David Orr defines ecological design as “the careful meshing of human purposes with the larger patterns and flows of the natural world and the study of those patterns and flows to inform human purposes.” A major in Ecologically Sustainable Community Design will prepare me to apply this concept to the design of communities at various scales, whether on a college campus, or in a major metropolitan area. I plan to study in a way that will help me develop what Orr calls “a designing mind”. A designing mind calls on a person to see beyond individual disciplines and to simultaneously apply concepts from many areas when attempting to address problems or develop new designs. A person who possesses a designing mind will be better able to see patterns in ecological systems and apply them to the task at hand. For this major that means taking courses that will help me make connections between the environmental, social, political and economic issues that shape the design of our communities.

For a better understanding of Ecologically Sustainable Community Design check out my senior major presentation.

10 Perspectives of Ecologically Sustainable Community Design