WK 47

From Studying to Shaping Land: A Workshop Bridging Ecology with Design Performance Objectives

In order to operationalize earth stewardship in urbanized areas, it is essential for ecologists to offer viable contributions to designers, planners, and engineers who design built and natural environments.  Engaging in the design process can be challenging for scientists given its multifaceted, iterative, and nonlinear nature.  However, scientists have much to contribute, particularly in the development of appropriate performance metrics for the achievement of high quality and ecologically functioning designed landscapes.

This session will focus on the assessment of designed public landscapes and community parkland and how ecologists can assess and contribute to the social and environmental outcomes of proposed design alternatives.  The workshop will explore the Landscape Architecture Foundation's (LAF) Landscape Performance Series, in order to set performance objectives and evaluate components shaping urban systems and designed landscapes.  In the workshop we will apply content and tools from the Landscape Performance Series, and discuss metrics, methods, and data sources. 

This session is intended to introduce students and researchers to the contributions ecologists can make to the design and planning process. LAF is interested in identifying peer-review experts in targeted ecological areas to contribute to the Landscape Performance Series and help strengthen the metrics and methods.

This session is part of the Earth Stewardship Initiative focusing on Baltimore's communities and urban ecosystems.  By highlighting ways that ecologists can shape the built environment, it will help ecologists explore ways of incorporating ecological science into grassroots planning and design as a means to improve research opportunities, while concurrently supporting diverse community interests.  The workshop will end with a discussion focusing on the unique aspects of Baltimore's urban ecosystem and diverse communities.  We will examine how ecologists, local designers, and community-based grassroots leaders can align biological communities with community structure, urbanization, and urban form.