Landscape Architecture Commons^™

Park Avenue & Us 50 Redevelopment Streetscape Performance Benefits Assessment, Bo Yang, Yue Zhang, Pamela Blackmore

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

The town of South Lake Tahoe experienced undisciplined development, which created traffic congestion, limited connectivity to recreational assets, and negatively impacted the scenic and environmental quality of Lake Tahoe and the region. In response, strict environmental regulations were developed, which subsequently ceased development activities. Faced with serious environmental and economic problems, residents, officials, and developers jointly revised development regulations and worked to strategically deploy development monies to give the town a new future. Today, the town's Park Avenue Corridor with its wide sidewalks, interconnected plazas, consistent architecture, gondola, intermodal transit center, street furniture, and integrated stormwater management is a national …

Charles City Permeable Streetscape Phase I Landscape Performance Benefits Assessment, Bo Yang, Yue Zhang, Pamela Blackmore

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

The Charles City, Iowa, Green Street project addressed serious issues with street deterioration and nuisance street and adjacent yard flooding for a 16-block residential area. The project combines durable permeable paving materials with sustainable stormwater Best Management Practices, while maintaining the historical character of the neighborhood. By integrating stormwater management, the City was able to leverage additional funding that would not be available for conventional street reconstruction. Because of the success and the lessons learned in design and maintenance, the project has spurred additional phases in adjacent neighborhoods and serves as an important blueprint for others considering similar sustainable stormwater …

Cherry Creek North Improvements And Fillmore Plaza Landscape Performance Benefits Assessment, Bo Yang, Yue Zhang

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

The 16-block Cherry Creek North retail district was designed to be Denver's premier outdoor shopping area. Yet deteriorating infrastructure, tired aesthetics and competition from an adjacent indoor mall had led to steady decline. Fillmore Plaza in the heart of the district was no longer a desirable public space since being closed to vehicular traffic in 1987. The new streetscape strengthens the retail environment, preserves the district's history and character, improves identity, beautifies the area, provides new lighting, improves signage, and adds 20 "Art and Garden Places" for shoppers to relax and linger. The redesigned Fillmore Plaza is now a vibrant …

A Step Towards Sustainable: The Meshing Of The Mormon Church Headquarters' Environmental Earth Stewardship Practices With Modern Trends Of Sustainability, Natalie Watkins

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Planners and landscape architects are decision makers whose commitment to sustainable development is integral in transitioning our built environment into a renewable and more self sustaining system. The built environment is a place where the three pillars of sustainability comprising social equity, environmental bear-ability, and economic viability are clearly manifested. The recent decades or scientific research in this area have offered us opportunities to make changes in the built environment that will better support future generations of our local communities. However, social and religious community structures can make change difficult on the Wasatch Front where the headquarters of the Church …

Design Of A Constructed Wetland For Wastewater Treatment And Reuse In Mount Pleasant, Utah, Yue Zhang

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

Municipalities in the Intermountain West are facing water shortages based on their current population growth projections. Utah has the second highest per-capita culinary water use in the United States. Among other cities, Mount Pleasant, Utah, is seeking innovative and cost-effective ways to reduce culinary water use. This study presents a feasibility analysis of and a design for using a free water surface constructed wetland system to treat the city’s wastewater. The study further presents a cost-benefit assessment of using the treated water for landscape irrigation in the city. The study is based on an analysis of existing wastewater quality, local …

A Critical Evaluation Of The Sustainable Sites Initiative's Guidelines And Performance Benchmarks 2009 As Applied To The Design And Development Of The Orem, Utah Intermodal Center, Jeffrey E. Dzikowski

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

In 2006 the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the United States Botanical Garden, and additional stakeholders joined together to form the Sustainable Sites Initiative^TM (SITES^TM), an organization dedicated to the promotion of sustainable land development and management practices. As part of this effort SITES recently released its Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009, a document which provides a voluntary guideline and rating system for the development, operation, and maintenance of sustainable landscapes.

This guideline and rating system is currently being tested through the Sustainable Sites Initiative pilot program, in which a select …

Perceptions Of Naturalized Playgrounds: A Qualitative Study, Jeffrey C. Hamarstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Play is an important part of childhood as it helps to develop social skills and ensure proper mental and physical development. Electronic media, stranger danger, and urbanization have reduced both the time and access children have to play in natural areas. Many people believe that this is an integral part of childhood and, therefore, concern that children are not interacting with the natural world is becoming a popular topic. Research has shown that natural environments can have various benefits such as reducing anxiety and promoting developmental skills. Play providers are now creating playgrounds that attempt to recreate natural settings, referred …

Utah State University Botanical Center Stream Master Plan, Daniel Willard Schults

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

The Utah State University Botanical Center Stream Master Plan is a design to assist Utah State University Botanical Center (USUBC) administration in fulfilling their goals of community outreach and education, implementing sustainable practices and creating aesthetically beautiful areas for public enjoyment. These goals are met through updating the USUBC master plan to account for the newly built man-made stream as well as other future buildings. Trails, overlooks and information nodes are part of the new master plan. The planting plan includes representations of six natural plant communities found in Northern Utah. Additionally, the stream design improves the water quality of …

The Relationship Of Outdoor Recreation And Gardening With Depression Among Individuals With Disabilities, Justin Floyd Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Activities involving natural environments have positive psychological impacts on participants. Both outdoor recreation and gardening have been shown to reduce feelings of depression. However, the effects of these activities on the depression levels of individuals with disabilities have not yet been studied. In order to better understand the relationship between these activities and depression among individuals with disabilities, two separate studies were conducted.

The first study seeks to better understand the relationship between outdoor recreation participation and depression among Montana residents with disabilities using publicly available Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. It hypothesizes that depression would be negatively …

Insites, 2012, Utah State University

inSites

Magazine of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

South Grand Boulevard Great Street Landscape Performance Benefits Assessment, Bo Yang, Yue Zhang, Pamela Blackmore

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Culturally-diverse South Grand Boulevard is a historic district of St. Louis noted for its multitude of international restaurants. It is a growing commercial and residential area selected as one of four Great Streets Initiative pilot projects in the St. Louis region in 2009, demonstrating the character of the local neighborhood. The project, which was scrutinized by local government officials, brings people together and strengthens transit, walkability, recreation, and sustainability, while promoting a safe street environment. South Grand Boulevard applies innovative green solutions to reduce stormwater loading at moderate cost and in a manner that provides additional environmental benefits.

High Desert Community Landscape Performance Benefits Assessment, Bo Yang

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

High Desert community in Albuquerque, New Mexico honors low-impact design practices of water conservation, wildlife habitat restoration, material recycling and cultural endowment. This project changed water-conservation and landscape planting ordinances at city and state levels. Through this master plan, Design Workshop pioneered the firm's philosophy and comprehensive approach, DW Legacy Design®, which strives to balance environmental sensitivity, community connections, artistic beauty and economic viability with metrics that gauge the success of outcomes. High Desert's demonstrated success is a model for sustainable master planned communities.

Daybreak Community Landscape Performance Benefits Assessment, Bo Yang, Amanda Goodwin

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Daybreak is a 4,127-acre model mixed-use community for comprehensive sustainable design. The project was planned on surplus mining land and will accommodate over 20,000 residential units, approximately 9.1 million sf of commercial space, and 20,000 jobs at build-out. The extensive parks and open space integrates stormwater management, merges with natural systems, and is enlivened by social and recreational programming. The full range of sustainable features includes walkable streets, an extensive trail system, native and drought-tolerant plants, habitat conservation, recycled materials, and a vibrant mix of amenities and services. Landscape Performance Benefits • Retains 100% of storm water that falls on …

An Exploration Of The Potential Benefits Of Healing Gardens On Veterans With Ptsd, Brock Justin Anderson

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

Healing gardens are places that facilitate in improving or restoring an individual’s mental or physical health. Today, therapeutic landscape design is a growing facet of landscape architecture. This study looks at the potential benefits of using healing gardens in addition to traditional methods of treatment for veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

A reasonable amount of research has been done into the area of therapeutic landscapes and their influence on certain populations, but the potential positive effects these healing gardensmay hold for veterans suffering from PTSD seems to be unidentified. This study examines the history of healing gardens, problems …

North Park: A Regional Approach To Parks, Recreation, And Trails Planning, Alan John Luce

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

The North Park study area is mainly focused on the parks, recreation, and trails of two municipalities: North Logan and Hyde Park. These two municipalities have formed several partnerships to provide the police, fire, and other civic needs of the citizens of both communities. Coincidentally, these services have been given a name that combines the names of the two municipalities, North Park. However, this particular study area also includes small portions of land that are currently located in Logan City, Cache County, and the U.S. Forest Service.

North Park is a beautiful area nestled on the east bench of Cache …

New Urbanism: Its Interpretation And Implementation, Sherri Marie French

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

New Urbanism is a popular development movement that combines old and new development strategies in an attempt to build unique and lasting communities of value. However, as this movement employs practices that are not currently considered typical, developing in this manner can be difficult. This research seeks to identify the common difficulties that arise during the development of New Urbanist communities as well as possible solutions for overcoming those difficulties.

Researching the barriers to implementing principles of New Urbanism is important as this movement may offer solutions to some of the challenges arising from current development practices such as:

• Sprawl …

Enhanced Cross Country Running Course Design: A Study Of Historic And Recent Courses, Other Landscape-Based Sports, Athlete Psychology, And Course Elements, Audrey B. Lancaster

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Literature suggests that the original and "pure" elements of cross country course design have faded through time; in order to wholly enhance course design the original elements must be preserved and united with desired modern course elements. "Pure" sport is defined by an athlete's struggle and persistence that occur amidst tough competition, rugged course elements, and physical pain. In addition to identifying the desired elements through literature review, case studies, and self-experience of cross country course design, it was necessary to confirm the desired elements through interviewing eight key informants. The key informants were renowned and accomplished NCAA cross country …

The Solitary Place Shall Be Glad For Them: Understanding And Treating Mormon Pioneer Gardens As Cultural Landscapes, Emily Anne Brooksby Wheeler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The gardens of early Mormon pioneers are a unique cultural resource in the western United States, but little guidance has been provided for understanding or providing landscape treatments for Mormon landscapes. Mormon pioneers came to Utah and the Great Basin to escape religious persecution and build their own holy kingdom. In relative geographical isolation, they built towns that have a distinctive character delineating a Mormon cultural region in the West. Self-sufficiency was an important feature of these towns and of the religious culture of early Mormons, both because of their geographical isolation and their desire to be independent of the …

The Impact Of Different Play Environments On The Social Interactions Of Toddlers With Disabilities, Rebecca Buckley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Play is a crucial part of any child’s social behavior and development. It helps children develop self-determination, self-control, and identity. These skills are primarily learned through interactions with other children. Play is particularly imperative for children with disabilities approaching the age of three, an age that studies have shown to be pivotal for their social and emotional growth.

Children with disabilities often have difficulty with social interactions. Play serves as a platform for these interactions, and provides a way for children with disabilities to learn social standards and values. Children with disabilities who do not participate in play can suffer …

Assessing Planning Approaches By Watershed Streamflow Modeling:Case Study Of The Woodlands, Texas, Bo Yang, M H. Li

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

The Woodlands, Texas, is well known as a town created following Ian McHarg’s ecological planning approach that uses soil permeability to coordinate development densities and land use. Very few studies have quantitatively measured the effect of this planning approach on stormwater management. In this study, watershed stream flow modeling was conducted to assess five hypothetical land use scenarios. These scenarios were compared with The Woodlands’ 2005 condition using the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool that simulates watershed long-term stream flow and peak discharges during single storms. The objectives are to: (1) assess The Woodlands development conditions during 1974–2005 on …

The State Of Integrated Open Space Planning: Toward Landscape Integrity?, Lindsay Ex

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Open space planning has been present within the United States for over a century. Traditionally, open space planning efforts tend to focus more exclusively on either socially-based (e.g., recreational, scenic, or park planning) or ecologically-based (e.g., preserves, habitat networks or more general conservation planning) planning efforts. This separation of ecological and social frameworks in open space planning is reinforced by a persistent cultural model, where community and conservation are seen as opposing forces instead of partners.

While recent open space planning efforts have begun to integrate social and ecological frameworks into one plan, the majority of our knowledge on integrated …

Insites, 2010, Utah State University

inSites

Magazine of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

The Impact Of The Physical Environment On The Social Integration Of Individuals With Disabilities In Community, Keith M. Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Social integration in community is especially important for individuals with disabilities well-being. Although individuals with disabilities reside within the community's physical environment, they are often marginalized in the social environment. This may be the result of individuals with disabilities residing in physical environments that negatively affect opportunities for integration in the social environment. However, there has been little investigation to understand the impact of the physical environment on the social integration of individuals with disabilities in community.

