News

The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development in collaboration with a number of Public Health Units from across Ontario has just released "Healthy Rural Communities Tool Kit - A Guide for Rural Municipalities”.  Developed under the direction of Dr. Wayne Caldwell, this new tool kit identifies land use and development strategies to enhance the rural built environment and contribute to positive quality of life/health outcomes. The tool kit brings a rural lens to issues that are often viewed from an urban perspective.

The School of Environmental Design & Rural Development's (SEDRD) Capacity Development and Extension (CDE) program recently donated its entire radio production studio to CFRU 93.3 FM, the University of Guelph campus radio station, including all audio production hardware and software previously installed in the Media Lab at the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development.  

The master plan for Rick Bogaert’s 30-year career in landscape architecture has been revised several times as he’s adapted to changes within the profession and looked for new opportunities to build what he calls a “diversified” portfolio of skills.  “I can’t think of another profession where its practitioners are more varied in what they do than in landscape architecture,” he says.

Elizabeth Nowatschin's Master of Landscape Architecture thesis (2014), entitled Educational Food Landscapes: Developing Design Guidelines for School Gardens, was a qualitative exploratory investigation into the use of gardening as a teaching tool for primary and secondary schools. Liz collected data from the literature, a school garden web scan, School Garden Network profiles, school garden guides and manuals, photographs and key informant interviews.

At the Rural Research Day organized by the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) in April 2014, Dr. Al Lauzon shared his vision for a rural knowledge network.  "The idea goes back to the Ontario Rural Council (TORC) (2007) which highlighted the need to inform policy by facilitating connections between policy-makers, researchers, and communities" said Dr. Lauzon. Since then, his vision has taken the form of an exploratory project.

The Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation (LACF) announced the recipients of its 2015 grants in support of research, communication and scholarship.   

Master of Landscape Architecture students, Alex Waffle and Heather Schibli received grants for their research.  Alex's thesis research is on "Mapping Urban Agricultural Hot Spots" and Heather's thesis research is on "Design for Landscape-Scale Rehabilitation within the Township of Uxbridge".

Every fall semester, the third year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) students complete a community engagement project in Dr. Karen Landman’s design studio class. In fall 2014, the undergraduate students had the opportunity to work with Woolwich Dairy’s industrial-park property near Orangeville, Ontario. The students were asked to apply their design skills and creativity in order to transform 4 acres of former farmland into a ‘pollinator paradise’.

The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development will host a Graduate Program Information Night on Wednesday, February 11th, 2015 from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. in the Landscape Architecture Building Lobby (LA Pit).

This is a chance to learn about the graduate degrees we offer in Landscape Architecture, Rural Planning, and Capacity Development and Extension.  You can also learn about our PhD in Rural Studies.  This is a chance to chat with profs, current students & alumni, and learn about career opportunities.  You can also enjoy some free pizza!

How do you practice good planning? This question has consumed students, teachers, and practitioners alike since planning became a profession. SEDRD Director, Dr. Wayne Caldwell shares his thoughts on planning, planners, and his projects.

What is Good Planning Practice?

For Dr. Caldwell, good planning means serving the public interest. “As Planners, we are always thinking of the public interest,” said Dr.  Caldwell. “We have a professional obligation to define the public interest in a consultative manner and implement it through policies and programs.”.

In 2014, Katie Brown, a fourth year BLA student, earned her LEED Green Associate credential. A LEED Green Associate credential certifies that a given professional demonstrates a generalized knowledge of green design, construction and operations. Upon earning this credential, a LEED Green Associate can be a part of an integrative project team for a wide variety of green design projects.