Expertise
I have a passion for land. In more specific terms, I am passionate about land and water resources and about helping people make better decisions about their use. I act on this passion in two ways: (1) conducting research and outreach in land use/landscape planning and (2) teaching future planners and designers about ecological systems and the associated complexities inherent in decisions about use and management.
Both rural and urban land use questions interest me, but I find that much of my work centers on urban ecological systems and the land management decisions of local governments.
I have conducted research in the areas of urban biodiversity; remnant urban green space and its use for improving water quality and for providing neighborhood amenities (as greenways and as a way of promoting active living, especially in low income neighborhoods); and ecologically sensitive, conservation-oriented, land planning and management. Visualization using GIS mapping is an important component of this work. Currently, I am investigating physical planning and design options for climate adaptation at the neighborhood scale, with an emphasis on extreme heat events. I am also interested in ecological restoration in urban ecosystems and in measurements of landscape performance, especially regarding water quality and biodiversity.
I am excited about emerging areas of practice for landscape architects, especially those opportunities at disciplinary edges (e.g., between landscape architecture and ecology, urban and regional planning, architecture, and engineering).