Social & Cultural Metrics: Measuring the Intangible Benefi ts of Designed Landscapes

A research team from the University of Illinois reports on three case studies from the 2013 Landscape Architecture Foundation's Case Study Investigation(CSI) program: all of them public spaces in the Midwestern region of the United States. Despite the clear relationship between intangible social benefits and sustainability, the challenges in measuring intangible benefits of designed landscapes can be significant. Socio-cultural research questions, methodology, and findings for the team's case studies are described and critiqued. Steps toward improving measurement procedures for social and cultural benefits in the CSI program are suggested.