Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Landscape Architecture

Advisor/Mentor

Patty Folan

Committee Member

Katie Dunn

Second Committee Member

Dr. Ethel Goodstein

Abstract

This thesis examines how women in landscape architecture reshaped the ethical foundations of the profession throughout the twentieth century by responding to the social, environmental, and urban challenges of their time. Focusing on the 1930s, 1950s, and 1970s, the research analyzes how female practitioners expanded the discipline beyond aesthetics to include advocacy, ecological responsibility, community engagement, and social equity. Through the work of figures such as Marjorie Sewell Cautley, Jane Jacobs, and Carol R. Johnson, the thesis explores how shifting cultural conditions—including suburbanization, urban renewal, environmental degradation, and civil rights movements—influenced design philosophies and planning approaches.

The study situates these practitioners within broader historical movements such as the rise of ecological planning, community-centered urbanism, and environmental activism, demonstrating how their work challenged dominant systems of development and introduced more human-centered and environmentally conscious methods of design. By analyzing projects, writings, and historical contexts, this research reveals how women in landscape architecture contributed to redefining the profession as a form of ethical and civic practice. The thesis concludes by reflecting on the continued relevance of these ideas in contemporary landscape architecture, particularly in discussions surrounding resilience, environmental justice, cultural memory, and public space.

Keywords

Women, Landscape Architecture, Planning, Design

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