Landscape Architecture Commons^™

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden’S Children’S Gardening Program: A Case Study, Melanie Blandford

Masters Theses

Children’s gardening is a growing phenomenon in our country, both in schoolyards and in public horticultural institutions. In the last decade, youth gardening has been on the rise as educators are rediscovering through observation and experience that it is an effective means to educate children across the curriculum, inspire a lifelong interest in a healthy hobby, foster positive environmental attitudes, and encourage children to spend time out of doors. While several studies have focused on school gardens, few studies have researched youth gardening in a public garden setting. This qualitative case study is on the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s (BBG) Children’s …

Meridian Hill Park: The Making Of An American Neoclassical Landscape, Elizabeth Brabec

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Faculty Publication Series

The neoclassical design was the dominant design movement in landscape architecture at the turn of the last century, dictating the form and design of public parks for most of the first half of the twentieth century. Meridian Hill Park, located just north of the White ouse in Washington, DC, is considered the most ambitious neoclassical park ever conceived in the United States. The paper provides an overview of the design development of the park, illustrating how classical design precedents were used to create a contemporary neo-classical park.

Aesthetics Of Urban Streams, Richard K. Sutton

Landscape Architecture Program: Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity

This is a power point summary of an research study. Scenes of urban and urbanizing streams were rate by paired semantic differentials and subjected to factor analysis. Four categories were recognized: Man-made hard surfaced, Man-made soft surface, Park-like, and Natural.

Inside Green, Hazreena Hussein

Hazreena Hussein

NIL

Roundtable Series On Innovative Approaches To Land Conservation And Smart Growth, New England Environmental Finance Center

Smart Growth

A series of six roundtable discussions was conducted by the New England Environmental Finance Center (NE/EFC) from January through May 2002, one in each New England state. The objectives of the series were to consolidate expertise in financing and coordinating projects that combine conservation and development on the landscape, and to identify key areas of unmet need that could be addressed by the NE/EFC. Each discussion entailed several case study presentations and facilitated discussion about what works, what doesn’t work, and what might work in financing and coordinating efforts that combine conservation and development. Key areas of opportunity that emerged …

Impervious Surfaces And Water Quality: A Review Of Current Literature And Its Implications For Watershed Planning, Elizabeth Brabec

Elizabeth Brabec

Impervious surfaces have for many years been recognized as an indicator of the intensity of the urban environment and, with the advent of urban sprawl, they have become a key issue in habitat health. Although a considerable amount of research has been done to define impervious thresholds for water quality degradation, there are a number of flaws in the assumptions and methodologies used. Given refinement of the methodology, accurate and usable parameters for preventative watershed planning can be developed, which include impervious surface thresholds and a balance between pervious and impervious surfaces within a watershed.

Preservation Of Small Town Character In The Town Center Of Rutland, Massachusetts, Karen Good

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

Throughout the United States many small towns are facing development pressure. Many downtowns are dying or in danger due to competing large commercial developments outside the town center. More economic opportunities and incentives are needed in order to survive. Some communities respond to this pressure, while others simply let it roll over their town. In Rutland, Massachusetts, a small town of approximately 6,200 people, the townspeople are taking a step back to view their town and evaluate their situation before they lose their community character.

A key event that raised town consciousness was the demolition of a Greek Revival house …

H.H. Richardson Train Station, Holyoke: A Nineteenth Century Landscape For Twenty-First Century People, Nancy Howard

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

The Collaboration between H.H. Richardson, Frederick Law Olmsted, and Charles Sprague Sargent on the train stations and grounds of the Boston and Albany railroad, and connected lines, involved the newest technology of the day, yet engaged the landscape reverently. Their work for the Boston and Albany Railroad was called, by Charles Mulford Robinson, "the railroad beautiful", and led the way for the City Beautiful movement of the turn of the century. Richardson completed nine stations before he died at age forty-seven. His successor Sheply, Rutan and Coolidge completed another twenty-three.

Although no landscape plans exist, the train station in Holyoke …

Agricultural Land Fragmentation: The Spatial Effects Of Three Land Protection Strategies In The Eastern United States, Elizabeth Brabec, Chip Smith

Elizabeth Brabec

Fragmentation of agricultural land by urban sprawl affects both the agricultural production capacity of the land and its rural scenic quality. In order to assess the resulting fragmentation of the three most common types of agricultural land conservation tools in the United States, this study analyzes the spatial form of three land protection strategies: a purchase of development rights (PDR) program, a clustering program and a transfer of development rights program. By assessing a series of measures of success such as total acreage protected, size of parcels, contiguity and farming status, the study compares the effectiveness of programs that have …

Meridian Hill Park: The Making Of An American Neoclassical Landscape, Elizabeth Brabec

Elizabeth Brabec

The neoclassical design was the dominant design movement in landscape architecture at the turn of the last century, dictating the form and design of public parks for most of the first half of the twentieth century. Meridian Hill Park, located just north of the White ouse in Washington, DC, is considered the most ambitious neoclassical park ever conceived in the United States. The paper provides an overview of the design development of the park, illustrating how classical design precedents were used to create a contemporary neo-classical park.

