CONTINUING THE LEGACY OF RACHEL CARSON THROUGH LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Abstract

This thesis explores how the ideas expressed in Rachel Carson’s work can be translated into landscape architecture through the development and application of design guidelines. Carson’s writing demonstrated the power of combining scientific knowledge with emotional engagement to shape public understanding of the natural world. Four key themes are identified from her work and used as a framework for investigating how landscape design can communicate ecological relationships and promote deeper connections between people and the environment; they are the interconnectedness of all life, the moral responsibility to protect nature and non-human life, nature as a source of wonder, and storytelling as a way to engage emotions and communicate ecological knowledge.The literature review examines these themes through related fields including ecology, environmental ethics, human-nature connectedness, phenomenology, aesthetics, and storytelling, with a focus on identifying design and programming strategies that support ecological function while also shaping human experience. These findings are synthesized into a set of landscape design guidelines that emphasize working with ecological systems, promoting stewardship, engaging the senses, and creating opportunities for participation and learning. To explore how these guidelines can be applied in practice, they are tested through a site design on the University of Maryland campus. The proposed design integrates ecological restoration, sensory experience, and educational programming to create a landscape that supports biodiversity while also encouraging awareness, reflection, and stewardship. While the site design serves as an example, the primary contribution of this project is the development of a design framework that demonstrates how landscape architecture can extend Rachel Carson’s legacy by creating spaces that communicate ecological knowledge and inspire more meaningful relationships between people and the natural world.