Thanks to the highly popular and much-publicized High Line, every city wants its own urban park. But what makes an urban park successful? To find out, Land8 asked a number of landscape architects, landscape designers, and urban designers to share their thoughts. See what REA landscape architect Pat Stout had to say.

An AARP: Livable Communities article about the benefits of bicycle-friendly streets named the Indianapolis Cultural Trail as a national model for economic vitality. It notes that the Trail “has reinvigorated a number of struggling business districts and sparked a whopping $1 billion in increased property values.” Check it out!

The entry level planner will provide support to REA's planning and landscape architecture staff. The successful candidate will have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in urban planning; 1-3 years of experience; strong oral and written communication skills; the ability to function well in a collaborative, team-oriented studio; and thorough knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud, ArcGIS, MS Office, and SketchUp software. A demonstrated commitment to planning and improving local communities, and a broad knowledge base in planning and urban design, along with specific knowledge and/or interest in policy, land use, and zoning are essential components of REA's work and desirable traits in employees. An interest in becoming a Certified Planner is preferred.

The successful candidate will be a licensed landscape architect with a minimum of 6-8 years of experience, and have a Bachelors or Master’s Degree in landscape architecture from an accredited program, excellent oral and written communication skills, experience assisting in the production of master planning, site design and site construction documents, and technical competence with AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, MS Office, SketchUp software. A broad knowledge base in landscape architecture and urban design, along with specific knowledge and/or interest in urban spaces and environments, bicycle and pedestrian planning and design, sustainable design, low impact site development, and best management practices are essential components of our work and desirable traits in our employees. The ideal candidate must have a strong commitment to sustainable design and transportation, design for active living, and enjoy working on collaborative and dynamic multidisciplinary teams. LEED Professional credentials are preferred, though not required.