LARP

2 LARP 5110 Workshop 1 1 I: Ecology and Built

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This foundation design studio explores the relationship among sites, drawings, models and the making of landscape architectural projects. Sites are fairly large in size and present a complex set of issues, including fragmentation, lack of access, and contamination. Through the design of a park, students test and refine the relationship among project concept, modes of visualization, and project formation (organizational and material). The objective for the studio is to develop an informed and imaginative response to the site in order to create new relationships among the site, its immediate edges and the larger neighborhood or region.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

I: Ecology and Built

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

II:

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Workshop II combines two of the most elemental tools in the practice of landscape architecture: landform and planting design. Grading - the shaping and sculpting of the landform - is both art and science, and thus Workshop II aims to provide an appreciation of landform as an evocative component in the design vocabulary as well as a critical tool in solving difficult design problems. The basic techniques and strategies of grading design (slopes, terraces, water management, grade change devices) will be introduced, practiced and reinforced, so that grading design becomes an integral part of the students' design approach. Lecture, field trips, modeling, in-class exercises, and group projects will be used. The Planting component provides students with a working overview of the principles and processes of planting design. Plants will be considered both as individual elements and as part of larger dynamic systems. The natural distribution of plants, concepts of plant community and successional patterns, and the relationship of planting an topography will be used as the initial framework for planting design. Planting design typologies will be examined as an outgrowth of these "natural" patterns. The role of plants as a key element in the structural design of the landscape will be explored through a combination of modeling, plan and section drawing, temporal studies, writing, field trips and case studies. Emphasis will be placed on process and evolution: the temporality of planting (daily, seasonal and annual changes), establishment and maintenance of plantings, and the process of planting design. During the first week of May, a five-day field ecology course focuses on techniques of urban revitalization, sustainable land use, reclamation, and restoration. The field trips offer insight into the diversity of approaches to using plants to promote positive environmental change.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Media I introduces students to the discipline of landscape architecture through representation. To represent landscape is to enter into its shifting processes, to trace what is fleeting as much as what is enduring. Each week students will learn techniques and workflows combining analog, digital, and time-based media. Through abstraction, translation, and iteration they will learn how representations generate new ways of seeing, and how media informs the design of landscapes. In support of these technical skills, a series of lectures and readings will situate representation within the history and practice of landscape architecture. This course provides an open forum for reflection, critique, and dialogue. It encourages students to explore multiple modes of representation through technical skills, creative workflows, and careful curation.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

LARP 5110

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Theory II:

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Continuing the sequence of the Landscape Architecture media classes, this course will provide students with the techniques to explore and examine precision surface profiles and land forming strategies, in both physical and digital models. These models provide a basis to speculate on what processes and programs might be engendered or instigated. Rhino will be the primary modeling platform. Associated plug-ins of Grasshopper, Rhino Terrain, Sonic, and Bongo will help extend the toolset. GIS will facilitate the collection and analysis of extent data. Th Adobe Creative Cloud will also be used for documenting and expressing modeling processes through static and time-based visualizations.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

LARP 5010

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

LARP 6020 Studio IV 2 LARP 7890

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

LARP 6110 Workshop III: Site Engineering and Water 1 LARP 5350

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Building upon the skills and concepts developed in Workshops I and II, this course explores ways that designed natural systems (landform, hydrology, soils, and planting) can be used to address site performance and functionality. Through the lens of water, students explore ways to layer and weave natural systems with people and program. Topics such as green infrastructure and remediation showcase the potential of designed natural systems as essential components of resilient and meaningful placemaking. Students learn ways to communicate design intent through technical drawing and documentation. Lectures, case studies, field trips, and focused design exercises will enable students to develop facility with the tools, processes, and metrics by which landscape systems are designed, evaluated, built, and maintained. There is a co-requisite lab section for all MLA II students who enter with a Bachelors degree in Architecture.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

IV: ourses at the 5000-level Professional

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Participants in this course will become familiarized with a diversity of iconic urban references from all continents, while acquiring skills that will facilitate planning and design processes, appreciating the value of interdisciplinary, multi-scaler initiatives, and the transformative contributions of city planning and urban design/placemaking. It is a dynamic class in which each session is centered on a particular topic (see list below), combining class discussions on case studies presented by the instructor, guest lecturers, and teams of students. Interdisciplinary groups also are asked to deliver short planning/design exercises - without the pressure of the studios-, allowing to rapidly identify existing site conditions, design opportunities, delivering their proposals with compelling narratives, strategic moves, graphics, models, and verbal communication. Course topics include: From territory to site-specific; On the public realm; The rehabilitation of historic districts; Mobility/ infrastructure and public space; The self-constructed city; Community and urban design; Contending forces of nature; Ecological urbanism; New town planning; Urban art. The class also organizes walking tours in Philadelphia. A final exhibit of the work delivered by the students will be held in Meyerson’s Lower Gallery.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This course provides international Master of Landscape Architecture students the opportunity for practical training in architecture in the United States (CPT). The course develops critical thinking about the organization, operation, and ethics of professional practice in city planning. This course will allow international MLA students to work in an internship in the United States during the academic year without shortening their limited OPT time. The course is offered for .20 course units. The employment must relate to the major and the experience must be part of the program of study. Course enrollment is by permit only. 0.2 Course Units 2026-27 Catalog | Generated 08/03/26

