Ken Tamminga
landscape architecture · urbanism
Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Texel, NL
Ken Tamminga
landscape architecture · urbanism
Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Texel, NL
Welcome
Here you'll find an overview of my work in landscape architecture and urbanism. I focus on contextual and ecology-informed design, inclusive green places in cities, and novel and restored ecosystems. I've collaborated with action research colleagues on resilience-building projects in south Asia, Brazil and sub-Saharan Africa—places that struggle with climate change and socio-economic inequity. I'm currently researching convivial greenstreets in urban cores and the state of professional landscape planting practices in the northeast US, with a focus on climate change and biodiversity. PDFs of most of my publications are here.
During my +8 years of consulting in Ontario I was fortunate to have some great mentors and plenty of talented role models from multiple professions: landscape architecture, urban and regional planning, applied ecology and botany, archaeology, art, architecture, regional economics, soil science, and engineering (water resources / hydrology, civil, structural, lighting, geotechnical, coastal). It wasn't until I shifted to campus that I realized multi- and interdisciplinarity weren't unreservedly accepted as a good ways to tackle complex problems. As a practitioner-academic, I periodically took on project-based work to stay nimble in my field.
Since arriving at Penn State University in 1993, I've mostly taught advanced studio courses at multiple scales in both urban and regional contexts, as well as technical courses focusing on planted ecosystems, green urbanism, and ecological applications in the landscape. Over the years I led or co-led over 40 public scholarship courses that challenged students with messy and exhilarating community-based projects.
From 1996–1999 and 2008–2023, my Pittsburgh Studio introduced upper-year students to designing in and with underserved post-industrial neighborhoods. Free of the conventional client-consultant model, and through the Penn State Center–Pittsburgh, our hosts invited us in as partners. This award-winning engaged studio was catalytic. It nurtured mutually beneficial reciprocal learning, genuine collaboration, and co-authorship that prompted community advocacy.
I retired from Penn State in 2024, but remain open to collaborations, teaching stints, and help on tricky problems and fledgling ideas.
Students, Alums, Colleagues
My thoughts on current events that affect humanity at all scales are many. But two that demand our collective attention are:
the surge of authoritarian proto-fascism and ensuing xenophobia, state terrorism, imperialism and human rights abuses. Philosopher Albert Camus gave warning: “Take care. When a democracy is sick, fascism comes to its bedside. But it is not to get the news.” So let's commit to:
✔️ reading honest and in-depth news
✔️ learning from history's lessons
✔️ designing places of inclusion and democracy
✔️ speaking up and voting—while we still can.
anthropogenic climate change due to high emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide into Earth's atmosphere. The consensus in scientific journals that rapid climate change is human-caused exceeds 99%. I'd urge you to:
✔️ inform your clients; advocate if you have to
✔️ create low-carbon places and landscapes that support biodiversity
✔️ stand with those disempowered communities that are most impacted
✔️ vote for candidates committed to climate action.