Land Connections

Flood Mitigation: When Landscape Architecture Meets Permaculture

Outside of the occasional earthquake and annual wildfires, California residents often have the luxury of merely reading about natural disasters rather than experiencing them. This year, however, Californians across the state were introduced to heavy rainfall which led to a stream of atmospheric rivers. After a decade of drought and uncontrolled wildfires, the unprecedented consequences […]

Land Connections–Technological Advancements in Visualizing Landscapes Through Virtual Reality

From ancient to modern times humans have evolved our communication methods from primitive cave paintings to modern computer-aided drawings; the evolution is largely attributed to advances in technology. Virtual reality (VR) is the latest advancement in technology that can aid humanity in our evolution. What sets VR apart from previous visual communication technologies is that […]

Land Connections–The Seven Tenets of Resilient Spaces

The measure of any great civilization is in its cities, and the measure of a city’s greatness is to be found in the quality of its public spaces, its parks and squares.John Ruskin Yesterday and Today There has been much uncertainty over the past two years and if that period has taught us anything, it’s […]

Land Connections–Creating Healthy Landscapes

Healthy landscapes help create healthy communities. A healthy landscape is an outdoor space designed to promote the health and well-being of people and the environment. There are many social, ecological, and environmental benefits associated with healthy landscapes, including improving quality of life and mitigating environmental impacts. The Landscape Institute provides five principles that are believed […]

Land Connections–Homelessness in the Built Landscape: How Can We Help?

How do landscape architects address homelessness in the built landscape? What are we doing wrong? What are we doing right? What can we do better?  Architects, Civil Engineers, Landscape Architects, and Urban Planners in the public and private sectors have a responsibility to design cities that serve the entire community, including the homeless. Government policies, […]

Land Connections–Blurring the Line Between Inside and Outside

How Did We End Up Like This? Architecture and landscape architecture pursue the same aim: to provide mankind with diversified indoor or open spaces while addressing user and client needs. It is perhaps also not inaccurate to say that while many landscape architects naturally strive to create landscapes that ‘fit’ into their natural surroundings (or try […]

Land Connections–Designing for Safety

With incidents of harassment and violence commonly displayed on the news or social media, it is understandable that people may feel vulnerable in public spaces, even in the nicest of areas. Whether taking a stroll in the park during a sunny day or walking home from work late in the dark night, no one should […]

Land Connections–Social Justice Through Landscape Architecture

The world today is changing. Not only in our technological advances but also in how we communicate as individuals. With information across the globe available at the click of a button, we have access to an abundant amount of facts, thoughts, and ideas. This access to information allows us to be more conscious than ever […]

Land Connections—Community Spaces for Introverts

Why Should We Have Community Spaces for Introverts? Community spaces are places used in a variety of ways by the entire community. People use these spaces to gather, play, interact, relax, enjoy nature, and recharge3. Community spaces are for the whole community, including the 40% of the population that identifies as introverted. The diversity of […]

Land Connections—Parks and the Pandemic: The Need for More Equity

The pandemic has invigorated interest in public parks and open spaces. Parks have long been known to improve health and wellness, but they have now turned into a necessary haven for so many during these difficult times. Access to nature, fresh air, and daylight, combined with social distancing and masks, have not only helped us […]