The book The Need For Design. Exploring Dutch Landscape Architecture offers a behind-the-scenes look at 16 landscape architecture practices and in a series of essays, the possible contributions of design courses and research are discussed. In all these discussions, one fact consistently comes to the fore: the design is still the core element of the profession.
The landscape design course at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences benefits from a close relationship with the working environment. This professional world is currently undergoing major changes. Landscape architects put a lot of time into winning contracts, whereas communication and entrepreneurial flair are becoming increasingly important. Traditional clients are vanishing from the scene: local authorities are wrestling with cuts and project developers are marking time.
