Landscape Architecture :: Lynne Manzo

One of my central research interests is people’s emotional relationships to place. I have explored concepts of place attachment and place identity in a effort to learn about the kinds of places that are meaningful for people, the role these places play in their lives and the impact they have on people’s identity and well-being. I have sought to understand the foundational existential qualities of being “at home” in the world and to learn more about the place and experiences that support this way of being. Traditional understandings of home have focused on the residence and positive affect. My research seeks to broaden that understanding to include a wide range of place - both private and public – and to incorporate negative and ambivalent feelings and experiences in place to appreciate the full magnitude of people-place relationships.

This work has important implications for community development, planning and design. My research demonstrates that place attachments and identity can provide a strong foundation for citizen participation in community development efforts and that a better understanding of such attachments can help us to foster positive community change.

Cultural Identity and Diversity

Another key research area of mine is cultural identity and expression in space. How does culture manifest itself in the appearance meanings and uses of place? In diverse urban communities how are multiple cultural identities forged? How do different groups compete for expression - socially and spatially? What are the political underpinnings of cultural identity and community dynamics? In an effort to better understand these phenomena, I have been studying the ongoing community design and revitalization process in Seattle’s Chinatown/International District. This district is one of the city’s most historically significant areas, and a prime example of a diverse community in transition. Through examinations of negotiating strategies, observations of community design workshops and meetings, focus groups and in-depth interviews, we are learning more about these complex issues and the ways in which specific places are used, altered and reproduced by different social groups. I am conducting this funded research project in collaboration with Prof Hou (Dept of Landscape Architecture) Prof Abramson (Dept of Urban Planning and Prof Dubrow (Dept of Urban Planning).

Affordable Housing, Community Design and Social Justice

Combining my interests in social justice and diversity, I have recently launched a research program exploring affordable housing. More specifically, I have been researching the redevelopment of several public housing sites in the Seattle Area – specifically Seattle Housing Authority’s High Point community and King County Housing Authority’s Park Lake Homes in White Center, both of which are HOPE VI sites. HOPE VI is a national program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to redevelop dilapidated public housing and replace it with new units in a mixed income community. I am conducting this research in collaboration with Prof Rachel Garshick Kleit (UW Evans School of Public Affairs). The residents that comprise both of these sites are extraordinarily diverse; in each there are over 8 main languages spoken by residents – including Cambodian, Vietnamese, Somali and Amharic. This research not only documents the community design process but examines residents’ needs as they relocate during the redevelopment process.

Other research and consulting experience includes studies of the use of public space in multi-cultural communities and the development and implementation of design education programs of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institute, to help teachers infuse design into their curriculum by using design in the local neighborhood as a tool for inquiry.