Trust for Public Land - Oregon Rural Community Schoolyards Program - September 21, 2023
The Trust for Public Land's Oregon Rural Schoolyard Program is a statewide pilot project to renovate three outdated playgrounds and turn them into vibrant nature-rich Community Schoolyards. Community Schoolyards are for the students during the day and open to the public outside of school hours.

Architects in Schools - October 2, 2023
Introduce elementary school students to the power and possibilities of design through the Architecture Foundation of Oregon Architects in Schools program.

 
University of Oregon

Head of Department: Ben Shirtcliff
The 2022-2023 academic year was an eventful year for the University of Oregon's Landscape Architecture department. Throughout the year, the department was recognized with awards, was able to travel to represent the UO globally, and found great success in the Urban Farm program. We also welcomed a new Assistant Professor in Climate Change Resilience, Ignacio Lopez Buson, PLA, and a new Department Head Benjamin
Shirtcliff, Ph.D.

Awards:
The department was recognized at the 2023 ASLA Student Awards with an Honor Award for Residential Design. Their project 'From Shelter to Home' was a real-world project that captured a year-long project called 'Opportunity Village' (OVE). OVE was a tiny home community for the otherwise unhoused. With community partnership, they sought to understand how landscape architecture's methods of inquiry, impact, and methods can help untangle the crisis. The designs responded to daily routines, neighborhood concerns, and political, economic, and cultural practicalities.
Student, Hannah Chapin, MLA, received an Honor Award in the Research Category. Chapin focused on the efficiency of buried clay pot irrigation systems. This project addressed climate change and offered a cost-effective model for future adaptation.

International Impact
UO Landscape Architecture students had their impact felt around the world. Students attended the 6th annual APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Hub Conference in Quito/Galapagos. Students explored interdisciplinary research subjects with colleagues. They were able to learn about real world case studies related to climate resilience and some of the problems being faced today in Landscape Architecture.
Assistant Professor, Kory Russels' work with PhD student, Bj?,rn Kristensen and 2023 MLA graduate, Audrey Rycewicz, was featured at the 2023 Venice Biennale Architettura. The piece "Designing for the Intimate Reality of All Living Species" focuses on how container-based sanitation has the potential to improve transspecies relationships and environmental outcomes.

Local Impact
At the University of Oregon, students can take part in growing food at the Urban Farm. The farm is run by around 325 students a year committing to around 1,950 community service hours. The Urban Farm has been a great way for UO students to give back to the community, and over this summer students were able to donate over 3,500 pounds of food to local organizations assisting those with food insecurity.
As wonderful as this year has been, the department is excited for what is next, and can't wait to celebrate the next year.