University of Toronto, Associate Professor of Landscape ArchitectureFounding Partner, North Design Office Inc.Harvard Graduate School of Design, MLA DistinctionUniversity of Toronto, BLA Honour Standing
... Elevating the dialogue concerning process, as seen through the complexity of sustainability a... more ... Elevating the dialogue concerning process, as seen through the complexity of sustainability and large parks, in Sustainable Large Parks: Ecological Design or Designer Ecol-ogy? Nina-MarieLister defines her use of the ubiquitous ideology of sustainability by effectively ...
The Canadian landscape has typically captured a global imaginary of a pristine wild, but how migh... more The Canadian landscape has typically captured a global imaginary of a pristine wild, but how might its urban designed landscapes be distinctly understood? Foregrounded by the landscape transformations accelerated by climate change, the book Innate Terrain: Canadian Landscape Architecture , edited by Professor Alissa North from the University of Toronto, highlights landscape architecture projects situated on the unique Canadian terrain. Providing further provocation on Canadian landscape architecture, Innate Terrain seeks to fill the literary gap on contemporary landscape perspectives, distinguishing Canadian landscape architecture from global practice, and particularly, its well documented American counterpart.
Landscape architecture in the Canadian context has evolved and established its own distinct identity, one imbued with national and local sensitivities. Informed by diverse environmental and cultural contexts, Canadian-designed landscapes reflect and refer to the prevailing ecosystems of Canada’s innate terrain. Contrary to the preceding International Style, landscape architecture projects in Canada have adopted the ethos of Critical Regionalism in the second half of the 20th century. Contemporary Canadian practitioners are designing landscapes that are deeply informed by their surrounding geographical context while emphasizing cultural specificity. Central to this cultural specificity, addressed by a new generation of landscape architects, is the increasing recognition of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge within the discipline. Canadian landscape architects have collaborated with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including the keepers of this knowledge, to develop land management strategies and design landscape interventions.
Processing Downsview Park: transforming a theoretical diagram to master plan and construction reality, 2012
The winning competition scheme for Downsview Park proposed a process based landscape strategy. Te... more The winning competition scheme for Downsview Park proposed a process based landscape strategy. Ten years later, the park is undergoing significant construction. Changes in the original design team membership along with political and economic factors have steered park development toward reliance on a staticmaster plan instead of the proposed iterative process design where site development would be guided over time. With material collected through interviews with the designerscurrentlyinvolved in the formation of Downsview Park, this essay offers an account of the time that has elapsed since the international competition, and documents current park construction and what is planned in the near future. In the context of Downsview Park's design development, it examines the oppositional approaches of open-ended process based designs and traditional fixed form master plans to posit a landscape framework approach that accommodates the flexibility, iterations and resiliency necessary to support contemporary urban landscapes.
Landscape Frameworks: Community Evolution Through Public Space, 2011
Public space can be designed to direct successful community development. Communities work when re... more Public space can be designed to direct successful community development. Communities work when residents engage with their public spaces, and the spaces can evolve with community needs. The reciprocal influence between community landscapes and the overall development of a community, including is social networks, environmental health, economic vitality, and building structure, can be examined to understand the basis for a framework design approach.
Ravine Re-Create: Design Ideas for Toronto's Ravines, 2018
This publication documents student work concerning Toronto's Ravines, which was created in an Opt... more This publication documents student work concerning Toronto's Ravines, which was created in an Option Studio and in a Master of Landscape Architecture Core Studio at the University of Toronto's Daniels Faculty. The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design offers rigorous programs of study for the emerging architect, landscape architect, or urban designer. Daniels offers intensive study focusing on the vibrant multi-ethnic, multicultural world metropolis of Toronto, and of the fast-growing greater Toronto area surrounding it.
Indigenous Knowledge In Natural Infrastructure, 2022
Indigenous Knowledge in Natural Infrastructure Indigenous Knowledge in Natural Infrastructure loo... more Indigenous Knowledge in Natural Infrastructure Indigenous Knowledge in Natural Infrastructure looks to understand and apply traditional ways of knowing the landscape in conjunction with Western science approaches, toward a new path of environmental healing. The book aims to provide guiding strategies such that communites can initiate, plan, and build natural infrastructure.
