Defining A Cultural Landscape: A Mixed-Modal Conversation on Whidbey Island

Abstract

The intent of this research is to define a cultural landscape on the southern end of Whidbey Island. Simply put, it is a strategy toward the development of a viable method to both preserve and conserve the south end of Whidbey Island from Seattle’s rapidly growing metropolitan area. As the demographics on Whidbey Island dramatically evolve from a rural community to a bedroom community, and beyond, it is imperative that planners have the strategic foresight to cultivate and develop the existing culture while maintaining and preserving historic spaces and places, both natural and built, tangible and intangible. In this context, this thesis, therefore, will be a case study that amalgamates information and data from a myriad of sources via grounded theory and mixed-modal approaches with the objective of answering what contributing factors of cultural landscape exist on the southern end of Whidbey Island?