The Campaign for Urban Eco-Literacy: Communicating ecological principles in the urban landscape

Though built by humans, a native species to the planet, the city is often seen as something unnatural. Cities are perceived as being separate from nature. Humans may think of “nature” as places that are separate from where they live and work. Organisms thrive and biological processes persist in urbanized environments in spite of the concrete, air, water pollution, dense human population and otherwise seemingly harsh conditions. This condition of the city as nature illustrates the ecological principles of survival, adaptation and resilience. Through a deeper understanding of these complex interconnections between other organisms, our physical surroundings and ourselves, we as a society become more ecologically literate. Cities provide a wealth of opportunities, a venue and an audience to accomplish this.

Landscape architects, dedicated “stewards of land,” have a history of integrating ecologically educational elements into public spaces. However, the educational messages integrated into designs are often left to interpretation. It remains unclear whether these messages are being received, or whether the intent behind these designs is fully understood by the public. This thesis investigates how the application of proven communication theories and mass media communication strategies can enhance the ability of landscape architects to reach a wider audience with their ecological messages. The result of this investigation is the “Campaign for Urban Eco-literacy.”

The Campaign is a series of virtual, spatial, and experiential interventions that will appeal to a wide audience by utilizing visual and interactive communication techniques, increasing the reach and effectiveness of the campaign’s overall message. The interventions intend to increase awareness of the ecological concepts of adaptation, evolution, and interconnectedness within the urban landscape. The Campaign’s message will be integrated into the urban fabric of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, to reach the diverse mix of people present in the space. Taking this approach to increasing eco-literacy allows for multiple levels of interaction from the audience, thus enhancing their experience in the urban landscape and imparting important ecological lessons.