The Evolving Role of Landscape Architects

In modern development, landscape architects work beyond traditional parks and gardens. Their expertise extends to:

✔️ Climate-Resilient Design – Mitigating heat islands with shade trees, improving air quality by saving protecting and saving existing trees and strategically planting new trees.

✔️ Smart Growth & Urban Planning – Designing mixed-use developments that prioritize people over cars and considering long term implications for future projects in the area.

✔️ Green Infrastructure & Stormwater Management – Implementing native grasses in stormwater facilities, providing bioswales, using permeable sidewalks and prioritizing solutions that minimize runoff and reducing flood risks by slowing down storm water on site.

✔️ Transportation & Public Space Enhancement – Enhancing roadways with traffic calming landscape medians, locating trails near but far enough away to protect natural plant communities, We strive for thoughtful, people-first ecological integrated designs.

Sustainable Design in Action: A Case Study

One example of our landscape-driven approach is the St. Johns County Butler Park project. This is a popular boat and kayaking launch park in the area along the Matanzas River. Our designs upgraded the existing park by integrating new parking, sidewalks, boat ramps, and kayak launch surfaces. Our team carefully designed the new elements around multiple large Live Oaks, Red Cedars, and clusters of Sand Live Oak trees. We also replanted and restored degraded uplands and wetlands with native vegetation. Another accomplishment was the creation of dry detention areas in the center of the park to double as a recreational area when dry, and storm retention during rain events.