Thesis ( M.L.A.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

<p>Outdoor spaces for young children are becoming increasingly recognized for their learning potential. A movement has begun to naturalize children's playgrounds. Designers and landscape architects are moving away from large, plastic superstructures, which allow children to climb and slide and instead creating spaces with interesting topography and water features which allow for more open-ended, imaginative play. In this study, research and data collection took place in three phases. Preschool playgrounds in Boulder, Colorado were evaluated using the Kritchevsky, Prescott, and Walling (1977) model to assess structures and layout for complexity and variety. Playgrounds were also assessed using the Preschool Outdoor Environment Measurement Scale (POEMS) developed by the University of North Carolina. In Phase II, four preschools were chosen to examine children's play. These schools were chosen based on their scores from Phase I. Play behaviors were assessed using scan sampling and coded with a modified Parten-Smilansky Play Scale developed by Shim, Herwig and Shelley (2001) as well as the behavior mapping definitions used in Dowdell, Gray and Malone's 2011 research. In conjunction with this data, a case study at Sunflower Preschool observed and interviewed children for a three-week period in the fall of 2013. The findings from this research indicate that the presence of loose parts and natural features may enhance the types of play displayed on playgrounds. This research focused on child-directed play as opposed to curriculum implementation in outdoor spaces and potentially enhances the credibility of programs like Nature Explore, which provides guidelines for creating a play space with less commercialized equipment and more natural features.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional & Community Planning / Alpa Nawre / Anne Beamish / Sound has always been an integral part of the outdoor environment. However, since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, and given the continual emergence of new technological sounds, society’s aural awareness and sensitivity has continued to decrease (Schafer, 1977). While the visual often dominates the perception of the outdoor environment – especially within the design field – all five senses are vital to a holistic experience. A greater emphasis on sound in landscape architecture is critical as landscape architects move toward a more holistic approach to designing the outdoor environment. The primary learning objective of this thesis was to evaluate the effectiveness of soundwalks and listening exercises for landscape architecture students, as a way to increase their aural awareness and sensitivity. The first part of this study established the current status and need for an acoustic education in landscape architecture by examining university course offerings and surveying professionals and faculty members in the field. The remainder of the study involved a listening experiment conducted with landscape architecture students from Kansas State University. Participants were assessed on their ability to listen to and analyze sounds before and after participating in soundwalks, listening exercises, and lessons in interdisciplinary sound terminology. This study provides a clearer understanding of the role of sound in landscape architecture and, more broadly, the environment. The surveys revealed that respondents more often consider sound as noise to be mitigated rather than as inspiration for design. Respondents also indicated that sound is an important consideration in design and that an acoustic component can be valuable in landscape architecture education. Those who participated in the listening experiment also indicated that an acoustic education, including soundwalks and listening exercises, can be effective in increasing aural awareness and sensitivity. While this study did not explore all approaches to an acoustic education, it provides a suitable point of departure for future related research.