News

Emily French, a recent graduate of the Master of Landscape Architecture program, has published her MLA research in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. Her article is entitled Designing public open space to support seismic resilience: A systematic review. Emily co-authored this paper with Jeff Birchall (University of Alberta), Karen Landman (University of Guelph), and UofG associated graduate faculty member, Robert D. Brown (Texas A&M University).

The students in the landscape architecture program are excited to begin collecting the amazing work from University of Guelph BLA and MLA students for our 2018/2019 edition of the Studio Vantage Journal. As we are nearing the end of the fall term, students should consider submitting excerpts of their final assignments and/or anything else that represents their hard work this term to the Studio Vantage team.

Ataharul Chowdhury is an assistant professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development in Capacity Development and Extension who researches communities in resource-poor and remote areas.  Watch a short video clip about Ataharul, produced by the Ontario Agricultural College.

On Wednesday, November 14^th, we were fortunate to have some special guests visit the School.  Ziggy and Milo, accompanied by their owners, provided enjoyment and relaxation to over 40 students. With the end of semester pressures of assignments and upcoming exams, a 15 minute visit with Milo and Ziggy offered a superb way to relax and take a study break.

What if communities had an alternative source of funds to facilitate service delivery? Could these funds compensate for the challenges confronted related to large distances and low densities? Would the chronic challenges of service-withdrawal from the abdication of provincial and federal governments be overcome? How would access to alternative funding change the dynamics of rural sustainability, if at all? These are the questions Dr. Ryan Gibson’s recent publication explores in the edited book “Service Provision and Rural Sustainability: Infrastructure and Innovation”.

Dave Guyadeen, University of Guelph, Assistant Professor in Rural Planning and Development within SEDRD and his colleagues, Jason Thistlethwaite and Daniel Henstra (University of Waterloo), recently published their research on the quality of municipal climate change plans in Canada. The article, published in Climatic Changes, discusses the results from their plan quality evaluation of 63 climate change plans across Canada.

The new book entitled "The Evolution of Golf Course Design"  by MLA alumnus Keith Cutten, encompasses material that has only scantily been covered in golfing literature. In fact, much of it is unique, as these new findings provide exciting revelations pertaining to golf’s rich history. Supplemented by more than 300 images and architectural plans, this publication is the first golf architecture book to investigate one seemingly simply question: Why?

Researchers and practitioners are embarking on topics, such as digital agriculture, big data and social media. The research program of Dr. Ataharul Chowdhury aligns with this exploration and seeks to advance understanding about innovative use of social and collaborative media for enhancing knowledge mobilization, learning and innovation networks of agricultural professionals. He has been collaborating on several studies to investigate social and collaborative media for supporting innovation networks of agricultural professionals.

The current issue of the Ontario Planning Journal (Vol. 33, No. 6) features a range of rural planning and development topics. Wayne Caldwell, RPD faculty, talks about two realities in rural Ontario and the impacts on the practice of planning. Sara Epp, PhD candidate in Rural Studies, considers the settlement of Mennonite farmers in northern Ontario communities and the impact on local food systems.

As a second-year MSc student in the Rural Planning and Development program, I’ve already had many outstanding opportunities to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to the “real world”. My thesis project, supported by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MOECP), has served as a gateway to such opportunities. Specifically, through the onsite wastewater industry. My work focuses on best management practice development for mandated reinspection programs for onsite wastewater systems within the Lake Simcoe watershed.