The American Landscape Architecture Research Universe and a Higher Education Ordination: Descriptive Insights into the Discipline and Profession of Landscape Architecture

Chunqing Liu,Jon Bryan Burley,Xiaowen Jin,Zhen Wu,Zhi Yue

doi:10.5772/intechopen.99119

Abstract

Landscape scholars, educators, and academics are interested in the structure and nature of the knowledgebase that comprises both the discipline of landscape architecture and the profession of landscape architecture. In this study, the latent nature of the landscape architecture discipline was revealed by constructing a principal component citation analysis representation (the landscape architecture research universe) concerning several decades of literature (1982–2017) in Landscape Journal, a preeminent American journal addressing landscape architecture research. In addition, an ordination was developed describing the curriculum relationships between fifteen top American universities teaching landscape architecture as identified by ‘DesignIntelligence,’ preparing students for practicing in the profession of landscape architecture. The results revealed that in the discipline, the research activity is highly diverse along many dimensions, constantly evolving as new topics are explored. The pattern in landscape architecture research is broad, as the discipline integrates knowledge and ideas in many fields. In contrast, landscape architecture curriculums, teaching the fundamentals of the profession, are fairly closely clustered together and quite similar, with small differences reflecting emphasis in either landscape history or the visual arts, and mathematics or course electives. This dual identity is both a source of conflict and a unique opportunity.

Highlights

Over the past few decades, information scientists, plus others, have been interested in the structure and nature of the knowledgebases that comprises both disciplines/professionals in many academic areas and subjects, including landscapeLandscape Architecture architecture
An interesting finding in the study was that the results indicated a fractured, weakly linked research universe where investigators were deep into their line of research and not tied or integrated into other areas
The analysis reveals a latent underlying structure for the landscape architecture discipline concerning the citation literature of Landscape Journal from several decades of articles (1982–2018)

Summary

Introduction

Over the past few decades, information scientists, plus others, have been interested in the structure and nature of the knowledgebases that comprises both disciplines/professionals in many academic areas and subjects, including landscapeLandscape Architecture architecture. A discipline is the body of information collected, studied, analyzed, and reported by a group of individuals who collectively are affiliated with a subject [1]. Medical doctors give advice to patients and perform operations, deciding what to do and what should be done, often without perfect information, practicing the art of medicine. Those who study the discipline are found at research institutions and organizations. Those who practice the profession are typically in business applying their art. Lawyers, architects, planners, musicians, and athletes are all examples of practitioners applying their skill, deciding what to do and what should be done; it is called the ‘art of practice.’

Methods

Results

Conclusion