LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Offered Summer Semester

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Italians spend much of their time outdoors and their cities reflect this in an interesting blend of exterior living spaces and related cultural activities. Italian landscapes and townscapes are complex urban and rural environments that still retain characteristics of the Middle Ages. Students are encouraged to assimilate into their own work some of the aesthetic qualities they observe in ancient public spaces by experiencing the wide variety of activities taking place in Italy’s small piazzas, squares, waterfront spaces and streets.

Students study contemporary urban design with an increased understanding of low-rise, high-density urban areas, multi-use open space, mixed-use developments and the co- existence of people and vehicles which have been successfully maintained and basically unchanged over many centuries in Italy. An appreciation for clean, fast, efficient, low-cost local and regional transportation systems will convince the most avid owner of an auto- mobile that there are more energy efficient ways to move people.

Cortona is a walled hill town with an extremely compact and pleasant living environment surrounded by outstanding views of cultivated valleys, a large lake, mountains, and other natural elements. It is also a steeply sloping, pedestrian-scaled city punctuated by landmark structures. In addition to the invaluable experience of living in this community, students may visit “text- book cities” such as San Gimignano, Urbino, Lucca, Perugia, and Pienza where urban form reflects centuries of changing values and attitudes.

Major parks, such as the Boboli Gardens of Florence, are visited along with the multiuse urban spaces Siena’s Campo, St. Peter’s Square of Rome and the Piazza San Marco in Venice.

LAND 4910/6910 Independent Project (Undergraduate and Graduate)
4 hours Prerequisite: Permission of Department
Independent study in beginning planting design or independent study in landscape sketching.

LAND 4911/6911 Independent Project (Undergraduate and Graduate)
1-6 hours Prerequisite: Permission of Department
Special study or project under the direction of faculty. Non-traditional format: Directed study.