Publication Date
Spring 2021
Committee Members
Robert Ryan, Chair, Dept. of Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Carey Clouse, Member, Dept. of Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Jack Ahern, Member, Dept. of Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning
Abstract
The Hinsdale Island Greenway proposes a community driven vision for the reuse of Hinsdale Island, the Anna Hunt Marsh Bridge, and the Charles Dana Bridge as a resilient public landscape that balances recreation and conservation goals. Within the project context, three research questions are investigated. 1) How does resiliency theory inform the design of riverine landscapes? 2) How can designed experiments be applied within public landscapes? 3) How can a transect framework be applied to organize design interventions at a site scale? A literature review, interviews with experts, case studies, and lessons learned during the course of this project are all used to identify key takeaways for each question. Original work generated includes proposing the first design experiment within a public landscape that employs a randomized complete block design and long-term monitoring program. Additionally, the term "transect frameworks" is proposed and defined in this project, demonstrated as applicable at the scale of individual project sites, and based on this project's insights a series of four rules are proposed that outline the applicability and use of transect frameworks.