Build Resilient Communities

Ready to build a brighter future for people and the planet? At UMass Amherst, you can receive a professionally accredited degree in landscape architecture or regional planning. We also offer a highly flexible Bachelor of Science Sustainable Community Development and a skills-based Associate of Science in Landscape Contracting.

Giving You the Tools to Make a Difference

LARP students take on real‑world projects with real clients and communities, driving change through innovative design and planning.

students explore sites in Boston facing climate challenges

LARP Seniors Partner with Communities to Design a More Resilient Future for Boston

This spring, the Beloved Places Senior Capstone Landscape Architecture Studio examined climate challenges facing Boston's North End and West End neighborhoods. By collaborating with community groups and the Eliot School, UMass students proposed innovative design solutions to coastal flooding, extreme heat, limited green space, and other issues facing sites along Boston Harbor and the Charles River. This project was supported by Envision Resilience's inaugural National Design Grant.

Alumni Stories

From habitat design to city planning, our alumni create spaces where communities and nature can thrive.

Landscape Architectural Designer (BSLA '22)

Andrew Carrano
Andrew Carrano designs animal habitats in zoos all over the country as a landscape architectural designer at CLR Design
Andrew Carrano

Landscape Designer (MLA '24)

Chandana Palika
Chandana Palika is a Landscape Designer at Lord Aeck Sargent Planning & Design, where she assists with planning, organizing, and developing deliverables across both landscape architecture and urban design projects.
Chandana Palika

Project Assistant (BSLA/BSSCD '23)

Lucía Peña-Banda
As a Project Assistant for the City of Boston Planning Department, Lucía Peña-Banda supports the review of urban development projects across Boston—from mid-sized affordable housing to large-scale master plans.
Lucía Peña-Banda

Transportation Planner & Geographer (MRP & MS Geography '24)

Drew Thomas
Drew Thomas, AICP, is a transportation planner and geographer currently working at the Connecticut Transportation Institute. At CTI, Drew works with the Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center team developing tools for managing transportation assets and safety across the state.
Drew Thomas
Zube Spring 2026 Website

Zube Lecture Series

The Zube Lectures Series is committed to advancing conversations in landscape architecture, planning, sustainability, and related fields. Join us on Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. in the Design Building Lecture Hall for inspiring talks by leading scholars and practitioners. Each lecture offers fresh insights, sparks dialogue, and explores major issues shaping communities and environments today.

 

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