History of Landscape Architecture

Landscape Architecture courses have been taught in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico for more than 25 years. In 2000 the graduate Landscape Architecture degree program took its place alongside Architecture and Community & Regional Planning. The program has been fully accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board since 2003.

The program owes much to John Brinkerhoff Jackson, one of the twentieth century's most prominent cultural historians. Mr. Jackson, who lived nearby in La Cienega, New Mexico, was enthralled with the New Mexican landscape and drew upon his experiences here throughout his teaching career at UNM, Harvard University and the University of California at Berkeley. A prolific writer, J. B. wrote extensively about New Mexico landscapes and settlements and edited the journal, Landscape, thereby furthering the field of Landscape Architecture. Mr. Jackson chose to leave his legacy in the form of an endowment to the School of Architecture and Planning, and his legacy is being honored by building research, scholarship and teaching excellence in landscape architecture at the University of New Mexico.