Fourteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

What are the challenges of and opportunities for advancing equity through landscape architecture practice? Equity in this study is defined as “just and fair inclusion into a society in which everyone can participate and prosper.” This study emerged from a long-term collaboration between Juxtaposition Arts and the University of Minnesota’s Department of Landscape Architecture called ReMix. ReMix envisions the Twin Cities’ environmental design professions as diverse and equity-focused. Since 2005 we have collaborated on teaching, research, and engagement efforts. In 2018 and 2019, UMN student Rachel McNamara conducted (interview-guide) interviews with 25 Twin Cities landscape architects and designers. Interviewees practiced in public agencies, non-profit organizations, and private design firms. Through analysis of interview data we found similarities and differences among how practitioners view the possibilities of advocating for equity from their particular professional positions. For instance, public sector designers see opportunities to help remove obstacles faced by community members who want to participate in decision-making. However, the time they spend removing barriers to participation through more innovative and sustained engagement strategies counts directly against the project’s overall construction budget. Private sector practitioners expressed that if a designer is perceived by their employer or potential employers as an “activist,” it can diminish their job prospects. Private sector designers also felt that design training for students interested in equity needed to be a “both/and” where students gain a strong base in traditional technical skills and knowledge about how professional designers can use their skills to advance equitable outcomes.