A Participatory Design Case Study in Environmental Design Education

Abstract

This article provides an overview and insights of challenges, potentials, and recommendations of teaching and applying Participatory Design (PD) in design education including the students' point of view through studying a case - a Master of Landscape Architecture studio course in Arizona State University, U.S. Students collaborated with Mo'ili'ili community members in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. for two semesters, to co-design the renovations of Old Stadium Park through three phases of PD process - field study & listening; community engagement workshop (50+ people); and pop-up design conversations (100+ people). This research illustrates the challenges of integrating PD in design education, which includes uncertainty and flexibility, funding, trust-building, time management, access to diverse knowledge centers, research ability, and communication hurdles. As well as implications and recommendations such as encouraging students to be flexible; embracing uncertainty; making explicit learning goals; leaving comfort zones; improving communication and organizational facilitation skills; and utilizing research ability for better trust-building with communities.