Designing our Future: Key Initiatives

In addition to offering the licensure exam, managing professional records and defending licensure for the health, safety and welfare of the public, CLARB is also actively engaged in several strategic projects.

These initiatives support our mission to design and promote landscape architectural standards:

Rethinking Regulation

We continuously explore and research the forces shaping landscape architecture licensure so that we can proactively address licensure reform, identify and reduce key friction points in the licensure process, and increase equitable access to licensure for all. CLARB is focused on these facets of regulation:

Policy

Our Uniform Standard for Licensure harmonizes requirements across our member boards throughout the United States and Canada. These defensible requirements reduce confusion, minimize complexity and promote mobility.

Uniform Standard

Process

We have developed a common application for licensure to be used across jurisdictions — eliminating the need for duplicated documentation and licenses and made possible through improved technology solutions.

Procedure

We are working with our member boards to implement administrative changes that will decrease the time it takes to get licensed — both initially and reciprocally.

Additionally, CLARB is committed to listening, learning and continuously improving to ensure our customer experience supports the success of our candidates, licensees, member boards and volunteers. Our support team is available to answer your questions Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ET at 571-432-0332 or info@clarb.org.

Reframing Landscape Architecture

To build public understanding of the profession and its value, we need a public conversation that brings into view what landscape architects do, how they do it and why this matters for all of us. CLARB, in partnership with other key landscape architecture organizations is working with the Frameworks Institute to better understand how we "reframe" the way we talk about landscape architecture to help the public and policymakers recognize its importance to people and the environment.

By focusing on the big idea that “landscape architecture engages and benefits people,” we hope to overcome the core misunderstandings people have about landscape architecture, build better understanding of what the profession entails, and help people see the importance of supporting the profession and placing landscape architects at the center of projects that involve outdoor spaces.

Learn more (coming soon)

Elevating the Profession Around the World

Our vision for a unified, elevated profession includes intentional opportunities for international access, mobility and equity through the globalization of systems, processes and standards. Through partnership, research and collaboration, we are exploring landscape architecture regulation around the world, including:

Education

We are partnering with the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) — the accrediting organization for landscape architecture degree programs— to explore opportunities for mutual recognition, degree evaluation and accreditation.

Experience

For years CLARB has conducted a job task analysis across the U.S. and Canada to understand the professional practice of landscape architecture. IFLA, in partnership with CLARB, has expanded the scope of that work through the Global Job Task Analysis project to develop a more inclusive, global understanding of the profession.

Regulation

CLARB is participating in an IFLA work group to explore similarities and differences in regulation of the profession beyond the U.S. and Canada. This work will inform the development of a global professional recognition framework to permit mutual recognition of qualifications across our national bodies and establish a policy procedure to assist in the recognition of professionally qualified landscape architects worldwide.

Learn more

Addressing Practice Overlap

CLARB is a member of the Interorganizational Council on Regulation (ICOR), which works to harmonize policies, processes and procedures among the design professions: architecture, engineering, interior design, landscape architecture and surveying.

We are working with our ICOR Partners (NCARB, NCEES and CIDQ) to develop uniform guidelines and definitions for competent overlap of practice between the design disciplines that will result in clear and shared definitions, guidelines or best practices. Professional licensing authorities — such as CLARB's member boards — can use these tools to better regulate practice overlap.

Evolving the L.A.R.E.

CLARB prepares, administers and scores the Landscape Architect Registration Examination (L.A.R.E.), which assesses the ability of prospective licensees to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare. To ensure the L.A.R.E. remains relevant and legally defensible, we regularly conduct a Job/Task Analysis. The results inform the basis of the L.A.R.E. because they determine the tasks that practicing landscape architects perform most often, are most important and instill the knowledge required at the initial point of licensure.

We most recently completed a Job/Task Analysis in 2022 and subsequently transitioned to a new L.A.R.E. blueprint to reflect the evolution of the profession as described in the updated report. The new blueprint is effective as of December 2023 and is expected to remain in place until the completion of the next Job/Task Analysis.

Get involved

CLARB relies on volunteer support to advance our mission and strategic objectives.

You can join our efforts to design and promote landscape architectural standards. Learn more about our variety of volunteer opportunities and get started today.