Defence of doctoral thesis in the field of Architecture, Landscape and Urbanism, M.Sc. (landscape architect) Maria Jaakkola

M.Sc. (landscape architect) Maria Jaakkola will defend the thesis "Understanding Green Urban Landscape - A Phenomenological Approach" on 15 October 2021 at 12:00 in Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Architecture.

Opponent: Prof. John Wylie, University of Exeter, UK
Custos: Prof. Ranja Hautamäki, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Architecture

The public defense will be organized via remote technology. Follow defence: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/65900972823

Zoom Quick Guide: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/zoom-quick-guide

Thesis available for public display at: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/doc_public/eonly/riiputus/
Doctoral theses in the School of Arts, Design and Architecture: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/54

Press release:

Landscape architect and artist Maria Rosina Jaakkola’s doctoral dissertation connects the philosophical realm of phenomenology with the field of landscape architecture, building bridges between a number of disciplines and methods. Green urban landscape is explored as a multilayered and dynamic phenomenon, benefiting from case examples of well-known park systems in Boston and Helsinki. Different narratives illuminate the landscapes from different angles; research material ranges from a site-specific performance and moviemaking to a map-based public survey providing the perspective of others on the experience of green areas.

As a result, the visible as well as the invisible dimensions of landscape emerge, as the research introduces a new approach for analyzing landscape; a phenomenology-inspired analysis framework that concludes both what is perceived on the surface with all the senses – and what is hidden behind the evident, as well as the mediating connectors between them such as representations. This includes personal memories, meanings and stories as well as the processes of becoming – how landscapes have come into being, from the designers’ intentions based on their own writings to the processes of nature and culture such as growth and decay that have molded the landscape and continue to do so.

The approach is theory-based but practice-oriented, emphasizing the multisensory experience and multidimensionality of green urban landscape. The research provides a tool for analyzing landscapes, aiming to capture the essential in them. The aim is to help the professionals that with their actions affect our daily landscapes, such as the planner, architect and landscape architect – as well as anyone interested, to understand green urban landscapes more profoundly. Considering landscapes in a way that is more empathetic towards the landscapes themselves as well as the people living and using them, would ideally result into the design of cities that are more friendly towards both humans and nature.

Contact information of doctoral candidate: