Designed Experiments for Transformational Learning: Forging New Opportunities Through the Integration of Ecological Research Into Design

Abstract

Landscape and urban designers are increasingly drawing on ecological understanding to inform the sustainability and resilience aspects of their projects. The design practitioners working on these projects rely on environ mental consultants, professional ecologists, as well as urban ecology as the points of references for these purposes. However, they are confronting gaps in the understanding of urban ecosystems and of what constitutes a sus tainable or resilient urban landscape. Research to fill those gaps is limited and can be out of sync with the timeframe of design projects. As a result, what is incorporated as the sustainability aspects of design projects are not necessarily suppo..