Innate Terrain: Canadian Landscape Architecture, 2022
Innate Terrain addresses the varied perceptions of Canada's natural terrain, framing the discussi... more Innate Terrain addresses the varied perceptions of Canada's natural terrain, framing the discussion in the context of landscapes design by Canadian landscape architects. This edited collection draws on contemporary works to theorize a distinct approach practiced by Canadian landscape architects form across the country. The essays--authored by Canadian scholars and practitioners, some of whom are Indigenous or have worked closely with Indigenous communities--are united by the argument that Canadian landscape architecture is intrinsically lined to the innate qualities of the surrounding terrain. Beautifully illustrated, Innate Terrain aims to capture the distinct regional qualities that are rooted in the broader context of the Canadian Landscape.
The Greater Toronto Area is known for its suburban sprawl. Yet current knowledge, technologies, a... more The Greater Toronto Area is known for its suburban sprawl. Yet current knowledge, technologies, and global community precedents indicate alternate possibilities for building communities that are intelligently designed. For generations, the Seaton Lands in Pickering, Ontario have existed as picturesque rolling farmland. Situated within a 45 minute commute to downtown Toronto, developers are anxious to bring in the backhoes. The typical pattern of sprawling suburban development now encroaches Seaton on almost all sides. This parcel of land, however, is an exceptional development opportunity in that it was expropriated by the Ontario Government years ago for airport development, which is currently still under consideration. Through this unique ownership, the land can be developed as a single and progressive master plan that is indeed the government’s intention. Reflecting on the history of master plan proposals for Seaton, the Greenfield Burb studio at the University of Toronto looked at the yet to be developed land as an opportunity to imagine a community that maximizes the potential of this striking landscape.
Putting the Park Back in Parkdale was an option studio at the University of Toronto lead by Profe... more Putting the Park Back in Parkdale was an option studio at the University of Toronto lead by Professor Alissa North, which empowered a group of architecture and landscape architecture students to strategically and professionally address a set of urban design problems integral to improving the health of the North American city. The students confronted relevant issues such as income disparity, gentrification, and ethnicity, within the use of public space. Specifically local, the gentrifying Toronto neighbourhood of Parkdale was used as the site of study.
Designing this section of the Los Angeles River is a big project. As the studio studied the site... more Designing this section of the Los Angeles River is a big project. As the studio studied the site and developed proposals, the scale and the importance of the undertaking continued to be underscored. Changing the physical character of the Los Angeles River is an extreme task, but it is possible. The transformation of this space could be considered iconic of a new era for Los Angeles.
The Harvard Graduate School of Design Master of Landscape Architecture students have shown that this section of the Los Angeles River is ripe for creative and imaginative proposals that bring the river back to the city and the neighborhoods as a valuable resource. The river can become important to the people who live near it and those within the region—it can be a newfound icon. This project is big. It is important. It is ready for the next imaginative step.
Symposium DVD of Innate Terrain, a national symposium and exhibition of the exemplary work and id... more Symposium DVD of Innate Terrain, a national symposium and exhibition of the exemplary work and ideas of established and emerging Canadian landscape architects. Speakers were invited to present their Canadian projects, and to discuss a Canadian specific trajectory. The symposium aimed to locate Canadian landscape architects in North American and international contexts, thereby relaying a distinct approach practiced by Canadian landscape architects.
... Elevating the dialogue concerning process, as seen through the complexity of sustainability a... more ... Elevating the dialogue concerning process, as seen through the complexity of sustainability and large parks, in Sustainable Large Parks: Ecological Design or Designer Ecol-ogy? Nina-MarieLister defines her use of the ubiquitous ideology of sustainability by effectively ...
The Canadian landscape has typically captured a global imaginary of a pristine wild, but how migh... more The Canadian landscape has typically captured a global imaginary of a pristine wild, but how might its urban designed landscapes be distinctly understood? Foregrounded by the landscape transformations accelerated by climate change, the book Innate Terrain: Canadian Landscape Architecture , edited by Professor Alissa North from the University of Toronto, highlights landscape architecture projects situated on the unique Canadian terrain. Providing further provocation on Canadian landscape architecture, Innate Terrain seeks to fill the literary gap on contemporary landscape perspectives, distinguishing Canadian landscape architecture from global practice, and particularly, its well documented American counterpart.
Landscape architecture in the Canadian context has evolved and established its own distinct identity, one imbued with national and local sensitivities. Informed by diverse environmental and cultural contexts, Canadian-designed landscapes reflect and refer to the prevailing ecosystems of Canada’s innate terrain. Contrary to the preceding International Style, landscape architecture projects in Canada have adopted the ethos of Critical Regionalism in the second half of the 20th century. Contemporary Canadian practitioners are designing landscapes that are deeply informed by their surrounding geographical context while emphasizing cultural specificity. Central to this cultural specificity, addressed by a new generation of landscape architects, is the increasing recognition of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge within the discipline. Canadian landscape architects have collaborated with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including the keepers of this knowledge, to develop land management strategies and design landscape interventions.
Processing Downsview Park: transforming a theoretical diagram to master plan and construction reality, 2012
The winning competition scheme for Downsview Park proposed a process based landscape strategy. Te... more The winning competition scheme for Downsview Park proposed a process based landscape strategy. Ten years later, the park is undergoing significant construction. Changes in the original design team membership along with political and economic factors have steered park development toward reliance on a staticmaster plan instead of the proposed iterative process design where site development would be guided over time. With material collected through interviews with the designerscurrentlyinvolved in the formation of Downsview Park, this essay offers an account of the time that has elapsed since the international competition, and documents current park construction and what is planned in the near future. In the context of Downsview Park's design development, it examines the oppositional approaches of open-ended process based designs and traditional fixed form master plans to posit a landscape framework approach that accommodates the flexibility, iterations and resiliency necessary to support contemporary urban landscapes.
Landscape Frameworks: Community Evolution Through Public Space, 2011
Public space can be designed to direct successful community development. Communities work when re... more Public space can be designed to direct successful community development. Communities work when residents engage with their public spaces, and the spaces can evolve with community needs. The reciprocal influence between community landscapes and the overall development of a community, including is social networks, environmental health, economic vitality, and building structure, can be examined to understand the basis for a framework design approach.
Ravine Re-Create: Design Ideas for Toronto's Ravines, 2018
This publication documents student work concerning Toronto's Ravines, which was created in an Opt... more This publication documents student work concerning Toronto's Ravines, which was created in an Option Studio and in a Master of Landscape Architecture Core Studio at the University of Toronto's Daniels Faculty. The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design offers rigorous programs of study for the emerging architect, landscape architect, or urban designer. Daniels offers intensive study focusing on the vibrant multi-ethnic, multicultural world metropolis of Toronto, and of the fast-growing greater Toronto area surrounding it.
Indigenous Knowledge In Natural Infrastructure, 2022
Indigenous Knowledge in Natural Infrastructure Indigenous Knowledge in Natural Infrastructure loo... more Indigenous Knowledge in Natural Infrastructure Indigenous Knowledge in Natural Infrastructure looks to understand and apply traditional ways of knowing the landscape in conjunction with Western science approaches, toward a new path of environmental healing. The book aims to provide guiding strategies such that communites can initiate, plan, and build natural infrastructure.
Innate Terrain: Canadian Landscape Architecture, 2022
Innate Terrain addresses the varied perceptions of Canada's natural terrain, framing the discussi... more Innate Terrain addresses the varied perceptions of Canada's natural terrain, framing the discussion in the context of landscapes design by Canadian landscape architects. This edited collection draws on contemporary works to theorize a distinct approach practiced by Canadian landscape architects form across the country. The essays--authored by Canadian scholars and practitioners, some of whom are Indigenous or have worked closely with Indigenous communities--are united by the argument that Canadian landscape architecture is intrinsically lined to the innate qualities of the surrounding terrain. Beautifully illustrated, Innate Terrain aims to capture the distinct regional qualities that are rooted in the broader context of the Canadian Landscape.
