Has landscape architectures time come?

Just some of my own musings on this topic... landscape architecture always seems to be on the cusp of something great...on the cusp of being necessity in our society. The article, "City Shaping II:Will Architecture Go Horizontal"  by Charles A. Birnbaum (found here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-a-birnbaum/city-shaping-ii-will-arch_b_782812.html) got me thinking about this. Doesn't there seem to be a lot of chest bumping that goes on between the professions of architecture and landscape architecture? Oftentimes there is an extreme viewpoint on both sides of an issue and no recognition that both sides have something very important and unique to offer society. Of course as the business owners of a landscape architecture firm we have our own ideas as to the important of landscape architecture. Everywhere we go we notice and remark to each other about disjointed planning, a disregard to existing conditions and a disrespect of the environment.

Personally, I feel that advances in technology, whether that be vehicles, better insulation or central heating and air conditioning has allowed us to ignore basic principles of site design that our ancestors inherently knew. Things like the placement of buildings and vegetation to harness solar energy for heat in the winter or  provide shade in the summer heat.

I appreciate the skills that landscape architecture gives us to approach the challenges our growing society places on the environment with holistic solutions such as this article suggests. The question to me is how do we get beyond the perception that we only plant shrubs?  There are many questions I can think of regarding how landscape architecture is viewed from without and within the profession. Oddly enough I think this recession offers landscape architects the chance to prove our mettle. Lets get involved in City meetings...volunteer our skills...so that when things begin to pick up people will be educated about what an LA can offer them.