2003
Paula H. Horrigan
Associate Professor
Landscape Architecture
Advocate for Action Research, Service Learning, and Community Outreach
Professor Horrigan is dedicated to examining and fostering the theory and practice
of place-based design through her teaching, research and outreach efforts. Currently
the faculty chair of the Faculty Fellows-in-Service Program, she is an advocate
for action research, service-learning and community outreach. She has developed
an innovative service-learning curriculum through her Participatory Community
Design Studio (LA 402), where senior landscape architecture majors partner with
community organizations on real projects, including streetscape redesign, downtown
revitalization, public park design, and "landscapes for learning" on local school
grounds and educational environments. She is currently working with the Northside
Neighborhood in Binghamton, NY and with the City of Jamestown, both projects initiated
through her involvement in the SUNY Network and the New York State Quality Communities
Program.
She used the Kaplan Family Distinguished Faculty Fellowship in Service-Learning
award to develop a community Design Workbook and CD-ROM entitled Design Practices
and Processes for Shaping Community Places to be utilized by students, community
partners and faculty. The workbook will be particularly useful to the efforts
being undertaken as part of the New York State Quality Communities Initiative.
Community and academic partners will contribute valuable input, knowledge and
evaluation in developing the workbook to ensure effectiveness for multiple audiences.
It includes project profiles, reflections and evaluation of projects, process
tools, literature and resource information vital to design partnerships, strengthening
community capacity and addressing community design problems. By fostering design
practices that build meaningful and dynamic community relationships between people
and places, LA 402 aims to empower student designers to become reflective, responsible,
and engaged design researchers and practitioners, while promoting the sustained
growth and health of New York State communities and places.
