Erasing Boundaries—Supporting Communities
A Symposium on Interdisciplinary Service-Learning in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning

Location: Shepard Hall, The City College of New York
Date: April 4 and 5th 2008

• Directions to City College

Organizers

• Tom Angotti, Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning, Hunter College, CUNY, tangotti@nyc.rr.com
• Cheryl Doble, Associate Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture. SUNY ESF, csdoble@mailbox.syr.edu
• Paula Horrigan, Associate Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture. Cornell University, phh3@cornell.edu
• Achva Stein, Professor and Director of Graduate Landscape Architecture, City College, CUNY, abstein@ccny.cuny.edu

Erasing Boundaries through Service-Learning

Service-learning pedagogy engages specific teaching practices of reflection, integrated theoretical literature, service and community partnership. Service-Learning pedagogy is particularly suited to education in the design and planning disciplines, which are charged with shaping, improving and maintaining the communities in which we live. Professional programs in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning often incorporate community-based projects as a form of applied research or experiential learning for students, combining academic theory and practice. However, the challenge lies in developing strategies and practices of engagement and tools for evaluating the quality of these experiences.

At its best, service-learning is instrumental in helping students develop communication skills, gain experience working with culturally diverse communities and understand the challenges faced by under-resourced communities. It also supports theoretical approaches within our disciplines, such as “advocacy planning” and “community design,” theories that share the common principle of involving communities in decisions that directly affect them. Service-learning is a natural fit in exploring these modes of practice.

To more effectively integrate service-learning pedagogy in design and planning curriculums requires critically reviewing the service-learning approaches within our fields, identifying challenges that limit the full engagement of service-learning activities and developing strategies and resources to meet these challenges. Examining the body of experience across the related planning and design disciplines offers a chance to profile best practices and develop tools of evaluation for students and faculty, while measuring the value to communities.

Erasing Boundaries Symposium April 4-5, 2008

The Erasing Boundaries Symposium will convene participants within and across the disciplines of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning. Our aim is to discover and discuss ways to deepen service learning theory and practice within our disciplines while strengthening interactions between disciplines and with communities.

The Erasing Boundaries Symposium poses the central question: How can we overcome boundaries created by our own pedagogical strategies, professional education, disciplinary autonomy and academic curricula in service to communities and to academic service-learning? Symposium papers were asked to address three main topical theme areas including: Collaboration and Partnerships, Theory and Practice and Evaluation and Reflection.

Of the nearly 50 abstracts received in January 2008, 25 were selected for inclusion in the 2-day program whose preliminary schedule of papers and presenters is listed below.

• Symposium Program

After the Symposium

The symposium organizers, an interdisciplinary team of partners from four New York State colleges, intend to publish selected papers related to the erasing boundaries theme. Both the symposium and resulting publication will provide knowledge to further advance the effectiveness of service-learning in the architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning disciplines while encouraging new alliances, partnerships and dialogue between our disciplines and the communities with whom we work.

Information and Queries for Authors and Presenters

Principal Contact: Professor Cheryl Doble, SUNY ESF:csdoble@syr.edu

Attending the Symposium as a Guest

In adition to the presenters, attendance at the Symposium is open to a maximum of fifty (50) participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. A nominal fee to cover food and printing expenses, is required to attend the symposium. This fee covers breakfast and lunch and reception for the 2-day event along with handouts and printed materials. If you are interested in attending, please send an email to Professor Cheryl Doble at csdoble@syr.edu. Symposium preregistration is expected by March 28th, 2008 with payment due by April 1st.

Sponsorship

This symposium is being supported by the following organizations and institutions:

• The Corporation for National Service and Community Service Learn and Serve Program
• Pennsylvania Campus Compact/New York Campus Compact Consortium
• The Rockefeller Foundation
• State University of New York College Environmental Sciences and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) – Faculty of Landscape Architecture
• The City College of The City University of New York (CUNY) – School of Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture
• Hunter College/CUNY – Department of Urban Affairs and Planning
• Cornell University – College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Landscape Architecture

Contact for information & questions

• Cheryl Doble
  315-470-6553
  csdoble@syr.edu