Landscape Architecture Commons^™

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 …

Value Add And Sustainable Parking Strategies: A Financial Evaluation And Real Estate Developer Perspective, Ryan Letzeiser

All Theses

Innovative techniques for parking lot design over the past 15 years have resulted in new approaches which address stormwater concerns on commercial real estate sites. A mixed method approach was taken to establish financial value in these new techniques being used. Sheraton Station, a proposed mixed use Transit Oriented Development (TOD) site with multi modal transportation in Hollywood, Florida was used as a research and demonstration project to evaluate ways to make sustainable parking lots more cost effective for real estate developers. After conducting interviews and a survey to evaluate real estate developers' perceptions on the use of sustainable features …

City Food: Re-Imagining Urban Food Access Through Holistic, Multilayered Typologies Of Urban Agriculture Systems, Tiffany Managad

All Theses

Urban Agriculture is a growing movement that has resulted in response to the world's increasing urbanization. As global urban populations continue to multiply, the demand to supply healthy and nutritious food to cities has magnified. More than half of the global population now lives in cities and this trend continues to increase exponentially. This phenomena raises the question: How will cities continue to sustain and feed their growing populations now and in the future? Cities are hungry for sustainable ways to grow, access and consume healthier, more delicious food. The current industrialized food system is unsustainable due to escalated dependency …

Re-Engaging Historic Military Sites, Gina Hartness

All Theses

Historic Conservation seeks to protect the historically significant built environment while
allowing for more current uses. As it pertains to land planning, this effort extends current
land-use tools beyond the historic and conservation districts to include buffer districts and
heritage areas. We need these tools because preservation, which is defined as maintaining
an unaltered environment, does not adequately address managing change over time. Fort
Moultrie on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina is one example where historic preservation
and conservation merge to address the adaptive reuse of this former military installation.
At Fort Moultrie, many of these former installations are in disrepair …

Re-Framing Historic Agra: Resident Central Design Recommendations For The Yamuna River At Agra, India, Akshay Badwe

All Theses

The Yamuna River has religious significance in India. Its landscape evolved based on the cultural philosophies of Hindus and Islam. The current rapid urbanization in India affects the river, resulting in utilitarian drain. This study recognizes that extensive contamination is harmful for the physical and the cultural values along the river. Therefore, a new plan for the design and management of the river is needed. To create new sustainable model, qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the conservation of both the intangible and the tangible values in the region. The 105 surveys responses and interviews from the residents of …

Public Parks And Private Ideologies: Building Nineteenth-Century British National Identity Through Landscape, Laura Swaim Witherington

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project examines how nineteenth-century landscape theories shaped national identity and were influenced by it. Predominant is an investigation of how the desire for a more egalitarian class structure underlies the changes in British landscape design from an attachment to classical exclusivity through pastoral tropes to a limited acceptance of middle and working classes within public landscapes that represented patriotic values. Although poetic works inform the study, novel-length fiction and non-fiction prose and periodicals are also a primary source of consideration. Novels demonstrate how fictional geography generates the constructs of national ideology, and although canonical works typically referenced in studu …

Evaluating The Design And Planning Services Of The Arlington Urban Design Center: Clients' Perspectives, Yunhui Zhou

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

In North Texas, recognizing the potential benefits of combining community service and outreach, three design centers, the Arlington Urban Design Center (AUDC), the Dallas City Design Studio (DCDS), and the Oak Cliff Storefront (OCS) were established since 2009. A fourth design center is also in the process of being established in Waco. Similar to their counterparts across the U.S., these centers were established to provide design and planning services to cities, communities, institutions, and private owners. Although they are widely reviewed in a broad expanse of scholarly literature (Hardin, Eribes, & Poster, 2006; Forsyth & McGirr, 1999) very little is …

Assessing The Impacts Of Converted Rail-Trails In North Texas Communities: Learning From The Stakeholders' Perspectives, Bhavana Kidambi

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

Converting abandoned rail lines to trails is a strategy to enhance green infrastructure and provide recreational amenities for large metropolitan area dwellers. Literature on rail to trail conversions emphasizes several factors that influence this change. Some of the factors listed are environment, transportation, recreation, economy, historic preservation, community identity, health and wellness, conservation, livability and revitalization (Trails, 2005-2011; Conservancy, 2007; & Connecticut, 2011). The purpose of this research is to evaluate the stakeholders' perspectives on the impacts of rail-trails in North Texas on five recurring themes in the literature: environmental, recreational, transportation, health and wellness and historic preservation identified as …

