Cultivating the Campus: Productive Strategies for the University of Washington's Educational Landscape

Abstract

With the urban population forecasted to continue expanding, simultaneously distancing individuals from the environmental impacts of their consumption, two fundamental priorities are becoming clear: how will we sustainably provide for ourselves, and how will we educate each other? This thesis explores what a campus-wide manifestation of a productive and educational ethic might look like in the landscape of the University of Washington, Seattle campus. It synthesizes the needs of the UW Farm, a grounded, practicing organization that grows food in multiple locations on the campus, and makes the case for broad cooperation in innovative education. Using a Participatory Action Research approach and interdisciplinary theories, this thesis examines project precedents, identifies opportunities, and suggests potential pathways to realize productive educational projects on the campus landscape.