Greenways As Strategic Landscape Planning: Theory And Application, Jack F. Ahern

Jack F. Ahern

This thesis investigates greenways as an emerging strategy for landscape planning. In the thesis, greenways are researched through case studies in the Netherlands and the USA and through published literature. Application of the greenway concept is made to several landscape planning projects in the USA. An original greenway typology is proposed based on: scale, goals, spatial context, and planning strategy. Using the typology, greenway planning is compared with other contemporary landscape planning concepts and activities including: ecological networks, wildlife corridors, and habitat networks. The thesis discusses three fundamental benefits of greenways: the hypothesis of co-occurrence of resources; the inherent benefits …

Native Plants: The Preservation And Restoration Of Native Plants In Designed Landscapes In Northwest Arkansas, Janet Coleman

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

A decline in Northwest Arkansas's native plant population has occurred over the past 50 years, as documented by the U.S. Forest Service in the Ozark-Ouachita Highlands Assessment. This decline has been caused by increased human development in natural areas and the replacement of native plants with exotic, non-native plants. As a result, a generation has grown up not knowing what an Ozark wake Robin trillium (Trillium pusillum var. ozarkanum) or Blood root (Sanguinaria canadensis) Look like, because these plants are difficult to find in nature, are not commonly grown in designed landscapes, and are Largely unavailable in garden centers. The …

Landscape Overlay Zoning District Ordianance: For The Lafayette "Oil Patch Promenadea", Highway Us 90, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, Neal Wesley Kessler

LSU Master's Theses

The city of Lafayette, Louisiana is on the threshold of developing a major transportation artery (the I-49 corridor) that will allow non-stop traffic flow through the city. The southern boundary of Lafayette, which is currently inhabited by industrial based business (oil service companies, storage yards, restaurants, and truck lines), will be intersected by this interstate. The area is not visually pleasing and needs direction to create a setting that reflects the unique personality of Lafayette. In recent years, landscape architects and planners have begun to employ a method of zoning called overlay district landscape ordinances and overlay zoning districts to …

Ecologically Sensitive Wetland Sites: An Investigation Of Land Use Attitudes And Development Trends With Educational Objectives, Linda A. Chance

LSU Master's Theses

Acid bogs, one of the rare plant communities, are on the brink of extinction in the southeastern United States. This study uncovers what issues are at stake in land use, land development, and regulations of two specific areas in south Louisiana that contain this type of wetland. This is an educational project oriented toward development of methods and information related to planning and design for the use of wetland sites while still protecting them. A hypothesis is presented that a combination of education with land use guidelines, helpful resources and regulatory incentives may help slow the eradication of bogs in …

An Assessment Of Thesis Alternatives For Landscape Architecture Programs In The United States, Evan Warfield Brandon

LSU Master's Theses

For several years, the department of Landscape Architecture at Louisiana State University has entertained the thought of offering alternatives to the thesis as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Landscape Architecture. In recent discussions with graduate faculty, it was agreed upon that the idea of researching this in more detail and organizing a collection of information about the consequences of such actions would be beneficial in the decision making process. Through surveys and interviews of numerous graduate faculties, students, and administrators and through careful analysis of program curriculums, this thesis explores the positive and …

Toward A Design Process, Joel Shay Aulie

LSU Master's Theses

This project presents an unconventional approach to an innovative design process. The thesis relates the challenges of adapting to the design studio environment. The author describes a personal journey into the design process, resulting from research and study of specific designers who have had high impact on the new creative approach to landscape design. The insight and knowledge gained from this search was instrumental in the evolutional process of design, incorporating a universal technique. The resultant process was then applied to a case study and evaluated for merit. The measure of a designer ultimately becomes the work he produces.