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

In this seminar, we will explore the green thread in America thought and letters and analyze its influence on how we shape our environments through design and planning. The course has three parts. Throughout, the influence of literature on design and planning theory will be explored. The first part will focus on three most important theorists in environmental planning and landscape architecture: Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., Charles Eliot, and Ian McHarg. The second part of the course will critically explore current theories in environmental planning and landscape architecture. The topics include: frameworks for cultural landscape studies, the future of the vernacular, ecological design and planning, sustainable and regenerative design, the languages of landscapes, and evolving views of landscape aesthetics and ethics. In the third part of the course, students will build on the readings to develop their own theory for ecological planning or, alternatively, landscape architecture. While literacy and inquiry are addressed throughout the course, critical thinking is especially important for this final section.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

LARP 5330

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

LARP 7610 Urban Ecology 1 LARP 7900 LARP Electives 3 General Elective (5000-level or above) 3 Total Course Units 28 MLA: Second Professional Degree LARP 7910 A total of 19 course units are required for graduation. Code Title Course

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Total Course Units 5 Substitutions must be approved in writing by the Director and submitted to the Weitzman School of Design Office of Student Services. LARP 6020 is a 2 CU course, but only 1 CU from this course is needed towards the certificate requirements. Therefore, with permission, students may be able to use an elective to fulfill this requirement in place of LARP 6020. The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This course is a requirement for students enrolled in the Certificate of Urban Design. With a focus on contemporary major cities this subject charts the various ways in which urban design is typically conceived, procured, administered and ultimately delivered. From the very conception of a project to its completion, the various methods and avenues through which contemporary cities are planned, designed, and constructed are examined from multiple perspectives so that students become familiar with the myriad issues and main actors involved in urban development. Though exemplary case studies the subject offers a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and contingencies of contemporary city making, placing a particular emphasis on the role of the urban designer as a practical, ethical and visionary agent of change. This course may open to other interested PennDesign students if there is space and with permission of the instructor.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

In these advanced representation courses the work extends to new ways of documenting and seeing landscape. These courses are open to all interested School of Design students who have previous drawing experience or have taken foundation studios. Recent topics have been: Landscape Representation (fall annually), instructors: Valerio Morabito; Terrains of Wetness (spring 2017-2020), instructors: Anuradha Mathur, Matthew Neff; Landscape Drawing, instructor: Laurie Olin (spring 2014); Traces and Inscriptions (spring 2013), instructors: Anuradha Mathur, Matthew Neff.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

In these advanced representation courses the work extends to new ways of documenting and seeing landscape. These courses are open to all interested School of Design students who have previous drawing experience or have taken foundation studios. OR ARCH 5320 OR ARCH 6010 1 Course Unit

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Prerequisite

LARP 5010 OR LARP 5330 OR LARP 6010 OR ARCH 5010

These seminar courses explore ideas and methods in current landscape architectural practice. They include instruction in professional procedures, project development, leadership, and professional identity. They include visits to construction sites, professional offices and archives. Recent topics have been: Transformational Leadership (fall annually), instructor: Lucinda Sanders; Unruly Practices (spring 2021), instructors: Rebecca Popowsky and Sarai Williams; The Practice of Landscape Architecture (spring 2021, fall 2021).

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This advanced social science and design seminar is about mobilizing expert knowledge to develop transformative policy ideas to make the Green New Deal come alive. We'll look at cutting edge social science and design scholarship on the problems we're trying to solve, and the successes and failures of past efforts at transformative policy. And we'll focus in particular on the built environment. How might a Green New Deal make the physical changes to our infrastructures, homes, energy landscapes, transportation systems, public recreation amenities, care facilities, and more, in ways that slash carbon emissions, increase resiliency, and abolish inequalities of race, class, gender, and nation? That's not a rhetorical question: in this class, we'll assemble knowledge, get into teams, and come up with concrete proposals. 1 Course Unit