Landscape Practices On Gas Well Sites In North Texas: Perceptions Of Selected Industry Representatives And Regulators, Sarah Kuehn

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

Fossil fuel extraction, a principal industry in Texas, has turned toward natural gas exploration in the Barnett Shale, altering the landscapes of urban and rural communities alike. Improvements in technology have caused dramatic increases in the concentration of gas wells being drilled in large metropolitan areas, such as the Fort Worth area of North Texas. The result is an increase in awareness about urban drilling and its impact on regional environment (BSEEC 2011). In response, individual municipalities have amended their natural gas well ordinances and now mandate the implementation of regulations, such as permitting processes and the reclamation of sites, …

Mobile Device Usage On Campus Spaces: Implications On Design And Behavior, Grace A. Herman

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

This study explores the relationship between place, behavior, and technology in order to identify how users interact with the physical features of public space while interacting with mobile technology. The introduction of digital media has altered the way in which individuals engage socially within places (Gergen 2002; Hampton 2009; Humphreys 2005; Kleinman 2004; Louv 2011; Paulos 2003; Small 2008). The private nature of mobile device use modifies the social atmosphere in public spaces (Caballero-Munoz 2006; Eriksson 2007; Humphreys 2005; Paulos 2003; Srivastava 2005). For example, mobile phone users often block out others within their vicinity both physically and mentally in …

Landscape Practices On Gas Well Sites In North Texas: Perceptions Of Selected Industry Representatives And Regulators, Sarah Kuehn

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

Fossil fuel extraction, a principal industry in Texas, has turned toward natural gas exploration in the Barnett Shale, altering the landscapes of urban and rural communities alike. Improvements in technology have caused dramatic increases in the concentration of gas wells being drilled in large metropolitan areas, such as the Fort Worth area of North Texas. The result is an increase in awareness about urban drilling and its impact on regional environment (BSEEC 2011). In response, individual municipalities have amended their natural gas well ordinances and now mandate the implementation of regulations, such as permitting processes and the reclamation of sites, …

Evaluating The Design And Planning Services Of The Arlington Urban Design Center: Clients' Perspectives, Yunhui Zhou

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

In North Texas, recognizing the potential benefits of combining community service and outreach, three design centers, the Arlington Urban Design Center (AUDC), the Dallas City Design Studio (DCDS), and the Oak Cliff Storefront (OCS) were established since 2009. A fourth design center is also in the process of being established in Waco. Similar to their counterparts across the U.S., these centers were established to provide design and planning services to cities, communities, institutions, and private owners. Although they are widely reviewed in a broad expanse of scholarly literature (Hardin, Eribes, & Poster, 2006; Forsyth & McGirr, 1999) very little is …

Landscape Of Culture: Permanence And Change, Stefanie Huchzermeier

Architecture Senior Theses

"As conditions change and culture shifts to adapt, it is my contention that architecture has the capacity to provide an understanding of identity in times of change by regenerating the previously existing level of engagement between people and their natural environment through means of a reestablished spatial network and a materialization of informal social and spatial relationships."

Assessing Impermeable Surface Area Impacts On Modeling: Implications For The Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan In Omaha, Nebraska, Andrew D. Szatko

Community and Regional Planning Program: Professional Projects

The report looks at assessing the accuracy of estimating impervious surface areas (ISAs) by zoning code, the method utilized by the City of Omaha, Nebraska. A 101 acre subcatchment had all ISAs manually digitized and compared the actual with the estimated value. The subcatchment was then modeled with 10 percent decreases of ISAs to establish the relationship with peak flow rates and total volume in the combined sewer service area. The results show a significant relationship between the two that may provide insights into a new approach to manage CSO events with the integration of green infrastructure.

A Sacred And Secular Landscape: Empowering Social Agency, Shreya Shah

Architecture Senior Theses

"I contend that landscape can provoke an idea for a productive, public space using the people of the city as social agents to create a sensitive rather than oppressive water remediation system. By inventing a program that uses landscape as a water remediation space as well as landscape as a religious and social space, the project will exhibit the idea that social agents can inform a change in the water pollution crisis."

