Landscape Architecture

Landscape Architecture is the art and science of planning and designing the landscape for purposeful human use and the conservation of landscape resources. Landscape architecture considers the landscape resource as a composite of its ecological, social, and visual resources. NRCS Landscape Architects can assist with the planning, design, construction, maintenance, preservation, and conservation of landscapes for aesthetic, interpretive, functional, economic, social, environmental, and other interrelated purposes. Landscape Architecture is an integrating discipline that links biophysical sciences, engineering, and social-political sciences into holistic site and landscape scale designs. This profession utilizes creativity, artistic ability, and knowledge of allied physical planning fields of architecture and engineering, and of the biological, environmental, and social sciences to create publicly acceptable land management activities and manage landscape resources. Landscape architecture considers the landscape resource as a composite of the land’s ecological, social, and visual attributes. Competencies in communication and presentation graphics have also made Landscape Architects valuable for facilitating public presentations and involvement.

NRCS Policy and Guidance Documents

• General Manual 190 - Scenic Beauty

The following document requires Adobe Acrobat.

National Engineering Manual 535 - Landscape Architecture (PDF; 16 KB)

Useful Links

The following links may provide information useful for landscape architecture.

• Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices
• The Practical Streambank Bioengineering Guide
• Visual Simulation
• CanVis Visual Simulation Software
• Federal Highway Administration Recreation Trails Program publications

The following document requires Adobe Acrobat.

Pond Building: A Guide to Planning, Constructing, and Maintaining Recreational Ponds (PDF; 401 KB)

Publications

The following fact sheets, technical notes, and publications may be useful in landscape architecture.

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat.

TR-65 Procedure to Establish Priorities in Landscape Architecture (PDF; 2.6 MB)

Agroforestry Note 20 – Planning Agroforestry Practices (PDF; 211 KB)

Agroforestry Note 23 - Biotechnical Streambank Protection – The use of plants to stabilize streambanks (PDF; 245 KB)

Agroforestry Note 24 – Planning Biotechnical Streambank Protection (PDF; 162 KB)

Agroforestry Note 30 – Photo-realistic visual simulation: an agroforestry planning tool (PDF; 255 KB)

Agroforestry Note 38 - Landscape planning for environmental benefits (PDF; 308 KB)

Agroforestry Note 39 – Conducting landscape assessments for agroforestry (PDF; 226 KB)

Agroforestry Note 40 – Indicators and guidelines for landscape assessment and planning for agroforestry (PDF; 180 KB)

General Guidelines for Identifying and Evaluating Historic Landscapes (PDF; 117 KB)

How to Evaluate and Nominate Designed Historic Landscapes (PDF; 13.0 MB)

TN 6: The Stinger - a Tool to Plant Unrooted Hardwood Cuttings of Willow and Cottonwood Species for Riparian or Shoreline Erosion Control or Rehabilitation. (PDF; 213 KB)

Part 613 Conservation Corridor Planning at the Landscape Level—Managing for Wildlife Habitat (PDF; 17.0 MB)

NEH 654 - Technical Supplement 14 I - Streambank Soil Bioengineering (PDF; 2.5 MB)

EFH Chapter 16 - Streambank and Shoreline Protection (PDF; 8.0 MB)

EFH Chapter 18 - Soil Bioengineering (PDF; 3.5 MB)

How to plant willows and cottonwoods for riparian restoration. (PDF; 1.7 MB)

AH 590 - Ponds - Planning, Design, Construction (PDF; 1.7 MB)

Picture this. (PDF; 1.0 MB)

The fourth P: planning for multi-purpose riparian buffers. (PDF; 796 KB)

Riparian Ecology and Management in Multi-Land Use Watersheds. (PDF; 120 KB)