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

The course surveys and critically engages the field of cultural landscape studies. Over the semester, we will explore cultural landscape as a concept, theory and model of preservation and design practice; we will read cultural landscape historiography and creative non-fiction; we will examine a range of types (national parks, community gardens, designed landscapes, informal public spaces), and we will map the alternative preservation, planning and design methods that ground cultural landscape studies practically. Readings, class discussions, and projects will draw on cultural geography, environmental history, vernacular architecture, ecology, art, and writing. Not Offered Every Year Also Offered As: HSPV 5380 1 Course Unit 2026-27 Catalog | Generated 08/03/26

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

OIDD/ Climate Risks and Opportunities BEPP 7610/ ESE 5670

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

"In the history of cartography, land and water are linked opposites, mutually supporting and defining, neither viable nor conceivable without the other. Separating land from water is a fundamental cartographic act. This seminar will introduce students to the technical and theoretical ways in which the mutable borders of hydrological exchange are translated into rigid regulatory boundaries, representationally and politically. In today's climate, flooding and sea-level rise have brought the lines between land and water into sharp focus as contested zones. As such, it is imperative for us to interrogate them as categories of knowledge, contingent on the technologies through which demarcation emerges, rather than regarding them as ""natural"" objects ""out there."" Through hands-on field data collection, in-class demos, guest lectures, and readings, this seminar will introduce students to the tools and techniques central to flood modeling and mapping: UAV photogrammetry (surveying), Satellite image classification (sensing), and HEC-HMS hydrologic/ HEC- RAS hydraulics (modeling). While technologically intensive, this course will encourage students to explore a variety of media techniques to creatively express the liminality—material and political—of hydrological representations. As part of Rutgers University’s Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH) program, this technology seminar will work with an interdisciplinary team that includes The Water Center at Penn, Philadelphia Office of Sustainability, and Drexel’s Civil Engineering faculty. Eligibility: Limited to LARP & CPLN students who have completed

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Topics in Planting Design courses explore relevant topics in construction, horticulture and planting design as they relate to contemporary landscape architecture. The aim is to supplement fundamental skills and ideas explored in the core curriculum workshops with more advanced, cutting-edge research, technology and case studies. The teaching faculty are leading practitioners and researchers in the field. These courses are open to all interested Weitzman students.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

In this course, students will learn about plants from varied perspectives: organismal, applied/practical, aesthetic, environmental, and evolutionary. Utilizing the plant collection of the Morris Arboretum as a living laboratory and the expertise of arboretum staff, this course will bring students, novices and experts alike, to a better understanding of plants. The backbone of this course focuses on temperate woody plant identification and is integrated with sessions dedicated to the fundamentals of plant form, evolution, reproduction, and propagation. Course assessment will be based on weekly practical assignments and two field exams. IMPORTANT: This course takes place at the Morris Arboretum in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia and students are responsible for transporting themselves to and from the arboretum on their own for class each week. 1 Course Unit

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

In this course, students will learn about plants from an oraganismal perspective, an applied/practical perspective, an aesthetic perspective, an environmental perspective, and an evolutionary perspective. Utilizing the plant collection of the Morris Arboretum as a living laboratory and the expertise of arboretum staff, this course will bring students, novices and experts alike, to a better understanding of plants. Session topics integrate both theoretical and hands-on practical work. Course assessment will be based on weekly practical assignments and two exams. Please note that this course takes place at the Morris Arboretum in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia and students are responsible for transporting themselves to and from the arboretum on their own for class each week. For further information about the course, students may contact Cynthia Skema (cskema@upenn.edu).

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This interdisciplinary course looks at public gardens as a whole, studying these public institutions and their performance in the four major services they undertake: research, horticultural display, conservation and education/outreach. Students, of any level or discipline, begin the course by learning what arboreta and botanic gardens are, how they function, and what role they fill in our society through a series of lecture sessions at the Morris Arboretum. For the remainder of the semester, the students take that knowledge into the field to apply what they have learned and evaluate some of the many public gardens in "America's Garden Capital," the Philadelphia region, with expert instructors from the Morris Arboretum as guides. Course assessment will be based on one exam, and a series of essays pertaining to their garden evaluations. Garden evaluations and the written work can be tailored to a particular subject of interest to a student, if pertinent within the public garden realm. Please note that this course takes place at the Morris Arboretum in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia and students are responsible for transporting themselves to and from the arboretum on their own or to other Philadelphia area public gardens as required for class each week. For further information about the course, students may contact Cynthia Skema (cskema@upenn.edu).

