My scholarly activity combines original and applied research in the area of sustainable environmental design.
Case study research that analyzes design and planning methods and outcomes is a widely recognized need in the development of the profession’s theoretical framework. The bridging of planning-level landscape sustainability with the concerns of site-scale design is the focus of my recent collaborative study of six national exemplars of sustainable site design.
The innovative application of theory and development of new methodologies through creative design and planning projects is another important scholarly contribution to be made in academic practice. Meeting the planning and design assistance needs of communities throughout the state of Connecticut reveals new avenues for research and also fulfills the Land Grant mission of the University. To this end, my work on a variety of outreach projects, many of which integrate student service-learning through my teaching program, provides ongoing involvement in the “living laboratory” of physical design and planning.
Book:
Schwab, Kristin & Claudia Dinep. Sustainable Site Design: Criteria, Process, and Case Studies for Integrating Site and Region in Landscape Design. John Wiley & Sons, December 2009. Available at Amazon.com
Representative Community Research & Design Projects:
Route 101 Corridor /Borderlands, Killingly CT Pilot Town* 2008 – present
Hillside Road Streetscape/ Student Union Entry Courtyard / University of Connecticut 2008
Hillside Environmental Education Park/ University of Connecticut* 2006-2008
Cat Hollow Park/ Killingly CT* 2006
Invasive Plant Demonstration Garden/ University of Connecticut* 2006
Village, Open Space & Road Corridor Study/ Plainfield CT 2006
Gideon Welles Schoolyard/ Glastonbury CT 2005
Commercial District Infill, Open Space & Streetscape Study/North Windham CT 2005
Route 195 Corridor Study/ University of Connecticut* 2005
River Park/Mansfield CT* 2005
Parks System Mapping & Trail Guides/Mansfield CT* 2005
Toolbox for Urban Neighborhood Landscape Design/ Neighborhoods of Hartford * 2003-2004
Tower on the Green, Asylum Hill and Blue Hills Neighborhood Design Assistance/ Hartford CT 2003-04
Holcomb Farm Learning Center & CSA Outdoor Visitor Facilities/West Granby CT 2003
Saville Dam Landscape Restoration/Hartford MDC, Barkhamsted CT* 2001-2002
NEMO Sustainable Site Demonstration/UConn Middlesex County Extension* 2001
Winton Park/South Windsor CT* 2001
Accessible Community Garden/East Hartford CT* 2001
Village Center Design Study/ Andover CT * 2001
Campus Arboretum Inventory/ University of Connecticut, Storrs* 1999-2000
(*grant-in-aid funded projects)
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