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Slr Practitioner Needs, Daniella Hirschfeld, Kelli Archie, Emilio Mateo, James C. Arnott, Julie A. Vano

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As sea levels continue to rise, practitioners at the local and regional scale are under increased pressure to reduce risks to people and property posed by the threats of sea-level rise (SLR) and associated impacts. To achieve this, a transdisciplinary approach that integrates data-driven research with local knowledge and community engagement is necessary. As such, it is imperative the science community understands the needs of practitioners. However, there has been little qualitative assessment of adaptation practice in coastal areas, especially with a focus on the needs of practitioners in making use of current SLR science. Our mixed-methods approach began with …

Practitioner Needs To Adapt To Sea-Level Rise: Distilling Information From Global Workshops, Daniella Hirschfeld, Ray Boyle, Robert J. Nicholls, David Behar, Miguel Esteban, Jochen Hinkel, Gordon Smith, David J. Hanslow

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Climate-induced sea-level rise threatens the world’s coastal populations, critical infrastructure, and ecosystems. The science of sea-level rise (SLR) has developed to inform understanding of global climate mitigation and adaptation challenges, but there is much less engagement with practitioners to discern their climate services needs and support the development of adaptation planning and action on the ground. In addition, adaptation planning and implementation processes for SLR are relatively new and practitioners developing leading practices are seeking interaction with their peers and the SLR science community. To address these gaps, we co-produced online global workshops with sixty-nine practitioners from twenty-six countries. These …

Artificial Intelligence Can Help Detect Ada Accessibility Assets And Compliance, Camille Tischner

Research on Capitol Hill

Asset management is expensive. Computer vision makes collecting data efficient and saleable.

Water Efficient Landscaping At Utah State University Could Save 8 Million Gallons Of Water A Year, Mary Claire Jennings

Research on Capitol Hill

Utah has persistent drought conditions. Many discussions about land use revolve around water. As state institutions look at strategies to lower water usage, replacing turf with low water use plants is an attractive way to save significant volumes of water.

Design Guidelines For Homeless Shelter And Resource Center Site Plans, Samuel Johnson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Homelessness is one of the most pressing humanitarian issues facing the country today. Lack of affordable housing, among many other complicating factors, have led to many cities scrambling to find both short-, middle-, and long-term solutions to the issue. The Covid-19 pandemic added a disruption in services, critical record-keeping, and data-gathering, which has further confounded experts looking for an effective path forward. As it stands, there is a significant gap in academic research addressing best practices for shelter site design, particularly as it relates to landscape. The role of landscape and greenspace within and around a shelter is not well …

An Overview Of Sustainability Content In Higher Education: Applications For University Landscape Architecture Programs, Hye Yeon Park

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Higher education institutions worldwide have recognized the importance of integrating sustainability into their programs, with over 600 universities offering courses focused on sustainable development. This trend has led to the emergence of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This multidimensional approach aims to empower individuals to create a sustainable future by integrating environmental, social, and economic systems. In particular, ESD has been implemented in various aspects of higher education, such as course content, teaching methodologies, curriculum design, and faculty roles.

Design and planning education are critical components of shaping future decision-makers who will positively and negatively impact society and the environment. …

Rising Coastal Groundwater As A Result Of Sea-Level Rise Will Influence Contaminated Coastal Sites And Underground Infrastructure, K. Hill, D. Hirschfeld, C. Lindquist, F. Cook, S. Warner

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Sea-level rise (SLR) will cause coastal groundwater to rise in many coastal urban environments. Inundation of contaminated soils by groundwater rise (GWR) will alter the physical, biological, and geochemical conditions that influence the fate and transport of existing contaminants. These transformed products can be more toxic and/or more mobile under future conditions driven by SLR and GWR. We reviewed the vulnerability of contaminated sites to GWR in a US national database and in a case comparison with the San Francisco Bay region to estimate the risk of rising groundwater to human and ecosystem health. The results show that 326 sites …

Demographic Data In The Built Environment And Human Health Studies, Huaqing Wang, Louis G. Tassinary

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Demographic data is widely used in both built environment and population health studies. Traditional data sources include national, state, and local surveys as well as archived data from longitudinal studies and newly emerging sources such as digitally accessible administrative data and real-time data from mobile devices. The value of these diverse data sets hinges on their accuracy, completeness, reliability, relevance, and timeliness. This chapter reviews the literature published in this field, provides a selective overview of the extant published research based on such data, and offers suggestions for the continuing access and use of such datasets.

