We're still actively developing this site. If you encounter any issues, please report them! - Report an issue

MAKING THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE

ARTHIST/ENVIRST/GEOG/HISTORY/LANDARC 239
Course Description

Traces the history and evolution of the American cultural landscape from precolonial times to present. Explores how class, ethnic, and racial inequality have shaped the appearance of the American landscape over time, and how that landscape in turn has affected relationships between people and groups through the present day. Examines extraordinary things (civic structures (like our State Capitol), National Parks, War Memorials) and more ordinary kinds of places (mining towns, cotton plantations, sites of recreation and leisure, and suburban tract housing) to stimulate critical thinking about how these places have served people and groups unequally and disproportionately over time and across space. Considers complex meanings of American spaces and places to different people and groups, stimulating empathy and encouraging participation in a multicultural society.

Prerequisites

None

Satisfies

This course does not satisfy any prerequisites.

Credits

Not Reported

Offered

Not Reported

Grade Point Average
2.81

4.21% from Historical

Completion Rate
98.74%

-0.25% from Historical

A Rate
63.52%

20.57% from Historical

Class Size
159

6.71% from Historical

Cumulative Grade Distribution

Instructors (2026 Summr)

Sorted by ratings from Rate My Professors

Similar Courses

HISTORY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

LANDARC 260

A critical and historical analysis of our design of outdoor space.

THEORIES OF LANDSCAPE CHANGE

LANDARC 710

Theories of landscape change in the arts and sciences. Contributions of the scientific method and humanistic frameworks to major issues in landscape architecture.

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE URBAN LANDSCAPE

LANDARC 525

Examines the cultural, social and political interactions that occur in urban landscapes including parks, plazas, streets and other public open spaces. An examination of past and present landscapes as sites of the struggle for social justice. The focus is on urban landscapes of the United States.

CULTURAL RESOURCE PRESERVATION AND LANDSCAPE HISTORY

LANDARC 677

Provides an introduction to cultural landscape studies as a corollary to cultural conservation in public folklore, environmental planning, natural and cultural resource management, landscape architecture, and the history of landscape architecture. Includes varied concepts of cultural landscape, key historical and cultural landscape research methodologies, and a range of preservation and conservation types involving cultural landscapes, traditional cultural properties, and intangible and tangible cultural heritage. Observe, research, and write about cultural landscapes, gain an understanding of cultural, historical, and natural dynamics of the (built) environment, and become acquainted with aspects of cultural conservation and landscape preservation nationally and internationally.

HISTORY OF AMERICAN VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPES

ARTHIST 457

Survey of American vernacular buildings and landscapes from the colonial period to the present. Emphasis is on acquiring descriptive tools and developing interpretive frameworks to explore the significance that these vernacular environments have had for their makers and users.