Spring 2024
LA 607/608: North End, Metro Center, and South End - Envisioning Neighborhood Investment in Springfield, MA
MLA students in the Graduate Urban Design Studio engaged in a semester-long collaboration with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and community stakeholders in Springfield, MA to develop the Springfield Neighborhood Investment Plans (SNIP) for the city's North End, Metro Center and South End. This studio was instructed by UMass Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Frank Sleegers.
LA 303: Hampshire Mall: Exploring Opportunities for Intergenerational Housing and Community Development
40 UMass Landscape Architecture and Architecture juniors developed inventive ways to transform the 46-acre Hampshire Mall property, a major commercial center in Hadley, MA, to better suit the needs of the local community. The studio, taught by Adjunct Professors Erica DeWitt and Allyson Fairweather, was developed through a partnership between UMass and the Town of Hadley. In May, 2024, the eight student teams presented their plans to faculty, peers, clients, and community stakeholders. These plans re-envisioned the mall site as a mixed-use community with a significant amount of housing catering to young professionals, working families, and seniors.
LA 203: Planting Design at the Honors College
BSLA Sophomores learned techniques for using plants as an important medium of landscape design. Under the instruction of Professor Patricia McGirr, students developed nature-based landscape designs for the UMass Commonwealth Honors College. From desk critiques to site assessments, sophomores took big steps forward in design exploration.
LA 494LI: Beloved Places: River & Road Vermont’s Route 30 & West River Corridor, Senior Capstone
BSLA seniors in the "Beloved Places" studio, taught by UMass Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture Carolina Aragón and Lecturer Kate Cholakis, collaborated with community stakeholders and the Windham Regional Commission to develop design solutions for Vermont's Route 30/West River Valley corridor. The studio presented their designs to the public during a special forum at the Union Hall in Newfane Village, VT.
Fall 2023
LA 609 & LA 401: Envision Resilience Challenge BSLA & MLA Studios
UMass Landscape Architecture students in Professor Samantha Solano’s MLA Studio and Professor Frank Sleegers’ BSLA Urban Design Studio participated in the 2023 Envision Resilience Design Challenge. This year's cohort collaborated with communities in New Bedford and Fairhaven, MA to propose solutions to the effects of sea level rise.
UMass Envision Resilience Challenge Team Designs
RP 675: Impact 2045 - A Priority Climate Action Plan for New Haven, CT
Ten regional planning graduate students in Professor Camille Barcher's "Impact 2045: a Priority Climate Action Plan for New Haven, CT" studio drafted a plan that will guide 27 cities and towns in New Haven County toward reducing greenhouse gases and other harmful air pollutants, while promoting environmental justice and a higher quality of life for all residents.