A Case For Educational Communication On Sustainable Stormwater Management Sites Using Interpretive Methods: Applications For Utah State University, Lilian Taft

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Humans are increasingly urbanizing landscapes, lowering the land’s ability to infiltrate stormwater, increasing surface water runoff. This, combined with decreasing water availability in the Intermountain West, produces the issue of sustainable stormwater management. Professionals are moving toward green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), but public is often not aware of stormwater’s impacts on natural environments or what the purpose of GSI is. Stormwater management design techniques are evolving to use visible, sustainable methods celebrating stormwater, rather than treating the valuable resource as a disposable nuisance, channeling it underground and out of sight. Artful Rainwater Design (ARD), a technique coined by Stuart Echols …

Community Space Planning And Design Guide For Enhanced Wildfire Resilience In Heber, Utah, Devin Macfarlane

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The wildland urban interface (WUI) is the fastest growing land type in the conterminous United States. These areas are prone to catastrophic wildfire events. In response to rapid population growth, Heber City, Utah is planning a significant amount of development within the WUI. This thesis project is aimed at proactively addressing wildfire risk in the WUI of Heber through two main strategies: regional geospatial planning and public space design to create wildfire resilient communities. Researching principles of wildfire adaptive practice and planning for defensible space led to the development of a list of criteria. This list was developed in the …

Artificial Intelligence In Landscape Architecture: A Literature Review, Phillip Fernberg, Brent Chamberlain

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly common in landscape architecture. New methods and applications are proliferating yearly and are being touted as viable tools for research and practice. While researchers have conducted assessments of the state of AI-driven research and practice in allied disciplines, there is a knowledge gap for the same in landscape architecture. This literature review addresses this gap by searching and evaluating studies specifically focused on AI and disciplinary umbrella terms (landscape architecture, landscape planning, and landscape design). It includes searches of academic databases and industry publications that combine these umbrella terms with the …

An Exploration Of Issues Facing Vertiport Integration In The Wasatch Front, Katelynn Hall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) are expected to fill our skies to provide services such as package delivery, supporting emergency services, and even as a new mode of transit. While the private sector has been developing UAS for many years, the planning realm has not considered this new technology’s potential impacts on our communities in any depth. A primary aspect of UAS integration is the development of vertiports, which facilitate ground-based interaction with UAS. These centers, unlike traditional aerial infrastructure, must be dispersed throughout communities to support UAS integration. This thesis aims to involve planning professions in UAS integration by identifying …

Guiding The Future Of The Cache County Fairgrounds, Logan Hall

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The County fairgrounds have been a fixture in Cache Valley, Utah for over 100 years. They provide a valuable resource to the community. Effective planning can ensure the appropriate use of this public asset and prevent underutilization. Modern design guidelines have been developed for other fairgrounds in the Intermountain West, but not the Cache County fairgrounds. This research is focused on developing a contemporary visioning plan to guide the growth and future of the County fairgrounds, create design guidelines for future development, and maximize the fairground’s economic potential. The methodology used to develop this plan involved an extensive review of …

Historic Downtown Streetscape Plan Price City, Utah, Patricia Beckert

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The idea of a small-town Main Street has profound meaning within the American culture that has prevailed for the past two centuries. Historically, Main Street serves as the beating heart of a community, a place where economic, social, cultural, and civic activities are centered (Francaviglia, 1996; Main Street America, n.d.). Since the beginning of the 19th century, many factors have led to the decline of Main Streets, and despite a variety of efforts from different stakeholders, that decline has only intensified in recent decades (Isenberg, 2008; Orvell, 2014 Howard, 2015). In 1980, after a three-year project conducted by the National …

Dv Shelter: Research & Adaptive Reuse, Paige Boyce

Student Research Symposium

Design by promoting the social, economic, and political self-determination of women and all survivors of violence and oppression. Taking an existing 3 story office building for adaptive reuse. Interviewing survivors and specialists to implement meaningful programming and implement the needs of a shelter.

