Eisenman, Theodore S.

Job Title

Associate Professor, PhD, MLA, MPS

Last Name

Eisenman

First Name

Theodore S.

Discipline

Landscape Architecture
Urban Studies and Planning

Introduction

Professor Eisenman's principal scholarly interest concerns the historical, scientific, cultural, and design bases of urban greening, which he defines as a social practice of organized or semi-organized efforts to introduce, conserve, or maintain outdoor vegetation in urban areas. This research encompasses urban tree planting initiatives (TPIs), urban ecosystem services and disservices, human health and wellbeing links with urban flora, design and planning norms, equity, and governance. It also includes emerging areas of interest: 1.) urban greening in a globalizing world, encompassing international comparative analysis of landscape design and governance norms; and 2.) travelscapes, the spaces people move through on a daily basis that are a prominent way people experience landscapes.

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 50

Open Access
Urban Greenways: A Systematic Review and Typology
(2020) Horte, Olivia S.; Eisenman, Theodore S.
Greenways are multifunctional linear landscapes that provide a range of socio-ecological benefits. As a domain of landscape planning research, greenways gained traction in the late 20th century and today, there is substantial interest in greenway planning and design. This is especially true in urban areas, as noted at the sixth Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning. Yet, cities encompass biophysical flows, sociopolitical relationships, and formal structures that are distinct from non-urban areas and urban greenways may reflect an evolving type of landscape planning and design that is related to but distinct from greenways writ large. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no previous review of scholarship on greenways in an urban context. We address the aforementioned gaps by reporting on a systematic assessment of peer-reviewed literature. The review encompasses 52 refereed articles using the term “urban greenway” or “urban greenways” in the title, abstract, or keywords drawn from three prominent academic databases. Our analysis covers seven research categories, and this undergirds a typology and definition of urban greenways. In so doing, we seek to illuminate typical traits of urban greenways to inform future landscape planning scholarship and practice.
Open Access
Drivers of street trees species selection: The case of the London planetrees in Philadelphia
(2022) Roman, Lara A.; Eisenman, Theodore S.
The London planetree (or London plane in the UK: Platanus × hispanica) is one of the most common street trees in the world. Planetrees currently comprise nearly one-third of the street trees in Paris, and over one-tenth in New York City. London planetrees are also ubiquitous in many other cities.3 Today, the planetree is referred to as the 'big shade tree of boulevards around the world,' and it has long had a reputation as tolerant of air pollution. For instance, John Claudius Loudon suggested that planes 'bear the smoke of the city.' But street tree species selection is based on more than environmental suitability; it is also rooted in the legacies of past decision-making and the interactions between social and biophysical considerations.6 Scholars writing about urban trees in the USA have investigated the cultural and political symbolism of American elms (Ulmus americana) in New England, and palms (family Arecaceae) in California, but the historical popularity of the London planetree has received far less attention. Although the international popularity of the London planetree has been attributed to British colonialism, the English origins of landscape gardens, and Italian precedent, these explanations are superfcial and miss central elements of the London planetree's story.
Open Access
Managing urban trees through storms in three United States cities
(2024) Cadaval, Stephanie; Clarke, Mysha; Roman, Lara A.; Conway, Tenley M.; Koeser, Andrew K.; Eisenman, Theodore S.
The benefits and functions of urban trees are well-studied, and stewardship groups, non-governmental organizations, tree professionals, and municipal leaders aim to increase canopy cover and expand planting programs. However, urban trees also present variable risks to human safety and infrastructure based on tree species, size, age, health, and maintenance history. Furthermore, changing global climate conditions and increased storm frequency and intensity make it imperative for urban forestry professionals to mitigate risk and collaborate with stakeholders. In this qualitative study, we provide insights about urban forestry professionals’ (1) perceptions related to risk, management, and storm impacts, (2) preparation for and response to storms, (3) perceptions about community vulnerability and working with the public, and (4) perceptions about collaboration and conflict during storm management. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted with urban tree professionals working with municipalities, managers of non-profit or volunteer-based groups, utility managers, and emergency managers from three cities in the United States: Jacksonville, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. Across these cities, managers described direct and indirect ways that storms influenced tree planting, species selection, and removals while acknowledging aging infrastructure, limited resources, and multi-stakeholder coordination as recurring challenges. Results show that socio-demographic factors, neighborhood characteristics, historical legacies, and urban tree and canopy conditions increased perceived risk from trees during storms. Overall, participants agreed that collaboration across organizations and scales of management contributed positively to tree management in the context of storm events and the need for more collaboration among managers and with the public on storm preparation activities.
Open Access
Review: “Restorative Cities: Urban Design for Mental Health and Wellbeing,” by Jenny Roe and Layla McCay
(2023) Eisenman, Theodore S.
Open Access
Review – Against the Anthropocene: Visual Culture and the Environment Today, by T.J. Demos.
(2023) Eisenman, Theodore S.
Open Access
Raise the Roof: Models and Incentives for Green Roof Design
(2007) Eisenman, Theodore S.
Open Access
Book Review: Ndubisi, Forster O., ed. 2014. The Ecological Design and Planning Reader. Washington, DC: Island Press
(2016) Eisenman, Theodore S.
Open Access
Rating the Regenerative Landscape
(2008) Eisenman, Theodore S.
A new rating system aims to evaluate landscapes with or without buildings.
Open Access
Frederick Law Olmsted, green infrastructure, and the evolving city
(2013) Eisenman, Theodore S.
Over the past decade, green infrastructure has emerged as a subject of significant interest in city and regional planning; yet, this discussion is not entirely new. Significant elements can be traced to the work of Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., in the nineteenth century, and the roots of the urban planning and landscape architecture professions. As evidence, this Article frames three aspects of Olmsted’s work within contemporary green infrastructure theory and practice: ecosystem services and human well-being; environmental restoration; and comprehensive planning. The Article then addresses Olmsted’s philosophy regarding the civilizing influence of urbanism and concludes that green infrastructure may be integral to the evolution of the twenty-first century city.
Open Access
Review – Greening Berlin: The Co-production of Science, Politics, and Urban Nature, by Jens Lachmund.
(2013) Eisenman, Theodore S.