CRITICAL CASE STUDY: A GUIDE TO ASSIST EXPLORING CASE STUDIES

Critical Case Study: A Guide to Assist Exploring Case Studies

Critical Case Study: A Guide to Assist Exploring Case Studies

Introduction

Case studies are widely used in most professions, including medicine, law, engineering, business, planning and architecture. This practice is also becoming increasingly common in landscape architecture. The primary body of knowledge in landscape architecture is built up through written and visual documentation stories of projects, be it well known ones such as New York's Central Park or more modest projects such as a small neighbourhood park. Together, these cases provide the primary form of education, innovation and testing for the profession. They also serve as the collective record of the advancement and development of knowledge in landscape architecture (Sexton 2005, pp.18).

The Landscape Architecture Foundation is well positioned to take a leadership role in advancing the quality of practice and knowledge of case studies in landscape architecture. The report suggests several parallel actions the Foundation can take alone and with others to advance utilization of the case study method in environmental design in general and landscape architecture in particular. It specifically calls on LAF to begin a three year “Case Studies Initiative” to fund the preparation and publication of ten or more new case studies a year, organized around geographic region and project type. These cases, to be selected by a review panel appointed by LAF, would be made available in several forms including publications, online, and in a Case Study Institute to be administered by LAF in cooperation with ASLA and other related organizations. A large audience exists for such a service, including professionals, academics, public officials, and the general public (Rosenthal 2005, pp.56).

The purpose of this present study, commissioned by the Landscape Architecture Foundation in 1997 and completed in 1998, is to explore ways that case study analysis can be more effectively used in landscape architecture. Recommendations include launching a “Case Study Initiative” to support development of new case studies and to disseminate them through publications, professional and continuing education, and the World Wide Web (Riley 2003, pp.24).

Project Objectives

As defined by LAF and the author, this project has several related goals:

Advance and improve the level of practice and scholarship in landscape architecture through the development of a case study method that can be used to critically document and evaluate projects and issues;

Develop a case study method that can be used in undergraduate and graduate education and could be easily adopted by teachers, students, researchers, and practitioners;

Create a way to provide accessible knowledge of designed and natural landscapes so that future practice can be better informed by past experience

Expand the depth of critical analysis in landscape architecture so that the value of landscape architecture can be more effectively communicated to the public and allied professions; and

Advance the state of the art of landscape architecture research and practice (Platt 2002, pp.17-48).

Study Approach and Methods

The research approach used to develop a case study method for landscape architecture ...