Building Community: An Environmental Approach To Crime Prevention, Gustavo A. Barreto

LSU Master's Theses

Crime cannot be understood as a single-solution problem. Participation of the community is important to complement and make more efficient any program of crime control by police authorities or any other law enforcement agency. This thesis is intended to create consciousness among designers of the urban environment of their social role. Cities must include places to promote community interaction and formation of social bonds. As social bonds among residents increase, and bonds with the place begin building a sense of territoriality in the community, the residents become active defenders of the place against crime. A theory summary presents different and …

Open Space For The Public: An Evaluation Of Designed Open Spaces On Urban University Campuses, Elizabeth Errett Neil

LSU Master's Theses

A public university that is perceived as being physically open and accessible to the general public can help promote a better relationship between the city and the university. Public urban universities have a responsibility to provide usable, accessible open space for the public. Universities and designers recognize the importance of integrating their campus into the community and creating spaces for students that allow for outdoor and social activities. However, little attention has been given to the need to provide spaces that allow for outdoor and social activities for the public. The public urban university was used as a model because …

Ua3/9/2 Student Plaza, Wku President's Office

WKU Archives Records

Fundraising brochure for the WKU student plaza development plan.

The Differences In Performance Of A Left Vs. Right Brained Golfer On A Curvilinear Golf Course, Robin Suzanne Jamison

LSU Master's Theses

Our everyday movement is reflected by those individuals who design the world in which we live. Ninety percent of the people who shape our everyday lives are right handed. Individuals perceive life differently, especially left and right handed individuals. One reason left and right-handed individuals interpret differently is due to the brains’ two hemispheres processing information separately. Can this difference in interpretation result in varying abilities of performance? Research has proven that those individuals who are right hemisphere dominant process and comprehend shapes better than left hemisphere dominant individuals. Golf is an activity that is exhibits the constant changing of …

Xeriscape Guidelines Adapted To Residential Gardens In Cyprus, Elli George Georgiou

LSU Master's Theses

One of the major problems that my country, Cyprus, faces is water scarcity. In the last five to ten years, the problem has become more serious because of a series of droughts that have left the island with limited water. As a result, Cypriots keep their gardens to a minimum or they abandon their gardens due to water shortage. This attitude of Cypriots toward their gardens was the inspiration of this thesis topic. The idea of Xeriscape and the seven guidelines of Xeriscape that were first introduced and organized by the Denver Water Department in Colorado are directly related to …

The Historic Landscape Of Mendocino: What Terms Define The Landscape Of A Rural Historic Landscape?, William Morrison

LSU Master's Theses

In this study, the terms that define a Rural Historic Landscape were examined. The examination of these terms determined the selection of the appropriate terms to identify the landscape of a Rural Historic Landscape. A case study of the Historic District of Mendocino, California was used to review the effectiveness of the landscape terms. The identified landscape elements in and around the Historic District were then evaluated using the National Register of Historic Places Standards. The result of the evaluation was the determination that a Rural Historic Landscape does exist separately from the Historic District as a landscape but a …

An Integrated Approach To Stormwater Management In The Coastal Zone, Clotho Alexis Spinner

LSU Master's Theses

Undeveloped lands are inherently capable of handling the precipitation rates and severe storm events of a given area. As our communities continue to grow and expand, the stormwater management capabilities of an area’s natural systems will be impacted. Without thoughtful intervention, existing natural systems will be overwhelmed to the point of dysfunction, an unfortunate circumstance that has been the case in some of this country’s more urbanized areas. The main objective of this thesis is to demonstrate the process of applying an integrated greenway stormwater management system as an alternative approach to managing the present and future stormwater needs of …

Improving The Design Of Golf Course Communities As Wildlife Habitats, Jason R. Watton

LSU Master's Theses

Golf course community developments present a unique opportunity to preserve and create wildlife habitat. Golf course management and development industries have become particularly cognizant of their environmental responsibilities in recent times and are responsive to new research. The specific focus of this thesis research is to provide guidance and encouragement for landscape architects designing wildlife habitat areas within golf course community developments. Specifically, I analyze the size, shape, and orientation of a selected number of wildlife habitat areas within the unique context of golf course community land usage. My hypothesis is that the spatial characteristics of a habitat area influence …

An Analysis Of Marina Environmental Practices On The North Shore Of Lake Pontchartrain, Arthur Hunter Marks, Iii

LSU Master's Theses

During January and February of 2002, a group of 15 marinas on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain was surveyed to identify what environmental management practices they employed. The objectives of this study were to find out what was being done by these facilities in Louisiana, what these and other marina owners and operators could do to improve environmental conditions, and what recommendations could be made for future marina designers and operators. An additional objective was to suggest what role government could play in helping present and future marinas in implementing best management practices (BMPs). A questionnaire and evaluation form …