Promoting Education In Africa, Jack Colemere

Student Research Symposium

Education in Africa has been a challenge for many years. But why? What can be done to transform it into something better? Through understanding Africa's history behind their education systems and by designing spaces to help promote better learning we can begin to reverse the impacts of the past and give good education and equal opportunities to all.

Women's Healthcare In Kenya, Anne Szymanski

Student Research Symposium

Research on the current healthcare that women have access to in Kenya and how the design of a facility can solve problems.

Haven Women's Shelter: Interior Design Promoting Equality, Safety, And Comfort, Sierra Martineau

Student Research Symposium

The objective of this project was to develop a concept that would not only enhance accessibility for occupants of a women’s shelter, but also create an environment where interior design fosters healing and comfort for its residents. The space was designed to cater not only to women but also their children and pets, offering all necessary facilities to meet the residents’ needs within the shelter’s premises.To create this vision, included in the space is a comprehensive set of amenities, including a therapy room with an onsite therapist, a medical room staffed by a qualified registered nurse, a daycare area for …

Dignity And Functionality In Affordable Housing Design, Olivia Wallentine

Student Research Symposium

The cost of housing across the United States is becoming a major issue that seems to be spiraling quickly out of control. The percentage of Americans who report that the availability of affordable housing is a major problem in their community is rising quickly, and it is becoming much more difficult for young adults to buy a home than in previous generations. The inability to afford housing, or anything beyond housing, has severe consequences across society. These include but are not limited to poverty, homelessness, poor public health, economic decline, population decline, high crime rates, and low education rates.Affordable housing …

Trauma-Informed Design, Annie Canfield

Student Research Symposium

Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection is a non-profit organization in Cache valley that serves refugees and immigrants from over 36 countries. The mission of CRIC is to, “promote integration, economic self-sufficiency, and positive connections among refugees, immigrants, and the wider community through two-way education, improved access to existing services, and development of new services.” To help them best serve their clients, this project is an exploration of how the 6 PRINCIPLES OF TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE can reach beyond human communication into the physical built environment.

Villanueva Community Garden Center: Green Building Design For Low-Income Communities, Landry Cazier

Student Research Symposium

Located in Villanueva, New Mexico, this LEED-certified community garden center is designed to be a place for the community to flourish. Designed to aid the community’s low-income and harsh environment, this garden center provides a place for residents to garden. Constructed from rammed earth, this structure implements a sustainable design that is both good for the environment and its surrounding economy.

Global Survey Shows Planners Use Widely Varying Sea-Level Rise Projections For Coastal Adaptation, Daniella Hirschfeld, David Behar, Robert J. Nicholls, Niamh Cahill, Thomas James, Benjamin P. Horton, Michelle E. Portman, Rob Bell, Matthew Campo, Miguel Esteban, Bronwyn Goble, Munsur Rahman, Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Faiz Ahmed Chundeli, Monique Aunger, Orly Babitsky, Anders Beal, Ray Boyle, Jiayi Fang, Amir Gohar, Susan Hanson, Saul Karamesines, M. J. Kim, Hilary Lohmann, Kathy Mclnnes, Nobuo Mimura, Doug Ramsay, Landis Wenger, Hiromune Yokoki

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Including sea-level rise (SLR) projections in planning and implementing coastal adaptation is crucial. Here we analyze the first global survey on the use of SLR projections for 2050 and 2100. Two-hundred and fifty-three coastal practitioners engaged in adaptation/planning from 49 countries provided complete answers to the survey which was distributed in nine languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. While recognition of the threat of SLR is almost universal, only 72% of respondents currently utilize SLR projections. Generally, developing countries have lower levels of utilization. There is no global standard in the use of SLR …

Landscaping In The Utah Wildland-Urban Interface, Jordan Goff, David T. Anderson, Jake Powell, Darren Mcavoy

All Current Publications

The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is simply where human development mingles with wildland, or in other words, developed land next to undeveloped land. This area is at the highest risk for damage from wildfire. As our communities grow outward, the WUI is only expanding, putting more people at risk from wildfire. Therefore, it is important for homes built there to have fire-protective landscaping. Also, because Utah is a desert state currently in a drought, low-water landscaping is important for all Utah landscapes, including the WUI. This fact sheet addresses these issues and provides guidance on fire-protective and low-water landscaping.

