LAND prof, educators recommend updates to licensing examination

The Council of Landscape Architecture Registration Boards is updating the landscape architecture licensure test by incorporating recommendations from Texas A&M professor Ming-Han Li and a group of leading landscape architecture educators that reflect interdisciplinary, global trends in the field.

The group suggested the changes after a Feb. 18-19, 2016 meeting in Reston, Va. hosted by CLARB, which establishes and promotes professional licensure standards.

“We emphasized urban planning’s growing role in landscape architecture, the importance of designing landscapes with specific performance objectives such as environmental, economic or social benefits, and the field’s trend toward global practice standards,” said Li.

The group’s eight members were chosen CLARB executives for their knowledge, expertise and diverse perspectives regarding their field’s commitment to improving public health, safety and welfare.

To maintain the exam’s credibility, relevance, and relationship to best practices in international testing, CLARB conducts a formal exam analysis every five to seven years to insure it accurately reflects the knowledge and skills required to practice as a licensed professional in the field, said Joel Albizo, the group’s chief executive officer. “This means that the public can confidently rely on the expertise of licensed landscape architects to ensure that their outdoor environments are safe, sustainable and enjoyable.”