Defining the collaborative design process between landscape architects, engineers, and the public: constructed wetland case studies in Minnesota
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Abstract
Environmental concerns, such as air and water quality as well as global warming, are on the minds of many landscape architects. These concerns are prompting landscape architects to integrate sustainable design practices into many of their projects. Integrated storm water management is one specific practice that is gaining in importance, especially in urban areas. Constructed storm water wetlands are one method being implemented to mitigate the impact of pollutants carried in storm water on surface waters. Where once engineering firms primarily designed and built constructed wetlands, landscape architects are actively seeking opportunities to become more involved with these projects. Public agencies are also becoming more involved in storm water management by integrating constructed wetlands within public lands. Constructed wetland projects offer an opportunity for landscape architects, engineers, and the public agencies to collaborate on the project design and work with the public during the process. This research reports the results of an inquiry into the collaborative design process in three constructed wetland projects in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Professional landscape architecture and engineering firms, public agencies, and a neighborhood association member were interviewed either in person or over the phone using a consistent set of questions to guide the data collection. All questions were open-ended to elicit each subject to reveal their perceptions of each project. Two themes which emerged from the data analysis were public participation and the role of the landscape architect in each project. The data specific to public participation is presented in two parts: the participation within the design process in which each project is compared to two different models and the professional interaction with the public. The role of the landscape architect focuses on one project to better understand the skills that contributed to the completion of the project.