The University of Texas at Austin

Today’s urban environments confront increasingly complex social and ecological challenges in which overlapping, dynamic systems often reveal competing priorities. From demographic shifts and infrastructure needs to climate change and obdurate development policies, these distinct, yet interrelated variables require technical sophistication and ecological acumen in order to create sustainable landscapes that address social needs, provide ecosystem services, and enhance a sense of place.

Recognizing that these shifts shape our public spaces, the Graduate Program in Landscape Architecture frames these concerns as guiding factors in the design and construction of the urban landscape.  In this manner, those spaces by which the landscape is defined—such as infrastructure systems, urban watersheds, industrial sites, suburban communities, and city fabric—become the laboratories for the program’s educational focus.