New Minor in Urban Ecological Design
The phrase “urban ecological design” became the focus of Department of Landscape Architecture in looking to current and future challenges for the places where we live. This phrase captures four ideas: designing ecological systems within our cities, designing with people to express their cultures in the urban landscape, creating ecological and cultural places people can care about and take care of, and making healthy places. You’ll find these four themes woven throughout the Landscape Architecture curriculum, bringing “urban ecological design” to life through theory, built places, and student projects.
In Spring 2011, Landscape Architecture faculty and staff proposed changing the minor it has offered, to streamline the requirements and better convey the distinctive focus of this Landscape Architecture department and faculty. This led to replacing the pre-existing minor in Landscape Studies with the new minor in Ecological Design. With the new minor, students have more flexibility in which Landscape Architecture classes they take to fulfill the minor, as they have room in their schedule and as they choose the courses that they are most interested in taking.
The 25-credit minor in Urban Ecological Design allows students to take any of the Landscape Architecture courses open to non-majors to fulfill 20 of the required credits. The remaining 5 credits would come from 200 or higher level courses offered in the College of Built Environments (ARCH, CM, URBDP, CEP, BE) or in ESRM or GEOG. The department developed a new course in Spring 2011, LARCH 212 Designing the Future, which counts for the minor. Information about the minor is provided on the Department of Landscape Architecture website, in the “undergraduate” page found under the “programs” link: http://larch.be.washington.edu/programs/undergraduate/minor.php.
This minor is a good way to explore the field of Landscape Architecture and gain exposure to the profession. It can help you consider a potential direction for graduate work, be a better steward of the earth, and make more informed decisions about all of our futures.