Stewardship and the Profession of Landscape Architecture

Abstract The historical evolution of landscape stewardship is traced through four phases: immediate, transitional, separate, and external, with each phase having progressively less direct contact with the landscape and its inhabitants. Professional landscape architectural orientation today is seen as one of external stewardship. While the technology and language associated with this orientation are useful in providing a broad view, it needs to be accompanied by “immediate” stewardship based on close contact with the landscape and its inhabitants.