Laura Lawson
Associate Professor
Department of Landscape Architecture
Research Interests
My research focuses on community activism in open space planning and design. My ongoing study of community gardening and greening includes both historical research and contemporary case studies and analysis. As an active participant in the University of Illinois' East St. Louis Action Research Project (ESLARP), I work with several resident organizations on neighborhood planning, park revitalization, and community gardening projects. This work creates opportunities for applied design as well as the study of participatory processes and the impact of community activism on the everyday landscape. I am also interested in evaluating student learning that occurs through civic engagement and service-learning courses.
Education
| 2000 |
Ph.D. in Environmental Planning, Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning,
University of California, Berkeley |
| 1992 |
Masters of Landscape Architecture,
University of California, Berkeley |
| 1988 |
Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies,
University of California, Santa Cruz |
Professional Experience
| 2008-present |
Associate Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign |
| 2002-2008 |
Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign |
| 2000-2002 |
Assistant Professor, School of Landscape Architecture, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge |
| 1990-1998 |
Community Development by Design, Berkeley, California |
| 1990-1994 |
Hood Design, Oakland, California |
| 1993-1995 |
Berkeley Youth Alternatives, Berkeley, California, BYA Garden Patch Designer and Youth Employment Coordinator |
Courses Taught at the University of Illinois
| Design Workshop "East St. Louis Community-based Design Studio" (LA 336/438) |
| Thesis Proposal Writing Seminar (LA 599a) |
| Landscape Planning and Design/Design and Behavior Studio (LA 537/565) |
| Community and Open Space Design (LA 335) |
| Theory and Practice of Landscape Architecture (LA 501) |
| The Urban Public Landscape (LA 587) |
Selected Publications
2009
|
Hou, Jeff, Julie M. Johnson, and Laura Lawson. Greening Cities / Growing Communities: Urban Community Gardens in Seattle. University of Washington Press. |
| 2007 |
Lawson, Laura. "Parks as Mirrors of Community: Design Discourse and Community Hope for Parks in East St. Louis." Landscape Journal 26, 1: 116-133. |
| 2007 |
Lawson, Laura. "The South Central Farm: The Dilemma of Practicing the Public." Cultural Geography 14, 4: 611-616. |
| 2005 |
Lawson, Laura. City Bountiful: A History of Urban-Garden Programs in America, 1890s to Present. Berkeley: University of California Press. |
| 2005 |
Edwards, Mary and Laura Lawson. "The Evolution of Planning in East St. Louis." Journal of Planning History 4, 4: 356-382. |
| 2005 |
Lawson, Laura. "Dialogue through Design: The East St. Louis Neighborhood Design Workshop and South End Neighborhood Plan." Landscape Journal 24, 2: 157-171. |
| 2004 |
Lawson, Laura. "The Planner in the Garden: A Historical View of the Relationship of Planning to Community Garden Programs." Journal of Planning History 3, 2: 151-176. |
| 1998 |
Eckbo, Garrett; Chip Sullivan, Walter Hood, and Laura Lawson. People in a Landscape. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. |
Awards and Honors
My research has been supported through various awards and grants, including a 2007-2008 University of Illinois Fine and Applied Arts Creative Research grant, a 2006-2007 University of Illinois Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society Faculty Fellowship, a 2005-2006 Landscape Architecture Foundation Land and Community Design Case Study Grant (co-investigator with Jeff Hou and Julie Johnson), two University of Illinois Research Board Grants, two University of Illinois Community-based Learning Grants, a 1998 Dumbarton Oaks Junior Fellowship, and a 1994 National Endowment for the Arts Individual Grant. In 2004, I received an American Institute of Architects Education Honor Award, along with my colleagues Lynne Dearborn (Architecture) and Stacy Harwood (Urban and Regional Planning) for work produced through the East St. Louis Community-based Design Studio.
Leadership
I currently serve as Director of the East St. Louis Action Research Project. In this role, I have enjoyed opportunities to engage with an interdisciplinary group of faculty, students, and staff interested in civic engagement and action research. I am involved in efforts to expand community-based learning at the University of Illinois.
