Practitioners share a commitment of achieving a balance between preservation, use and management of the country's resources. Activities of a landscape architect can range from the creation of public parks and parkways to the site planning for corporate office buildings, from the design of residential gardens to the management of large wilderness areas or reclamation of degraded landscapes such as mines or landfills. Entrance into the profession requires advanced education, training, licensure in all but five states and specialized skills. Key programs and services include a national annual meeting and EXPO, Landscape Architecture magazine , Landscape Architecture News Digest , on-line electronic services, professional workshops and seminars, leadership training, employment referral, demonstration projects, and awards programs. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education has authorized ASLA to accredit programs of landscape architecture at U.S. colleges and universities.
Clear differences do exist between landscape architecture and the other design professions.
Architects primarily design buildings and structures with specific uses, such as homes, offices, schools and factories. Civil engineers apply scientific principles to the design of city infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and public utilities. Urban planners develop a broad overview of development for entire cities and regions. Landscape architects touch on all the above mentioned design professions, integrating elements from each of them. While having a working knowledge of architecture, civil engineering and urban planning, landscape architects take elements from each of these fields to design aesthetic and practical relationships with the land.