He is known for his research in environmental landscape technologies and their integration in urban design, and in particular for his work on permeable paving and stormwater management.
[1] Ferguson earned the AB degree from Dartmouth College and the MLA (Master of Landscape Architecture) from the University of Pennsylvania in the department led by Ian L. McHarg.
He practiced landscape architecture full-time for five years in the Pittsburgh area, and then taught for two years at Pennsylvania State University while serving as Faculty Advisor in the United States Bureau of Mines Environmental Protection Division on amelioration of acid mine drainage from abandoned coal mines.
In 1982 he began teaching at the University of Georgia, where he eventually became Dan B. Franklin Distinguished Professor of Landscape Architecture.
[3] Ferguson is the 1992 winner of the Bradford Williams Medal for the year's best-written article in Landscape Architecture.