The Association of German Landscape Architects, bdla, calls for an increase in study capacities for more specialists.
Like hardly any other profession, landscape architects are involved in solving current social challenges. Above all, it is important to strengthen the resilience of cities and rural areas in the sense of adapting to climate change, upgrading and developing open spaces in dense urban structures, helping to shape the change in traffic patterns with more space for pedestrians and cyclists, and preserving and strengthening biodiversity.
Call to politicians, universities and the professional public
With a call for common action the occupation federation turns to politics, universities and specialized public:
- Politics and society must have an original interest in a holistic education of landscape architects*innen in times of climate change. Without more qualified Landschaftsarchitekt*innen the political goals, e.g. of the German white paper Stadtgrün, cannot be converted. The existing training centers for landscape architecture must be secured, strengthened and further developed. Close links with related disciplines, including architecture and urban planning, are essential in order to be prepared for the current challenges. In metropolitan regions, more courses of study in landscape architecture are needed to counter the serious regional shortage of skilled workers. In addition, young people are drawn to the big cities. There is therefore an opportunity to generate more students.
- Politicians must create the appropriate structural framework in the organizational structures of ministries and administrations. This requires a bundling of the core competencies of landscape architects* and making them visible in the administration. “Don’t hide landscape architecture in city cleaning, civil engineering or traffic planning!”
- It needs an anchoring of the profession in all educational processes of sustainable development from early childhood environmental education to geography and art in high school.
- Politicians, together with the professional players, are called upon to work together more intensively on securing young talent. Landscape architecture must be presented clearly and simply to the outside world in order to be attractive to potential new students.
Find the full call here:
