Landscape Architecture Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Landscape Architecture distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/landscape-architecture/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Site Analysis

The systematic process of evaluating a site's physical, biological, cultural, and regulatory characteristics before design begins. It includes assessing topography, hydrology, soils, vegetation, climate, circulation patterns, and existing structures to inform design decisions.

Sustainable Design

An approach to landscape design that minimizes environmental impact, conserves natural resources, and creates landscapes that function in harmony with local ecosystems. It incorporates strategies such as native plant selection, water conservation, renewable materials, and reduced energy consumption.

Green Infrastructure

A network of natural and semi-natural systems that provides ecological services traditionally handled by engineered infrastructure. It includes bioswales, rain gardens, green roofs, constructed wetlands, and urban tree canopies that manage stormwater, improve air quality, and reduce urban heat.

Planting Design

The art and science of selecting and arranging plants to achieve aesthetic, ecological, and functional goals. It considers factors such as growth habits, seasonal interest, wildlife value, soil compatibility, maintenance requirements, and spatial composition.

Hardscape Design

The design of built or non-living elements within a landscape, including walkways, walls, patios, steps, fountains, and other structural features. Hardscape provides the spatial framework that organizes movement, defines spaces, and supports human activity.

Ecological Restoration

The process of assisting the recovery of degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems to a healthy, self-sustaining state. In landscape architecture, this involves re-establishing native plant communities, restoring hydrological processes, removing invasive species, and rebuilding soil health.

Universal Design

The design of outdoor environments that are accessible and usable by people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds without the need for adaptation or specialized design. It goes beyond minimum ADA compliance to create truly inclusive spaces.

Grading and Drainage

The manipulation of land surface elevations and slopes to direct water flow, prevent erosion, ensure structural stability, and create desired spatial forms. Proper grading is fundamental to the function, safety, and longevity of any landscape project.

Landscape Urbanism

A theory and practice that positions landscape as the primary medium for organizing cities, rather than buildings or infrastructure alone. It emphasizes ecological processes, adaptive strategies, and the integration of natural systems into urban form.

Place-Making

A collaborative approach to designing and activating public spaces that capitalizes on a community's assets, inspiration, and potential to create spaces that promote health, happiness, and social connection. It emphasizes community engagement, cultural identity, and human-scale design.

Key Terms at a Glance

Bioswale:A vegetated, shallow channel designed to capture, convey, and filter stormwater runoff using soil and plants.

Brownfield:A previously developed site, often contaminated, that is available for redevelopment and ecological remediation.

Charrette:An intensive, collaborative design workshop that brings together stakeholders, designers, and community members to develop solutions for a project.

Contour:A line on a topographic map connecting points of equal elevation, used to represent the shape of the land surface.

Drainage Basin:An area of land where all precipitation drains to a common outlet, such as a river, stream, or lake.

Easement:A legal right to use another person's land for a specific purpose, such as utility access or stormwater conveyance.

Evapotranspiration:The combined process of water evaporation from soil and plant surfaces and transpiration through plant leaves into the atmosphere.

Grading:The process of reshaping land surfaces by cutting and filling soil to achieve desired elevations, slopes, and drainage patterns.

Green Roof:A roof system covered with vegetation and growing medium that manages stormwater, provides insulation, and creates habitat.

Habitat Corridor:A strip of natural landscape connecting separate habitat areas, allowing wildlife to move between them safely.

Hardscape:The non-living, constructed elements of a landscape, including paving, walls, steps, and structural features.

Impervious Surface:A surface that does not allow water to infiltrate, such as concrete, asphalt, or compacted soil, increasing stormwater runoff.

Invasive Species:Non-native plants or animals that spread aggressively and displace native species, disrupting local ecosystems.

Microclimate:The localized climate conditions in a small area that differ from the surrounding region due to factors like shade, wind exposure, and reflected heat.

Native Plant:A plant species that occurs naturally in a particular region and has co-evolved with local ecosystems and wildlife.

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