleaned up, planted, and resolved after the “real work” is completed. But what if that assumption is backwards? What if the most consequential design decisions are not made within the walls of a building, but in the spaces that surround it?

April marks World Landscape Architecture Month, and it presents an opportunity to reconsider not only what landscape architecture is, but what it is becoming, and what it has been all along. Because the truth is, landscape architecture is much more than about planting decorations. Landscape architecture, at its core, is about integrating the surrounding beauty of the site with the building and creating one cohesive environment.

What We’ve Been Missing

Ask someone what they remember about a place, and rarely do they begin with the building. They remember views, where they walked, where they sat, where they gathered, where something made them feel different, comfortable, open, connected, or alive. They remember an experience, which almost always includes the landscape and the exterior design of a site.

This is the paradox of landscape architecture: it is deeply influential, yet often invisible. When done well, it doesn’t attract attention. It feels effortless, and natural, as if it had always been there. But that sense of effortlessness is the result of deliberate thinking. It includes intelligent decisions and planning around movement, scale, climate, ecology, and human behavior. The profession has long understood this, and the broader world is now embracing that same perspective.

The Shift That Is Already Happening

We are entering a moment where the traditional boundaries between disciplines are becoming blurred. Climate is no longer a debate; it’s a design constraint. Water is no longer something to move off-site; it’s something to manage, celebrate, and integrate into the design. Open spaces are no longer leftover; they’re essential infrastructure – intentional areas for communities to gather and connect. With this shift, Landscape architecture is no longer operating as a supporting player; it’s taking center stage. Not because the profession has changed, but because today’s challenges demand the systemic, contextual, long‑term thinking landscape architects have always brought to the table.

I was at a conference where someone said, “Landscape architects can no longer be concerned with trying to get a seat at the table, we must be on the menu.” Our integration into projects is paramount. We are designing exteriors that absorb and store water rather than simply redirect it. We’re shaping environments that reduce heat, improve air quality, and support biodiversity. We’re creating spaces that foster connection in an era where isolation has become a defining condition of modern life. These are not aesthetic decisions; they are foundational ones. On any project, regardless of size or budget, landscape architecture plays a defining role in shaping outcomes from the very beginning.

A Personal Reflection on the Profession

Like many in this field, my path into landscape architecture was not linear. It’s been shaped by an evolving understanding that the most meaningful environments are not defined by individual elements, but by how those elements work together. Over time, what became most compelling in my designs was not the idea of designing objects but designing experiences. The realization that a well-considered outdoor space could influence how people interact, how they feel, and even how they remember a place long after they’ve left it. This perspective has only deepened throughout my career.

Today, as Director of Landscape Architecture at Spiezle, I work within a collaborative environment where the integration of disciplines is not just encouraged, it’s essential. Working alongside architects and engineers from the outset allows us to approach projects not as isolated scopes, but as unified systems. Climate, culture, and regional identity all demand different responses, and they challenge us to think beyond standard solutions. It is a reminder that landscape architecture is not a fixed set of rules, it’s an evolving dialogue between people, place, and time.

At Spiezle, the integration of landscape architecture has changed the way we think about projects. This involves engaging in conversations with our clients earlier, asking different questions, and looking beyond immediate scope and toward long-term impact. It means recognizing that the success of a project is not measured solely by how it looks on opening day, but by how it performs years later and how it grows, adapts, and continues to serve the people who use it.

The Question Moving Forward

So where is landscape architecture going? Perhaps the better question is: Where can it go? How do we choose to shape the environments we live in.  How can we give back to the environment, while offering new places and experiences for all to enjoy? How do we evolve our role to match the scale and complexity of the challenges before us?

If landscape architecture is increasingly understood as a critical part of the design process—and as a fundamental driver of how a place performs—the question is no longer whether the profession belongs at the table, but how it continues to lead. Environmental, social, and economic challenges are interconnected. Landscape architecture thrives in integration, long-term vision, and a deep understanding of context. As landscapes are asked to manage water, mitigate climate impacts, support health, and foster connection, landscape architects have an opportunity to expand their influence earlier, think more holistically, and engage more directly in shaping project outcomes.

World Landscape Architecture Month is a moment to acknowledge the profession. As recognition grows, so does responsibility. The future of landscape architecture is not about becoming something new, but about fully stepping into what it has always been capable of. By continuing to grow our voice, our leadership, and our role in defining place, the profession can help create environments that are not only beautiful, but resilient, meaningful, and built to last. Not as an enhancement—but as a foundation.