Date of Award
Spring 6-4-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)
Department
Landscape Architecture
First Advisor
Tiago Torres-Campos
Second Advisor
Elizabeth Dean Hermann
Abstract
The thesis asks spatial designers of the public realm to pay attention to sensory profiles and related issues in contemporary urban contexts: sensory overstimulation, lack of safety, security, accessibility in public, absence of clarity, and legibility in the navigating system. These features have characterized rigid and homogeneous representations of and solutions for existing public spaces, mostly developed with a lack of knowledge of humans’ diverse sensory needs in different environments. They fail to offer users – especially neuro-minority groups – alternative ways to interact with the public sphere.
The study researches the reasons for such approaches while investigating the relationships between human sensory profiles and public landscape design. It also aims to position a personal design approach that offers a variety of design methodologies and an actionable public space renovating vision.
The project explores potential renovation strategies that design practice could offer, through site sensory mapping and spatial experiments. With a focus on alternative walkingscapes, it experiments with different pedestrian-based systems that cater for a broader range of sensory experiences.
The thesis aims to reveal how designers should accept their ability and responsibility to develop ideas towards building sensory resilient urban public space systems that could benefit wider groups of users with diverse identities and neuro-cognitive abilities.
Recommended Citation
Wang, Yingying, "Sensory resilience in urban walkingscapes: Space making strategies for streetside public systems in neuro- inclusive city visions" (2022). Masters Theses. 949.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/949
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Comments
View exhibition online: Yingying Wang, Sensory Resilience in Urban Walkingscapes