The purpose of this investigation was to (a) examine the current body of evidence concerning the impact of a community's physical environment on …

Planning For Closure Of The Logan City/Cache County Landfill And Surrounding Landscape, Kristofor Lee Kvarfordt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Planning for closure requires in depth analysis into many operational, environmental, and social factors. Ideally, the planning process should resolve as many of the technical, social, and aesthetic requirements as possible by systematically addressing the various elements that influence the final design. This research identified the significant issues related to planning for the end use of the current Logan landfill after it reaches capacity in 18-20 years and the associated lagoons and wetlands. The current closure plan calls for simply recontouring the landfill to stabilize the slopes, then revegetating. The location of the site has serious implications for environmental impact …

Historical Restoration Of Usu's Passive Recreation Garden, Jeremy Nelson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Laval Morris was the founder of the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

department at USU. He is an important figure in the history of our university the state and

intermountain region. One of the last remaining landscapes that he designed for the university is

USU’s Passive Recreation Garden.

Over time the garden has become degraded, overrun by invasive plants and was almost

completely destroyed in 2004. It is important to preserve and restore this garden because of its

importance to Laval and to the history LAEP at Utah State University.

My thesis is a documentation of the gardens importance and …

Distributed Renewable Energy Generation And Landscape Architecture: A Critical Review, Osmer Devon Beck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Governments and utility organizations around the world have mandated and provided incentives for new distributed renewable energy generation (DREG) capacity, and market projections indicate strong growth in distributed renewable energy generation installations in the coming years. New distributed renewable energy generation utilities, by definition, will be primarily located in built environments near consumers; these utilities are often planned and designed by landscape architects, yet no evidence-based, distributed renewable energy generation research is explicitly done by landscape architects or recognizes the role landscape architects play in planning and designing these spaces. The research and analysis provided by this study indicates that …

Historical Restoration Of The Usu Passive Recreation Garden, Jeremy Nelson

Browse All Undergraduate research

Laval Morris was the founder of the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning department at USU. He is an important figure in the history of our university, state, and intermountain region. One of the last remaining landscapes that he designed for the university is USU's Passive Recreation Garden. Over time the garden has become degraded, overrun by invasive plants and by last year, had become almost completely destroyed. It is important to preserve and restore this garden because of its importance to Laval and to LAEP's history.

Ecological Engineering In A New Town Development: Drainagedesign In The Woodlands, Texas, Bo Yang, M H. Li

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

This paper presents a comparative study of two different drainage designs in a 10,930-ha new town development of The Woodlands, Texas. Open surface drainage by shallow grassed swales was used in the first two subdivisions that were developed with ecological approaches. Open surface drainage mimics the natural flow regime and is regarded to mitigate development impacts on watershed. In other later subdivisions, the drainage design shifted back to a conventional stormwater drainage system, that is, curb and gutter, drop inlet, and underground piping, known to concentrate stormwater and lead to downstream flooding. The objective of this study is to compare …

Conservation Design Guidelines For Botanic Gardens, C. Craig Houston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Botanic gardens worldwide are asked to be centers of conservation. However, little is written about conservation-specific planning and design forms botanic gardens should use to fulfill this assignment. After looking at the history of botanic gardens, with a focus on the purpose/design relationship, examining design guidelines suggested in and inferred from the literature, and presenting habitat conservation principles and sustainable construction guidelines from other areas of practice, the author developed conservation design guidelines for botanic gardens focused on conservation. The guidelines address the following five categories: (1) Mission Statement and Site Character, (2) Presentation of Native Habitats, (3) Presentation of …

The Research, Process, And Design Of The Trout Creek Revegetation Plan, Daniel C. Bolin

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

The Bear River is the largest tributary to the Great Salt Lake, with water volumes reaching up to 1.4 million acre feet of water. The river begin s in Utah 's Uinta Mountains and flows into Wyoming and Idaho before finally flowing south and returning to Utah. The river flows nearly five hundred mile s before emptying into Bear River Bay of the Great Salt Lake, ending only ninety miles from its origin (Utah History to Go, 2008).