The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) has an annual research grant program called the LAF Research Grant in Honor of Deb Mitchell. Through the program, the association awards a relevant and impactful research project for the professional practice of landscape architecture.

 

This year, LAF has awarded the "Developing a Disaster Adaptation for Rural Resilience" project with a $25,000 grant. This project is aimed at examining the viability of in-place adaptation to climate change as an alternative to relocation of rural communities. These efforts will be led by Travis Klondike, associate ASLA, and Andrew Fox, FASLA, PLA, who will collect and analyze economic, geospatial, and policy data to identify community-based characteristics and in-situ strategies related to the support of rural resilience.

Michael Johnson, member of the LAF Board of Directors and Research Committee, explained the importance of rural resiliency and this project in saying, "While resilience has received much attention in large urban areas, it is under-examined for rural communities. This proposal represents an opportunity for landscape architects to better understand how their work can support rural resilience and also influence policy by exploring strategies that do not rely on relocation away from the places and social systems that rural residents know."

https://www.lafoundation.org/news/2021/04/2021-deb-mitchell-grant-winner