Community Landscape Lab

Landscapes for Learning

Natural landscapes provide an important learning environment for both children and adults.

When greenspaces are integrated with educational and community facilities, they are shown to promote a healthier mental state for children, create a more diverse array of preferred activities and interests, and have significant effects on civic engagement, community trust, and environmental stewardship.

Research on Landscapes as Places for Learning

Research has shown that both hands-on and passive exposure to nature can have a positive impact on learning outcomes for students. Furthermore, landscapes that incorporate elements such as community gardens and public art are known to provide opportunities for socialization among neighbors and increase multiple civic engagement objectives.

Research suggests that landscapes can support learning in three primary ways:

Hands-on learning about nature

Natural spaces improves educational outcomes

Landscapes can bring people together and build community

For more information on Research on Landscapes for Learning

Design Considerations for Learning Landscapes

Some landscapes support learning more than others. Variety within the landscape can spark a youth's curiosity and interest, while informal natural areas can be soothing and calming. Encouraging youth to contribute to a landscape through gardening or art projects can also have a significant impact on their development

For successful design of learning landscapes for young people, we identified three important considerations:

Informal Natural Areas

Photo by Silvestri Matteo on Unsplash

Informal naturalized spaces allow flexibility for its user to define the space to meet their unique learning needs.

Variety of Vegetative Elements

Use of a variety of plant materials can enhance visual and sensory stimulation which can have a positive impact on childrens' cognitive development.

Interactive Elements

Photo by Ajay Parthasarathy on Unsplash

Elements such as community gardens and public art allow for learning opportunities via interaction with the landscape.

Design Examples

The following case studies further demonstrate how educational opportunities can be programmed into recreational space and how integrating learning with more natural landscapes can promote healthier development within children.