Hala Nassar is a landscape architect professor at Clemson University in South Carolina who is looking into how to design public landscapes that detect and deter drone activity.

Conducting research alongside a multidisciplinary team of engineers and landscape architects from both Duke University and Clemson, professor Nassar aims to "design drone deterring structures so there is minimal impact on the aesthetical composition of outdoor environments."

"I became interested in how the outdoor public space can be designed in such a way to protect the public while deterring interloping drones," Nassar tells landscapearchitect.com. "Our team works together to create the technology and design solutions that promote positive uses of drones while inhibiting pranksters and potentially malicious pilots."

The National Science Foundation awarded Clemson and Duke a $750,000, three-year grant to further research pertaining to development of an economically viable option for municipalities to incorporate in order to limit the use of illegal unmanned aerial vehicles.