Technocarpet: Supporting A Culture Of Congestion, William Andrew Weigand

Architecture Senior Theses

"The TechnoCarpet is a public space sited in a future of resource scarcity, climate disruption, and urbanization. It provides support facilities and cultural amenities necessary to sustain super dense urban populations. I establishes an internal frontier for the city as a means to provoke density, by creating an escape from it. The TechnoCarpet is a model for parks in the 21st century."

Salve Regina University Tree Inventory And Management Plan 2012, Bartlett Tree Experts

Archives Books

The Bartlett Inventory Solutions Team from Bartlett Tree Experts conducted an inventory of trees on the campus of Salve Regina University in May 2012. The inventory included: identifying trees and attaching to each tree a tag with an assigned tag number; identifying the trees' condition, health, and vigor; recommending risk evaluations and removals of appropriate trees; recommending pruning, soil management, and pest management treatments to promote tree safety; health, appearance, and longevity; and mapping the trees using GPSr hardware and Geographic Information System (GIS) software.

This digital copy of the plan is redacted. Information about the estimated values of individual …

Slimplexity: A Glimpse Inside The Hive Mind Of Snohetta, Noel Brady

Articles

Simplexity is an interview with Craig Dykers cofounder of Snohetta. The firm has a unique structure in Architecture circles with a Hive Mind like structure. In addition its parallel interests in Architecture and Landscape Design has meant that both professional strands have equal parity in the firms operation.

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.

Social Interaction At The Maya Site Of Copan, Honduras: A Least Cost Approach To Configurational Analysis, Heather Richards-Rissetto

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

In this article, I employ least cost paths using GIS to measure the relationship between site configuration and social connectivity at the ancient Maya site of Copan, Honduras. I investigate two questions. First, did people of different social classes experience varying degrees of social connectivity? Second, did people living in different parts of the city experience difference degrees of social connectivity? Ultimately, the goal is modify traditional configurational analysis using least cost analysis (LCA) to identify how social hierarchy was embedded in landscapes and how ancient people may have strategically manipulated landscapes to structure social interaction and community organization.

A Health Impact Assessment Of Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes And Corridors In Lincoln, Nebraska, Katie Clear

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Obesity is a growing threat to America’s health. The national rate of obesity is 34% (Health Consequences, 2011), and Lincoln, Nebraska is not far behind that trend at 20.7% (BRFSS, 2011). Increasing physical activity is one way to reduce weight gain, (Edwards, 2008) and further studies show that small changes to the built environment can induce people to use alternative and more active forms of transportation such as biking, walking, and public transportation (Edwards, 2008; Zheng, 2008). The 2040 Comprehensive Plan for Lincoln, NE includes language to create a more walkable community. The proposal is to redevelop existing areas within …

A Survey And Assessment Of The State Of Low Impact Development In The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester County Region Of Coastal South Carolina Emphasizing The Role Of Landscape Architects In Stormwater Management, Noelle Castiglia

All Theses

Watersheds across the U.S., particularly population-dense coastal regions, are being impacted by cultural development preferences which promote an increase in impervious surfaces and ultimately increase the rate and volume of stormwater runoff. Low Impact Development (LID), a site specific form of green infrastructure (GI), is being adopted by many municipalities as an alternative stormwater management solution. Taking advantage of local ecological systems, LID addresses pressing growth requirements with the fundamental need to protect waterways, while also meeting federal regulations resulting from the National Permit Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). This thesis attempts to assess the state of LID in the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester …

A Model Of Human Scale Tested On Rural Landscape Scenes, Richard K. Sutton

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Landscapes such as the Great Plains have been described as lacking human scale. This study developed a quantitative model of human scale and compared it with viewers' perceptions of visual structure. Visual structure was selected from the physical features of Otoe County, NE, forming boundaries, found as ground textures, vegetative screens, and topographic breaks and was depicted in photographs of landscape scenes. The model used and tested nine classes of scale based on grain and extent of the photos rated by viewers against those from the model. Viewers identified boundaries representing grain and extent that were synthesized into a viewer-perceived …

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 …

Wku-Habitat For Humanity Green Community: A Model For Engagement And Partnerships, Nancy Givens, Rodney Goodman

Education for Sustainability Summer Institute

No abstract provided.