Public Land, Public Space, Public Discourse: Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning announces spring lecture series
“How do perceptions of public space and land impact the disciplines of landscape architecture and environmental planning?” That is the central issue of Public Land, Public Space, Public Discourse, a semester-long lecture series presented by UC Berkeley’s Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning that aims to spark critical thinking about public realms. The series is anchored by two keynote events: A conversation between renowned landscape designers Walter Hood and Laurie Olin, paired with a screening of a new film portrait of Olin, and a lecture by acclaimed writer Rebecca Solnit.
Public Land, Public Space, Public Discourse
UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus Walter Hood and University of Pennsylvania Professor Emeritus Laurie Olin will join us for an onstage discussion on Feb. 9. Olin, one of the most significant landscape architects practicing in the world today, is known for iconic designs such as the Washington Monument Grounds, New York’s Bryant Park, the Getty Center in L.A., and Apple Park in Cupertino. Hood and Olin will discuss Olin’s life and career and the concerns that have defined his work: urbanization, a lost connection to nature, economic marginalization, and the necessity of humanity in design. The conversation is in conjunction with the screening on Wednesday, Feb. 11, of Sitting Still, a feature-length documentary about Olin.
On Feb. 23, San Francisco–based writer, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit joins us as a keynote speaker to offer her incisive perspectives on land, space, and the public realm. Solnit, a UC Berkeley alum (MJ 1984), is a prolific author of influential books, essays, and articles exploring feminism; Western and urban history; popular power, social change, and landscape; and themes of hope, resilience, and catastrophe in America.
The series includes practitioners reflecting on how they are working in the public realm. A panel focusing on innovative planning and design collaborations across Bay Area parklands features Trudy Garber (MLA +MCP 2010) and Claire Mooney from Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and Kirsten Holder (MLA + MCP 2009) of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Liz Einwiller, FASLA, and Sarah Kuehl, FASLA, principals of the Oakland-based practice EinwillerKuehl Landscape Architecture, address how value is given to public space through spatial conditions and qualities.
A conversation between University of Pennsylvania professors Karen M’Closkey and Keith VanDerSys and UC Berkeley professors Iryna Dronova and Karl Kullman explores how recent advancements in media technologies, such as remote sensing and environmental data collection, are transforming practice. The evening will include a presentation of work published in a recent volume edited by M’Closkey and VanDerSys, Media Matters in Landscape Architecture.
Anya Domlesky, our spring 2026 Lifchez Visiting Professor of Practice, will give a presentation reflecting on her experiences teaching a graduate-level studio this semester that explores the reuse and co-use of urban infrastructure in Oakland. Domlesky will highlight the studio’s focus on users and interaction; carbon and project type; and connectivity, justice, and reparative planning.
In a continuation of last semester’s presentations by department faculty, four professors will share their current research as part of Public Land, Public Space, Public Discourse: Anna Brand (“Abolitionist Archive: Love Letters from the Trajectories of Freedom”), Danika Cooper, Lu Liang (“Geospatial Intelligence for Environmental Design”), and Louise Mozingo.
Lecture Series Lineup
Lectures are held Mondays at 6 p.m. in Bauer Wurster Hall on the UC Berkeley campus and are free and open to the public. Due to limited space, advance registration is required for the Feb. 23 keynote with Rebecca Solnit. Please note the film screening will take place on a Wednesday.
Monday, Feb. 2
Solutions at Scale: One Tam/National Park Service Panel
Trudy Garber | Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Kirsten Holder | Golden Gate National Recreation Area, National Park Service
Claire Mooney | Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Monday, Feb. 9
KEYNOTE: Laurie Olin + Walter Hood in conversation
Laurie Olin | Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania; OLIN Studio, Philadelphia
Walter Hood | Professor Emeritus, UC Berkeley; Hood Design Studio, Oakland
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Film Screening: Sitting Still
Presented by UC Berkeley ASLA
Monday, Feb. 23 KEYNOTE
Rebecca Solnit | Writer/historian/activist, San Francisco
Advance registration required
Monday, Mar. 2
Both/And: Public Spaces Designed for Both Extrinsic & Intrinsic Value
Liz Einwiller, FASLA & Sarah Kuehl, FASLA | EinwillerKuehl Landscape Architecture, Oakland
Monday, Mar 9
Geospatial Intelligence for Environmental Design
Lu Liang | Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning, UC Berkeley
Monday, Mar 16
Abolitionist Archive: Love Letters from the Trajectories of Freedom
Anna Brand | Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning, UC Berkeley
Monday, Mar 30
Louise Mozingo | Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning, UC Berkeley
Monday, Apr 13
Mediating Landscapes: UC Berkeley + UPenn Faculty in conversation
Karen M’Closkey & Keith VanDerSys | Weitzman School of Design and Environmental Modeling Lab (EMLab), University of Pennsylvania; PEG office of landscape + architecture
Iryna Dronova & Karl Kullman | Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning, UC Berkeley
Monday, Apr 20
Infrastructure Adaptation: Oakland Studio
Anya Domlesky | Lifchez Visiting Professor of Practice, Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning, UC Berkeley
Monday, Apr 27
Hot Topics at the Edge of Aridity
Danika Cooper | Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning, UC Berkeley
Accessibility
The auditorium is wheelchair accessible. If you require accommodations to fully participate in this event, please contact Christina Hausle at least 10 days prior to the event.
Please note that lectures are in-person only and will not be recorded.