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

University of Pennsylvania Catalog 855

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

LARP Electives 3 General Electives (5000-level or above) 2

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

These advanced seminars explore central issues in the history and theory of landscape architecture from the Renaissance to the present day. The focus is upon the cultural context of built works, their relation to conceptual writings (contemporary with the designs as well as modern) and the dialogue between modern professional practice and historical example and method. These courses are open to all interested students. Recent topics include: The Culture of Cultivation (spring 2017), instructor: Raffaella Fabiani Giannetto; Weimar Landscapes (spring 2017), instructors: John Dixon Hunt, Liliane Weissberg; Seminar in American Architecture (spring 2016), instructor: Aaron Wunsch; Therapeutic Landscape (spring 2014), instructor: Aaron Wunsch

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This seminar will explore the impact of Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exhibition on the subsequent histories of the neighborhoods adjacent to the West Fairmount Park exhibition site.

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

ARCH or LARP Urban Resilience Studio Select 2 from the following:

Subject

LARP

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

These advanced seminars explore ideas in contemporary landscape architectural design and theory. A special link is made between the analysis of built work and text to design practice and the making of projects. Topics include the intersections of art, nature and creativity; practices of analysis and criticism; ideas of urbanism and infrastructure; collaborative ventures and cross-disciplinarity; vision and visuality; and representational structures, both verbal and visual. These courses are open to all interested Weitzman students. 1 Course Unit

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

These advanced seminars explore advanced ideas in contemporary landscape architectural design and theory. A special link is made between the analysis of built work and text to design practice and the making of projects. Topics include the intersections of art, nature and creativity; practices of analysis and criticism; ideas of urbanism and infrastructure; collaborative ventures and cross-disciplinarity; vision and visuality; and representational structures, both verbal and visual. These courses are open to all interested Weitzman students. 1 Course Unit

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

These advanced seminars explore advanced ideas in contemporary landscape architectural design and theory. A special link is made between the analysis of built work and text to design practice and the making of projects. Topics include the intersections of art, nature and creativity; practices of analysis and criticism; ideas of urbanism and infrastructure; collaborative ventures and cross-disciplinarity; vision and visuality; and representational structures, both verbal and visual. These courses are open to all interested Weitzman students. 1 Course Unit

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

These advanced seminars explore advanced ideas in contemporary landscape architectural design and theory. A special link is made between the analysis of built work and text to design practice and the making of projects. Topics include the intersections of art, nature and creativity; practices of analysis and criticism; ideas of urbanism and infrastructure; collaborative ventures and cross-disciplinarity; vision and visuality; and representational structures, both verbal and visual. These courses are open to all interested Weitzman students. 1 Course Unit 2026-27 Catalog | Generated 08/03/26

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

These advanced seminars explore advanced ideas in contemporary landscape architectural design and theory. A special link is made between the analysis of built work and text to design practice and the making of projects. Topics include the intersections of art, nature and creativity; practices of analysis and criticism; ideas of urbanism and infrastructure; collaborative ventures and cross-disciplinarity; vision and visuality; and representational structures, both verbal and visual. These courses are open to all interested Weitzman students. 1 Course Unit

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Contemporary Landscape for 3-Year d

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

(3-year Students)

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Operations (3-year Students)

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Digital Media (3-year Students) n Course List

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

(2-year students)

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Introduction (2-year Students)

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

An independent studio may be undertaken in the final semester but is not required. The independent studio is intended to provide highly motivated students who have demonstrated their ability to work independently with the opportunity to pursue topics that extend the boundaries of the profession. For permission, students must prepare a written proposal in the preceding semester and apply for approval from the faculty. Details available in Landscape Architecture department office. Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms 1-2 Course Units University of Pennsylvania Catalog 2155

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

LA+ (Landscape Architecture Plus) is a professional, academic journal produced out of the Weitzman School that explores landscape architecture’s interdisciplinary potential. Each semester, three to four students are selected as LA+ production team members and are responsible for researching, proposing, and producing the journal’s graphic content.* Designing an issue of LA+ can be very rewarding and production team members gain valuable skills and experience in graphic design, image creation, and image copyright that can help prepare them for careers in a number of professional creative environments. Students selected to participate in an LA+ production team will complete 1 CU of work, spread over two semesters. Even numbered issues begin in the Fall and conclude in the Spring. Odd numbered issues begin in the Spring and conclude in the Fall. Students work closely with the editor and LA + production staff to produce the issue. Student work on the journal during the semester is planned so as not to unduly interfere with studio travel, reviews, or end-of-semester deadlines. LA+ pinups are scheduled on weekends. * Production team members do not have any editorial responsibilities – the journal’s written content is finalized prior to the design and production phase. This course is only open to students who already have been accepted to work on the LA+ Journal. No other permit requests will be approved. 1 Course Unit

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

An independent study may be taken for elective credit at any point during the degree program for a letter grade. For permission, students must prepare a written proposal in the preceding semester and obtain a Landscape Architecture faculty advisor to oversee their work. Details are available in the Landscape Architecture department office. 0.5-2 Course Units

Subject

LARP

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu