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UMass Amherst's Department of Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning: Empowering students to build a brighter future for people and the planet.

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Hear about planning research in our department! Join us tomorrow @ 4 PM in the Design Building Lecture Hall (room 170) for "UMass Amherst Planning Faculty and PhD Student Research," a Zube Panel Discussion with Prof. Peter Dunn, Prof. Theodore Eisenman, and PhD Candidate Paromita Shome! by @umasslarp

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2 days ago

Prof. Camille Barchers' MRP studio is the Berkshires helping local towns develop tools that citizens and policymakers can use to prepare the Berkshire region for a resilient future.🌲 🌄

This weekend, students participated in the Hancock Community Day and the North Adams Mt. Greylock Hike, where they engaged residents with planning activities. Activities like the studio's "BerkBlibs" worksheet helped students understand what's important to community members and how they prioritize spending.

Worksheets aside, one MRP student entered the Hancock Pie Eating Contest and won! Overall, the studio had a great time meeting members of the Berkshire community and they can't wait to go back on more visits this semester. Learn more about our "Berkshire CAN" studio at www.berkshirecan.org/. by @umasslarp

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2 days ago

🌟Tune in for an update from Prof. Samantha Solano after her MLA studio embarked on their first site visits to Lewiston and Auburn, ME, for the 2026 @envisionresilience Challenge with teams from @northeastern, @risd1877, @carnegiemellon, and @uflorida:

"The Lewiston and Auburn landscape is defined by cycles of transformation in response to the Androscoggin River. From the pre-colonial Wabanaki villages that relied on the river, to the industrial systems that harnessed the river's hydropower to build mills, the Androscoggin River has always been central to the making of this place.

Our studio experienced Lewiston and Auburn through walking. We were rarely a 10-minute walk from the river but its presence felt hidden, obstructed, and forgotten. This trip helped us see the love that the people of Lewiston and Auburn have for their community, and it has inspired us to consider new ways of stitching the legacy of the Androscoggin River and surrounding landscape back to the people. Thank you to Envision Resilience for organizing such a thought-provoking trip!" - Prof. Solano

📸1: UMass MLA students in front of the Lewiston statue
📸2: A site visit to Teisha’s Orchard in Lewiston, led by Sean O’Connell of @retreeus
📸3: Students exploring the Androscoggin River
📸4: UMass student Gertie Ingalls sketching the landscape
📸5: The Lewiston and Auburn site visits concluded with a collaborative share-out where students like Zeke Cochin (UMass, pictured) from all the Challenge universities reflected on what they’d seen, heard, and learned.
📸6: Solano with her students
📸7: Group photo of all the university teams
Photos by Envision Resilience and Samantha Solano by @umasslarp

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7 days ago

Our hickories in front of the Olver Design Building are starting to pop off 🍂

It’s an absolutely gorgeous day on campus. We hope you take a moment to observe the natural beauty all around you, and reflect on the many benefits these trees provide for us ☺️ taken in Design Building by @umasslarp

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7 days ago

How do we process the realities of climate change in the landscapes we call home? Join environmental artists Carolina Aragón and Sebastian González Quintero today for an inspiring discussion exploring how site-specific art, digital technology, and public participation can transform abstract scientific data about climate change into immersive human experiences.

This Zube event, organized by LARP and @umass_museum_umca, will be held at 4 PM the Olver Design Building Lecture Hall (room 170) at UMass Amherst. The panel is free and open to the public with snacks and drinks provided!

📸1: HEAT BLOOMS (2025), a public art installation in Cambridge, MA, that used temperature-responsive origami flowers to expose the realities of extreme heat. The piece was created by Carolina Aragón, Brynya Ablamsky, and teams from LARP and @artforpublicgood.
📸2: Carolina Aragón, LARP associate professor, artist, and founder of Art for Public Good
📸3: Sebastian González Quintero, a PhD student in Interdisciplinary Design and Media @northeastern, whose work focuses on climate change and environmental issues using moving image, interactive media, and sound. His work has been presented in exhibitions in Colombia and the United States, and in the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.
📸4: González is exploring the potential of the underwater acoustic environment of urban rivers as an ecological indicator and its role in environmental communication. by @umasslarp

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8 days ago

We hosted our Virtual Alumni Mentoring Session yesterday! LARP alumni met with students over Zoom to share career advice and offer insights into different industries.

💚Thank you to Andrew Carrano, BSLA 22, Rachel Newman, BSLA ‘21, Lee Jennings, MLA ‘08, David Hancox, BSLA ‘90, Jessie Crowley Waisnor, BSLA ‘02, Wilson Darbin, BSSCD 19, Chris Ramage, MLA ‘21, Karen Sebastian, MLA ‘99, Jen Stromsten, MRP ‘14, Ngoc Doan, MLA ‘14, Rebecca Bachand, BSLA ‘98, and Rob Watchilla, MRP 21!

Want to get involved at LARP as an alum? Learn about opportunities at umass.edu/landscape-planning/alumni. by @umasslarp

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9 days ago

🎤Join us today at 4 PM for "Greenfield Urban Planning in Africa," a Zube Lecture presented by Vernon Henderson, Professor of Economic Geography at the London School of Economics!

Hear how Prof. Henderson's team is studying Tanzania's flagship “20,000 Plots'' project in Dar es Salaam, which partitioned peri-urban land into over 36,000 formal residential plots. Using administrative records, satellite imagery, and primary surveys, Henderson's team is examining the effects of planning decisions on consumer welfare and how planning can be improved.

📸1: Nairobi around Kubera (3-4 km from the city center), showing urban informality in Kenya
📸2: Planned non-residential use and road reserves in Mbweni Mpiji in the Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania by @umasslarp

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15 days ago

🦩🏆Nominate a LARP alum for our inaugural LARPee Awards! Tell us about an alum who you think exemplifies the mission and values of our department. LARPees will be presented during our Alumni Reunion Party on Saturday, November 14th from 6-9:30 PM at UMass Amherst!

Nominate an alum by October 16th using this form or click on the link in our bio: https://forms.gle/r9H7cx41Pbb6bFw36

Department Mission: LARP provides sustainable solutions to complex problems. We educate outstanding students, serve diverse communities, and undertake influential scholarship. We seek to exemplify a new generation of professionals and educators who work collaboratively across disciplines and cultures. This provides leadership to find regenerative, equitable and beautiful designs, spatial and social practices. by @umasslarp

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15 days ago

What's something that landscape architects design? Skateparks🛹! Nolan Fonda, MLA '25, a skateboarder from Western Mass and landscape architect with GZA Geo Environmental, led the design efforts of a new skate and all-wheels park in Easthampton, MA.

The goal of the design was to make the new park accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level. Now, thanks to fundraising efforts spearheaded by the Easthampton Skatepark Committee, construction of the long-awaited skatepark is set to begin this fall at the city's Millside Park.

"Skateparks may not mean much to some, but to others, they’re the glue that holds the community together," said Fonda.

"What really excites me about this new skatepark is that it’s something I was a part of prior to grad school as a skateboarder in the area, and then to be able to fully design it as part of my job is still hard for me to wrap my head around. Not only that, it’s something my friends and I will use for years to come once constructed."

🎨Easthampton Skatepark design renderings by GZA. by @umasslarp

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17 days ago

UMass LARP is looking for an inspiring individual to serve as teacher, mentor, and leader in our professional accredited Landscape Architecture programs. We invite applications for this position, expected to start on September 1, 2027.

Learn more at careers.umass.edu/jobs/lecturer-in-landscape-architecture-and-regional-planning-100-amherst-massachusetts-united-states. by @umasslarp

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18 days ago

Kudos to Arboretum Committee member Michael Amato for his feature in the 2026 issue of ‘Wilder Times’.

This annual magazine published by @umasslarp celebrates its students, faculty, and alumni who are using design and planning to foster hope for a more resilient future. The interview covers Michael’s efforts to raise awareness of the value of campus trees and the biodiversity they support, alongside @umass_eco PhD Students Stella Dee and Aliza Fassler, the Arboretum and Bee Campus Committees, and the dedicated staff of UMass Grounds. Check the link in our bio to check out the full publication! 📖 taken in The Frank A. Waugh Arboretum at UMass Amherst by @umasslarp

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20 days ago

Have you signed up for LARP's Virtual Alumni Mentoring Session yet? Don't miss your chance to talk on Zoom with amazing alumni working in landscape architecture, design-build, planning, community development, sustainability, and more! Scan the QR code or see the link in our bio to sign up by 9/29!

🌟Mentors will include:
Andrew Carrano, BSLA '22, Landscape Architectural Designer, CLR Design
Rachel Newman, BSLA ‘21, Landscape Designer, Hilarie Holdsworth Design
Lee Jennings, MLA ‘08, Senior Associate, Dodson & Flinker
Christopher Ramage, MLA ‘21, Landscape Architect and Founder, Studio FARM
Ngoc Doan, MLA ‘14, Landscape Photographer, NDoan Photo
Rebecca Bachand, BSLA ‘98, Owner/Manager, RBLA Design LLC
Jessie Crowley Waisnor, BSLA ‘02, Senior Landscape Architect, Town of Brookline
Karen Sebastian, MLA ‘99, Principal/Owner, Karen Sebastian LLC
David Hancox, BSLA ‘90, President/Lead Designer, Landscape Oasis LLC
Wilson Darbin, Sustcomm ‘19, Budget Analyst, Rhode Island School of Design
Jen Stromsten, MRP ‘14, Director of Programs, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
Christine Brestrup, MLA ‘80, Former Planning Director, Town of Amherst
Rob Watchilla, MRP ‘21, Planning Director, Town of Wellesley
Jessica Allan, MLA/MRP ‘04, Real Estate Development Director, Valley Community Development
Sebastian Gutwein, Env. Design ‘06, Designer/Principal, Residential Design Group
Maureen Pollock, MRP/MLA ‘12, Planning Director, Town of Montague by @umasslarp

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20 days ago