Landscape architecture is a multi-disciplinary field, incorporating aspects of the fine arts, architecture, industrial design, geology and the sciences, environmental, geography and ecology.
The activities of a landscape architect can range from the creation of public parks and parkways to site planning for campuses and corporate office parks, from the design of residential estates to the design of civil infrastructure and the management of large wilderness areas or reclamation of degraded landscapes such as mines or landfills.

Landscape architects work on all types of structures and external space - large or small, urban, suburban and rural, and with "hard" (built) and "soft" (planted) materials, while integrating ecological sustainability. The most valuable contribution can be made at the first stage of a project to generate ideas with technical understanding and creative flair for the design, organization, and use of spaces. The landscape architect can conceive the overall concept and prepare the master plan, from which detailed design drawings and technical specifications are prepared.
They can also review proposals to authorize and supervise contracts for the construction work. Other skills include preparing design impact assessments, conducting environmental assessments and audits, and serving as an expert witness at inquiries on land use issues.

The variety of the professional tasks that landscape architects collaborate on is very broad, but some examples of project types include:
The planning, form, scale and siting of new developments
Civil design and public infrastructure
Sustainable development
Storm water management including rain gardens, green roofs, groundwater recharge, and treatment wetlands
Campus and site design for public institutions and government facilities
Parks, botanical gardens, arboretums, greenways, and nature preserves
Recreation facilities; i.e.: playgrounds, golf courses, theme parks and sports facilities
Housing areas, industrial parks and commercial developments
Estate and residence landscape master planning and design
Highways, transportation structures, bridges, and transit corridors
Urban design, town and city squares, waterfronts, pedestrian schemes, and parking lots
Large to small urban renewal planning and design
Natural park, tourist destination, and recreating historical landscapes, and historic garden appraisal and conservation studies
Reservoirs, dams, power stations, reclamation of extractive industry applications or major industrial projects and mitigation
Environmental assessment and landscape assessment, planning advice and land management proposals.
Coastal and offshore developments and mitigation
Ecological Design any aspect of design that minimizes environmentally destructive impacts by integrating itself with natural processes and sustainability