The Greater Toronto Area is known for its suburban sprawl. Yet current knowledge, technologies, a... more The Greater Toronto Area is known for its suburban sprawl. Yet current knowledge, technologies, and global community precedents indicate alternate possibilities for building communities that are intelligently designed. For generations, the Seaton Lands in Pickering, Ontario have existed as picturesque rolling farmland. Situated within a 45 minute commute to downtown Toronto, developers are anxious to bring in the backhoes. The typical pattern of sprawling suburban development now encroaches Seaton on almost all sides. This parcel of land, however, is an exceptional development opportunity in that it was expropriated by the Ontario Government years ago for airport development, which is currently still under consideration. Through this unique ownership, the land can be developed as a single and progressive master plan that is indeed the government’s intention. Reflecting on the history of master plan proposals for Seaton, the Greenfield Burb studio at the University of Toronto looked at the yet to be developed land as an opportunity to imagine a community that maximizes the potential of this striking landscape.
Putting the Park Back in Parkdale was an option studio at the University of Toronto lead by Profe... more Putting the Park Back in Parkdale was an option studio at the University of Toronto lead by Professor Alissa North, which empowered a group of architecture and landscape architecture students to strategically and professionally address a set of urban design problems integral to improving the health of the North American city. The students confronted relevant issues such as income disparity, gentrification, and ethnicity, within the use of public space. Specifically local, the gentrifying Toronto neighbourhood of Parkdale was used as the site of study.
Designing this section of the Los Angeles River is a big project. As the studio studied the site... more Designing this section of the Los Angeles River is a big project. As the studio studied the site and developed proposals, the scale and the importance of the undertaking continued to be underscored. Changing the physical character of the Los Angeles River is an extreme task, but it is possible. The transformation of this space could be considered iconic of a new era for Los Angeles.
The Harvard Graduate School of Design Master of Landscape Architecture students have shown that this section of the Los Angeles River is ripe for creative and imaginative proposals that bring the river back to the city and the neighborhoods as a valuable resource. The river can become important to the people who live near it and those within the region—it can be a newfound icon. This project is big. It is important. It is ready for the next imaginative step.
Symposium DVD of Innate Terrain, a national symposium and exhibition of the exemplary work and id... more Symposium DVD of Innate Terrain, a national symposium and exhibition of the exemplary work and ideas of established and emerging Canadian landscape architects. Speakers were invited to present their Canadian projects, and to discuss a Canadian specific trajectory. The symposium aimed to locate Canadian landscape architects in North American and international contexts, thereby relaying a distinct approach practiced by Canadian landscape architects.
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Landscape architecture in the Canadian context has evolved and established its own distinct identity, one imbued with national and local sensitivities. Informed by diverse environmental and cultural contexts, Canadian-designed landscapes reflect and refer to the prevailing ecosystems of Canada’s innate terrain. Contrary to the preceding International Style, landscape architecture projects in Canada have adopted the ethos of Critical Regionalism in the second half of the 20th century. Contemporary Canadian practitioners are designing landscapes that are deeply informed by their surrounding geographical context while emphasizing cultural specificity. Central to this cultural specificity, addressed by a new generation of landscape architects, is the increasing recognition of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge within the discipline. Canadian landscape architects have collaborated with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including the keepers of this knowledge, to develop land management strategies and design landscape interventions.
The Harvard Graduate School of Design Master of Landscape Architecture students have shown that this section of the Los Angeles River is ripe for creative and imaginative proposals that bring the river back to the city and the neighborhoods as a valuable resource. The river can become important to the people who live near it and those within the region—it can be a newfound icon. This project is big. It is important. It is ready for the next imaginative step.
Landscape architecture in the Canadian context has evolved and established its own distinct identity, one imbued with national and local sensitivities. Informed by diverse environmental and cultural contexts, Canadian-designed landscapes reflect and refer to the prevailing ecosystems of Canada’s innate terrain. Contrary to the preceding International Style, landscape architecture projects in Canada have adopted the ethos of Critical Regionalism in the second half of the 20th century. Contemporary Canadian practitioners are designing landscapes that are deeply informed by their surrounding geographical context while emphasizing cultural specificity. Central to this cultural specificity, addressed by a new generation of landscape architects, is the increasing recognition of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge within the discipline. Canadian landscape architects have collaborated with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including the keepers of this knowledge, to develop land management strategies and design landscape interventions.
The Harvard Graduate School of Design Master of Landscape Architecture students have shown that this section of the Los Angeles River is ripe for creative and imaginative proposals that bring the river back to the city and the neighborhoods as a valuable resource. The river can become important to the people who live near it and those within the region—it can be a newfound icon. This project is big. It is important. It is ready for the next imaginative step.