Intro To Primary Sources, Katie Strand, Jen Kirk, Dan Davis, Lara Petersen

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this item will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

The Identifying Primary Sources tutorial teaches students how they find, evaluate, and use primary sources in their own research. Along the way, they'll learn about some great places to start researching when looking for primary sources.

Assessing Socio-Demographic And Urban Form Changes Of Sprawl Retrofitting Projects In The United States, Hooman Hadayeghi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Growing population and urbanization have escalated the inclination in today’s societies to live in the suburbs. In the United States, urban development has had a suburbanization pattern since World War II. People living in such areas must use their cars to reach their destination and commute to work. Sprawl retrofitting is a term introduced by planners and researchers to overcome urban sprawl's negative impacts on mobility, transportation, and the environment. This approach is used to densify and change the built environment to make daily trips easier, shorten daily travels, and enhance pedestrian activity in places dealing with sprawl. Sprawl retrofitting …

The Relationship Between Bird Species Richness And Human Appropriation Of Net Primary Productivity, Kaeli Mueller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As humans harvest increasing amounts of biomass, it is crucial to gain an understanding of how much energy is being appropriated and the impact that this could have on ecosystems and biodiversity. The primary way in which humans impact biodiversity loss is through land use change. One way of quantifying the impact of land use change is through human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP). This measurement represents the total amount of energy derived from photosynthesis that humans remove from ecosystems and appropriate for their own use. My research studies the relationship between HANPP and bird species richness at the …

Sea-Level Rise Practitioner Workshop Report: Leading Practices And Current Challenges, Ray Boyle, Daniella Hirschfeld, David Behar

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Seas are rising, and so is action in coastal communities to prepare. The uncertain timing of rising seas, difficulties evaluating long-term rise while facing more immediate causes of flooding such as typhoons and fluvial flooding, and simply the threat of permanent inundation of coastal zones settled for hundreds or thousands of years presents unprecedented challenges. As in all sectors impacted by anthropogenic climate change, working with others facing novel challenges to share progress and difficulties, collaborate regionally, and build competence and confidence in finding solutions can be invaluable.

Data For: A Global Survey Of The Application Of Sea-Level Projections, Daniella Hirschfeld, David Behar, Robert Nicholls, Niamh Cahill, Thomas James, Ben Horton, Michelle E. Portman, Rob Bell, Matt Campo, Miguel Esteban, Bronwyn Goble, Munsur Rahman, Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Faiz Ahmed, Monique Aunger, Orly Babitsky, Anders Beal, Ray Boyle, Jiayi Fang, Amir Gohar, Susan Hanson, Saul Karamesines, Mj Kim, Hilary Lohmann, Kathy Mcinnes, Nobuo Mimura, Doug Ramsay, Landis Wenger, Hiromune Yokoki

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Including sea-level rise (SLR) projections in coastal adaptation is increasingly recognized as crucial. Here we analyze the first global survey on the use of SLR projections comprising 253 coastal practitioners engaged in adaptation/planning from 49 countries with time frames of 2050 and 2100. While recognition of the threat of SLR is almost universally recognized, only 71% of respondents currently utilize SLR projections. Generally, developing countries have lower levels of utilization. There is no global standard in the use of SLR projections: for locations using a standard structure, 53% are planning for a single projection, while the remainder are using multiple …

Planning: Scc-Civic-Pg Track A: Securing The Future Of The Great Salt Lake Basin Through Effective Water And Land Use Partnerships, Brent Chamberlain

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Empirical Evaluation Of Route-Based Landscape Experiences, Garet Openshaw

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis explores a method of visual analysis that aims to create a more in-depth understanding of how individuals see and visually perceive their environment. Here we explore a geospatial tool, called Visual Magnitude, to assess road-based experiences. We aimed to provide evidence of a relationship between the tool and scenic rating preferences from a survey. The content of this thesis is split between two articles. The first article, contained in Chapter 2, focuses on optimizing the selection of viewpoints along route-based envrionments. In this study we ask the question is there an optimal sampling rate of viewpoints along a …