Research | Landscape Performance Series
Scholarly Works
The Landscape Performance Series Scholarly Works are a searchable collection of top student theses and dissertations related to landscape performance. Full papers are available for download in pdf format.
The student research presented here includes research on the benefits of landscape, post occupancy evaluations or analyses of monitoring data, and applications of existing research for existing or proposed projects.
Know of original student research that advances our knowledge of landscape performance? Help build the database by sending your suggestions to lps@lafoundation.org.
Ecorevelatory Design: A Model for Landscape Architecture to Resolve, Reveal, and Educate in the Lower Fountain Creek Corridor
Kimberly Gortz-Reaves
University of Colorado at Denver
College of Architecture and Planning
2010Ecorevelatory design (ERD) attempts to enhance site ecosystems and engage users by revealing ecological and cultural phenomena, processes, and relationships affecting a site. The theory has received heavy criticism about its ability to absorb an audience in ecological understanding or improve site conditions. This research examines how ERD theory can be applied to resolve, reveal and educate users about the complex ecological and cultural issues affecting the lower Fountain Creek corridor between Colorado Springs, Colorado and the Arkansas River confluence in Pueblo, Colorado. Using literary research, surveys, and systematic site analysis, ERD landscapes are deconstructed to create a design language and working process to manifest effective design solutions.
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Stormwater managementStormwater Runoff Simulation Using SWMM: Evaluating Stormwater Management on the University of Virginia Grounds
Robert S. Arthur
University of Virginia
School of Engineering and Applied Science
2010In 2004, an innovative stormwater management system was implemented on the University of Virginia Grounds. The project included a daylit section of Meadow Creek and the Dell Pond, a wet pond Best Management Practice (BMP). This paper explores the process of simulating single storm events within a portion of the Meadow Creek watershed using the USEPA’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) 5.0 (2009). The study area encompasses approximately 170 acres of forest, residential, and urbanized land, which is almost entirely on University of Virginia property. The model was calibrated and verified with storm event data gathered by an interdisciplinary team of students, faculty, and university employees, who have been collecting and analyzing water quantity and quality data from the Dell stormwater management system since 2007.
Cultivating New Growth: Visualizing Sustainable Development in the Vermillion River Watershed
Samuel Geer
University of Minnesota
Landscape Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning
2010This project models the costs and benefits of a conventional suburban subdivision and a smart growth design alternative. The site is located in Farmington, MN, along the north creek of the Vermillion River, and follows the extent of the proposed Fairhill Community, a suburban development emphasizing single family dwellings. This report employs a comparative approach to examine the performance of the Fairhill neighborhood against Farmington Meadows, a smart growth alternative that emphasizes higher densities, mixed uses, land conservation, public transportation, and walkability. The project uses Index PlanBuilder, a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based planning support system that models sustainability indicators for each scenario. The results reflect the costs and benefits of different development practices and provoke new questions about how scenario modeling can help communities shape urban growth.
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Temperature & urban heat islandLand-Use Planning and the Urban Heat Island Effect
Jun-Pill Kim
Ohio State University
City and Regional Planning
2009In urban areas, the urban heat island effect is a critical factor for air quality and public health. Recent research on the UHI has resulted in a better understanding of climate modifications in urban areas. This research further develops statistical models of local temperature changes, using Landsat-5 satellite remote-sensing data. The temperature at any location and for any land use is modeled as a function of the pattern of land uses around this location. These models are estimated with data pertaining to the Columbus, Ohio, metropolitan area (CMA). Their applicability to land-use planning and regulation is illustrated by simulating hypothetical land-use changes in part of the CMA, and computing the resulting temperature effects. The results clearly demonstrate that it is possible to reduce temperatures in residential and urban areas through a judicious siting of green areas.
Zero Runoff Campus
Katie Anne Linnemann
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Landscape Architecture
2009Engineers in the 20th century faced the challenge of efficiently managing stormwater in the urban context. They became so efficient at catching and redirecting the runoff, that they inadvertently caused many other problems, such as increased flood frequencies and decreased water infiltration. The goal of this thesis is to demonstrate a shift from the model of the 20th century to a more progressive model for the 21st century. This thesis will address the problem by redesigning the rainwater management system at Parkland Community College in Champaign, Illinois as a retrofit. An economic and ecological analysis of the design has been completed and compared to a traditional design to demonstrate the benefits associated with sustainable design and to encourage other such explorations by landscape architects.
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