Center for Community Design Research
Who We Are

The Mission of the CCDR is to educate students, community leaders and citizens about the value of place and through the shared practices of planning and design empower them to manage and direct change that will lead to sustainable communities.

The CCDR accomplishes its mission through technical assistance, education programs, applied research and the introduction of community design and participatory methods into the landscape architecture curriculum.  The Department of Landscape Architecture has a long history and tradition of working with communities throughout the state, nationally and internationally.  The creation of the CCDR in 1999 was a commitment by the College and the Department to expand community outreach, promote interdisciplinary participation in community service and build partnerships for new research and service projects.

We are dedicated to...

• Helping communities address difficult environmental and social conditions through community based physical design and planning
• Developing civic capacity to manage sustainable communities
• Increasing community access to resources and information
• Identifying and investigating critical issues facing communities and offer solutions
• Fostering design literacy and developing public appreciation for the value of design and planning

The Center works with state, regional, and national organizations and agencies to develop and deliver Educational Programs and Materials. Programs introduce local leaders and community residents to the planning and design process to tackle regionally specific issues and opportunities through hands on workshop projects. Workshops, training manuals and publications present planning and design issues and concepts in a visual, nontechnical manner. Educational objectives may vary for specific programs; however they generally address design literacy, leadership development, communication strategies and organizational capacity.