Community Design Engagement
Community Design Engagement
We are committed to an active program of community engagement.
It is part of our mission as a department in a land grant university to serve communities. We are also dedicated to expanding awareness of the value of design thinking and landscape architecture in the creation of a better future. Our community engagement activities include large groups of students working in design courses, smaller teams of student interns working with faculty and staff guidance, and cooperative extension work that includes publications, training, capacity building, and coordination with service-learning projects. All of our community engagement projects are idea-oriented and are intended to build communities’ capacity to engage professional planning and design services, organize funding, and implement projects in the future.
Community engagement efforts in the Department of Landscape Architecture are spearheaded by Associate Extension Professor Jayoung Koo. Faculty and staff in the department can be partners and collaborators on landscape architecture projects of various sizes and scopes with emphasis on shared environments.
Cooperative Extension
The Department of Landscape Architecture works with the Cooperative Extension network to lead training programs in community planning and design for extension professionals, community leaders, and volunteers. Associate Professor Jayoung Koo has developed a series of publications that can guide communities through projects that involve the design of public and shared spaces, recreational assets, and other community development goals. Dr Koo often helps communities build organizational capacity that can lead to successfully engaging design assistance and project funding.
Community & Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky
The Department of Landscape Architecture, along with other departments and programs at UK, partners with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) to further the development goals of communities in Kentucky. Landscape Architecture is involved in community design efforts connected to planning and economic development strategies and capacity building that may involve creative placemaking, adventure tourism, downtown revitalization, public space design, or other cultural amenities.
