Design With Nature Now

Weitzman School’s McHarg Center is leading the future of urban ecological design

Published: July 19, 2019
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In today’s age of climate change, the legacy of late Penn Professor Ian L. McHarg (1920-2001) is perhaps more palpable than ever before. His 1969 book, Design With Nature, transformed contemporary thinking about relationships between modern architecture and the earth’s changing environments, and helped shepherd the adoption of important environmental regulations in the following decade.

Now, 50 years later, climate change is fundamentally altering the world around us, sometimes in irreparable ways. Recognizing the urgency for action, the Stuart Weitzman School of Design inaugurated the Ian L. McHarg Center for Urbanism and Ecology this June. This new center for education and research will build on the School’s position as a global leader in urban ecological design, and advance the development of “practical, innovative ways of improving the quality of life in the places most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.”

The McHarg Center extends the scholarship and ideas that Ian presented to the world. His ideas and contributions to landscape architecture are critical for protecting our planet and way of life from the effects of climate change and urbanization.”Frederick Steiner, Dean and Paley Professor at the Weitzman School of Design and Co-Executive Director of the McHarg Center

A rich array of unique programming accompanying the Center’s opening has taken shape under the updated moniker, “Design With Nature Now”—including:

  • A two-day conference at Penn on June 21-22, highlighting novel approaches to contemporary landscape design and featuring more than two dozen speakers from across the U.S. and beyond
  • The opening of a series of public exhibitions on campus, exploring the work of McHarg and other environmentally conscientious designers
  • The upcoming publication of a new book, titled Design With Nature Now, featuring essays written by many of the conference’s participants

“The ‘now’ means that there’s hope, there’s hope for the planet,” Steiner says. “We can address serious issues like climate change and the loss of biodiversity and growing cities, and that there’s hope for the next generation.”

an audience listening to a man's speech at the design with nature now conference
three people sitting in chairs with a coffee table in front of them on stage for a conference
a woman at a podium on stage with five blue chairs and three of them have men sitting in them listening to the woman's speech
man standing at a podium giving a speech with a sign in the background saying stuart weitzman school of design university of pennsylvania
large fake bumble bees swarming a balcony on the school of design building
people walking through a art museum
a woman admiring art in a museum
a group of people at a book signing
man giving a speech at a glass podium
three people at an event posing for a photo

As the planet continues to change, the McHarg Center’s impact will continue to grow. Early financial support for this new Center has enabled the creation of the School’s first endowed directorship, a dual degree fund providing student financial assistance, and other vital resources. Further backing from friends, supporters, and alumni will help to position the McHarg Center as a permanent fixture in the study of landscape design in the decades to come.

Support the Ian L. McHarg Center for Urbanism and Ecology