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Nourishing Ontario constructed a community food toolkit, to help local food initiatives develop sustainable regional food systems. Agri-Food and Rural Link; University of Guelph; Wilfrid Laurier University; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

International audience

Ecosystem services, such as soil quality and nutrient cycling, water regulation, pest management, and pollination, are integral to sustaining the health and resilience of agroecosystems. Best management practices (BMPs) in agriculture can enhance ecosystem services without decreasing production; yet, implementing and managing BMPs is challenging for many farmers. This research aims to identify non-crop habitats in agricultural landscapes as valuable resources for ecosystem services and explores how landscape architects could support BMP adoption. After a literature review, a case study of a working farm informed non-crop habitat design opportunities; based on these opportunities, infographics were developed as a communication tool. Results indicate that landscape architects can positively contribute to sustainable and resilient food systems. Restoring non-crop habitats is a land management decision and production practice that, along with crop habitat BMPs, can be used to protect agricultural landscapes from soil degradation, biodiversity loss, habitat fragmentation, and risk to water quality.

Research has demonstrated that human wellness is influenced by both nature and nurture. The inherent DNA structure of an individual is determined by nature, but the experience of life stresses can continuously modify one's genetic composition. The emerging field of epigenetics explores how stress hormones affect human cells, where histone proteins regulate gene expression by adjusting their levels. The goal of this thesis is to develop a guideline for landscape architects to design public urban greenspaces that contribute to stress reduction. The research methods included a conceptual literature review and an assessment of the resulting guidelines by key evaluators who have professional experience in the field of health and design. The conceptual review led to a structured design approach. This research expands the knowledge of landscape design by highlighting how urban greenspace can contribute to health benefits.

Trails and playgrounds in urban, sub-urban, and rural contexts serve many different purposes, but generally cater to either children or caregivers. Linear playscapes, or trails with play equipment, consider all generations but are underutilized and understudied. This study identifies performance indicators for, and benefits of, linear playscapes. Data is collected via a case study of a barefoot path in Spalt, Germany, and its linear playscape character is evaluated via interpretive criticism. The research reveals that linear playscape installations are suitable for a large range of projects due to their design versatility, budgetary flexibility, and spatial efficiency. Trail-side play elements may also encourage family interaction and offer recreational value for children and caregivers. Linear playscapes introduce a versatile, family-centric recreation design option that adds value to new and existing trails. Their linear form manages movement through space, offering unique programming and design opportunities. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Objectified in mainstream society, plants are often undervalued for their essential roles in ecological and human health, undermining efforts to protect their habitat. Traditionally, many Turtle Island Indigenous cultures have views of plants as autonomous beings that are as worthy of respect as any human. Colonialism and climate change have threatened this relationship. What do plant and human relationships look like today amongst Indigenous students at the University of Guelph? A modified sharing circle method was devised for specific, professional use in landscape architecture. This was used to collect stories from participants. Nineteen questions were asked of participants and resulted in a key finding that connection to the land is an essential factor in Indigenous people reclaiming their identity and culture. Plants act as a doorway for this to occur, providing a sense of safety and vital physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health benefits. Ontario Graduate Scholarship; Joan Smith Experiential Fund

Public green spaces are considered important urban elements that enhance social interaction. The Persian Garden is among the best examples of public green space and one of the earliest successful examples in the urban landscape. Nowadays, due to the effects of urban development and land use change, researchers are interested in facilitating social interaction in public green spaces. This research aims to determine the possibility of the use of Persian Garden elements in public green spaces to enhance social interaction. A conceptual review of Persian and English literature explaining the Persian Garden characteristics as well as a review of the requirements for supporting social interaction were conducted. The results provide an overview of the Persian Garden characteristics, which are then evaluated for compatibility with social interaction. The research findings can benefit the design community by introducing Persian Garden elements as means to improve social interaction.

Since the 19th century, industry has sought to incorporate green space into their landscape, beginning with the factory garden and continuing through to corporate landscapes today. Academic literature does not address best practices for designing industrial and manufacturing landscapes. The goal of this research is to create design guidelines for industrial landscape architecture that will be developed through a literature review and critiqued using key informant questionnaires and a critical case study. The results showed that the design guidelines developed provide a foundation for addressing environmental and social outcomes of industrial landscapes by prompting the designer to reflect about the impacts of their design, and reframing sustainability as enduring to promote active connotations. This research aims to contribute to the quality of life for rural communities that are integrated with industry and build knowledge on best practices for the design of industrial spaces. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council CGS-M; Ontario Graduate Scholarship; Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation

The voluntary conservation of ecosystems by Indigenous communities, through customary laws in belief-based conservation networks, are readily found in West Africa, and represent the earliest forms of biodiversity protection within the sub-region. Pro-conservation behaviour associated with African religious practice has resulted in biodiversity conservation. These sacred sites are vulnerable to change through introduced proselytizing religions and commercialized extractive practices that alter values, beliefs, and behaviours, leading to changing natural resource usage. The community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) literature assumes a united, homogeneous community interacting with the natural world. But perspectives and communities change over time. Using Communities of Practice (CoP) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this research aims to understand the changing nature of belief-based conservation in West Africa. Between 2010 and 2014, two West African case studies were employed to document sacred forests using participant observation, household surveys, key informant interviews, focus groups, and physical forest mapping. Surveys of 200 respondents per site established the comparison between Avu Lagoon Community Protected Area, Ghana, and the Ziama Clan buffering Wonegizi Proposed Protected Area, Liberia. To understand negotiated meaning, questions derived from research objectives were used in focus groups (5 elder, 3 youth groups in Ghana; 6 elder, 4 youth groups in Liberia), and 10 key informant interviews in Ghana. A thematic, qualitative analysis of focus group data, identifying belief-based conservation CoPs, was cross-referenced with physical mapping of sacred forests. In Ghana, all (36) sacred forests were mapped, whereas 34% (18/53) of larger, better-preserved forests were mapped in Liberia. For both, the analysis identified two distinct groups: traditionalists and modernists. The former maintains belief-based conservation linked to African religions; the latter upholds mainstream Christian faith and a utilitarian relationship with nature. Results illustrate how evolving values can be linked to conservation behaviours. The Conservation Values Framework, generated from this study, applies social learning theory to CBNRM networks, offering a framework for understanding diverse relationships with natural resources. This study departs from familiar socio-economic analyses, into the realm of socio-spiritual enquiry for a more holistic understanding. Conservation practice within West Africa can be improved with heightened awareness of changing environmental worldviews.

Urban agriculture (UA) has been researched in terms of how it contributes to a community’s health, esteem, resilience, bonding and autonomy. It has also been explored in terms of its environmental and ecological benefits. This research digs deeper into the mechanisms of socially-motivated UA operations that also provide ecological benefits to the city – such as increased habitats for wildlife and pollinator-friendly plant species. Through interviews with UA leaders, this research highlights how some Toronto UA operations might contribute to the City’s policy, planning and public space design responses to upcoming climate-related challenges. Socially-motivated UA operations do have the potential to be a positive ecological response to climate change in the City of Toronto.

To mitigate the adverse impacts of COVID-19 on the restaurant industry, the City of Guelph, ON created the Dining District (DD) in its downtown. This pilot project closed an intersection to allow restaurants to extend their patios onto the streets, while adhering to social distancing guidelines. The goal of this research is to develop an adaptive and flexible design strategy, as guidance for an improved DD. The methods include a comparison of other municipalities, semi-structured interviews with key informants, and an analysis of street design guidelines. Results were utilized to create a design guidance that outlines design requirements and management strategies for flexible outdoor dining spaces. This research contributes to flexible design knowledge in response to the current pandemic, and to improved downtown streetscapes into the future.

NHS (Natural Heritage Systems) are networks of connected natural features that support ecological functions and species movement. Although agricultural areas are omitted from NHS, some agri-systems, such as apple orchards, have potential perennial vegetation habitat contributions. This research aims to assess how changes to apple orchards can be targeted to contribute to NHS. Three assessments of a subset of Grey County were conducted using landscape circuitry analysis. Resistance values were assigned based on avian species habitat potential. Orchards were analyzed and ranked according to potential contributions. Both targeted (TOC) and non-targeted (LOC) assessments showed circuitry improvements of 0.17 in highest ranked orchards, when compared to baseline conditions (BC). A targeted approach shows a concentrated circuitry response in higher priority orchards but minimal response is less preferable orchards. Prioritizing orchards strategically can efficiently achieve increased habitat connectivity. These assessments identify opportune areas for interventions by landscape architects and environmental planners.

The role of bioretention as a site level infrastructure solution to economic and environmental issues associated with urbanization is well understood. Public agencies have developed extensive resources for their design and implementation that are well supported by research. However, the vegetative layer does not receive the same attention as the engineered components within guidance and research, leaving successful implementation up to the skill of individual practitioners. In order to realize the potential bioretention facilities have to integrate nature and city, comprehensive planting design guidance is required. This study begins the process of establishing such guidance, illustrating its potential through the creation of a design guide prototype called GreenKey. It suggests a framework for future planting design research and practice that integrates ecology, horticulture, stormwater engineering, soil science, microbiology and landscape architecture to ensure practitioners are equipped to navigate the complex task of designing resilient and engaging urban bioretention facilities.

Climate change is causing significant loss and damage throughout Canada. These losses, by their nature, have both physical and emotional impacts for the communities in which they occur. The negotiation of these losses will happen most tangibly through the adaption planning and design processes, placing landscape professionals directly in the face of this work and its entangled emotions. This research responds directly to this emerging paradigm by integrating concepts from the ecological grief literature into the climate adaptation planning process. Using document analysis and a focused literature review, two bodies of literature - adaptation planning and ecological grief - are analyzed. Then, using a soft systems methodology and VUE conceptual modeling software a rich picture of literature intersections is diagrammed. The outcome of this research will provide landscape professionals with a starting toolkit for attending to the emotional nature of adaptation planning in the context of climate loss and damage. Landscape Architecture of Canada Foundation

Urban trees and forests are an essential component of the urban fabric and provide a range of environmental, social, cultural and economic benefits. Urban tree inventories are conducted for a number of purposes, including providing valuable urban forest data that allows for sustainable management decisions. Involving citizens in scientific enquiries is not a new phenomenon, and there are challenges and benefits to using this model. The goal of this research was to conduct a comparative case study of nine citizen science (CS) urban forest inventory programs to establish a guideline of best practices. This was achieved by analyzing academic and grey literature, and conducting supplementary key informant interviews. The best practices identified can serve as a practical tool for municipalities, NGOs and landscape architects seeking to implement or improve upon existing CS urban forest inventory programs. SEDRD, Professor Karen Landman.