Spring 2026 Lecture Recordings

Presented by Elizabeth Brabec, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning and Director of the Center for Heritage & Society at UMass LARP, and President of the ISCCL (International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes), and her research team

Hopewell Earthworks represent one of the most distinctive forms of cultural landscapes in North America. From about 100BCE to 500CE, the culture flourished and then very abruptly abandoned the sites. Unlike archaic settlement landscapes, Hopewell earthwork sites show limited evidence of habitation, and instead, archaeological evidence indicates they functioned as symbolic, ceremonial, burial, and sacred spaces. Their extensive geometric landscapes present a methodological challenge for contemporary researchers seeking to understand why these places were created and how their locations were chosen. This presentation discusses the landscapes of the Hopewell civilization, and the application of reverse-engineering to investigate the drivers of site selection, location and distribution. Focusing on the Scioto River watershed in Ohio, the acknowledged center of Hopewell culture, it is the region with some of the most extensive historical documentation of Hopewell sites. The presentation explores the use of GIS spatial analysis, presenting a new view into Hopewell landscapes.

Presented by Rebecca Davis BSLA '16, Jesse Nicholson BS Env. Design, Samantha Anderson MLA '14, and Mike Abate BSLA '16

The Department hosted a special Zube Lecture Series panel discussion featuring alumni from landscape architecture programs at UMass Amherst. Alumni presented examples of their work since graduating and talked about their experiences in the industry.

Presented by Eric Toensmeier, writer, trainer, consultant, and grower based in Southampton, MA; Senior Fellow with Project Drawdown

Eric Toensmeier is the author of Paradise Lot: Two Plant Geeks, One-Tenth of an Acre, and the Making of an Edible Garden Oasis in the City. In this talk, Toensmeier presents the garden as a case study with aspects of design process, restoring degraded land, edible landscaping, useful native plants, and more. Eric co-designed the garden and resided there for 17 years, guiding the development of a unique and productive urban food garden with elements of agroforestry, insulated greenhouse, microlivestock and more.

Presented by Rizqa Hidayani, urban planner and program manager for the Urban Climate Resilience Division at the Kota Kita Foundation in Indonesia.

This session explores inclusive and participatory planning tools that move beyond tokenistic engagement toward shared decision-making. Drawing on practical experience from Kota Kita Foundation, an Indonesian organization working on community-centered urban design and planning, the session presents real-world examples of concrete tools and methods for engaging communities that are frequently marginalized in conventional planning processes, to surface local knowledge, hidden needs of marginalized communities, and strengthen community voice in co-creating more equitable and resilient cities. Planners earned 1 AICP-CM credit for attending this talk.

Presented by Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, 45th Mayor of the City of Northampton, MA

This lecture explores the intersection and tension of city planning and the real-world implementation and long-term maintenance of plans within a political framework. It examines how planners design visions that cities must sustain over time, often amid limited municipal resources and shifting political realities. As mayors and city councilors change, so do priorities, political will, and constituent expectations - highlighting how quickly and dramatically the landscape of local governance and public demands can evolve. Planners earned 1 AICP-CM credit for attending this talk.

Presented by Evan Abramson, Founder and Principal of Landscape Interactions

While biodiversity is a goal for many landscape architects and designers, few projects utilize science to document the impacts of designed landscapes on ecosystems or species. Featuring a series of case studies from Landscape Interactions' own practice, this session presents diverse approaches to understanding how landscape interactions influence the biodiversity of sites and communities.

Presented by UMass Amherst PhD Planning Students Amber James and Tosin Bamidele

Two PhD Planning students, Amber James and Tosin Bamidele, present their doctoral research. Amber James, a 2024-2025 U.S. Fulbright Public Policy Fellow, explores governance and collectivism in displacement spaces and the implications of climate change impacts on migration and habitation. In this talk, James shares her Fulbright research on the institutional architecture of rural resettlement programs and model green villages in Rwanda. Tosin Bamidele studies the intersection of technology, policy, and urban development, with a focus on how digital infrastructure shapes community outcomes. In this talk, Bamidele examines the New York City Department of Sanitation's Illegal Dumping Award and Tip Program, which pays residents to report dumping activity. Tosin traces the divergence between what administrative data says and what an affective public says, revealing insights on trust, surveillance, and inequity in ways official records do not capture.

Presented by Tamsin Flanders MRP '20, Jessica Allan MLA/MRP '04, and Lydia Jankowski, MRP '24

The Department hosted a special Zube Lecture Series panel discussion featuring graduates of the regional planning master's program at UMass Amherst. Alumni presented examples of their work since graduating and talked about their experiences in the industry.