Professor Dr. Allan Shearer

Biography

Allan W. Shearer teaches graduate-level landscape planning design studios that bridge the Landscape Architecture school's planning and design programs. His research centers on helping individuals, communities, and societies envision change, using descriptions of possible futures to inform present-day decisions. His work engages in the expansion of conceptual frameworks and methods for design scenario-based studies. A particular focus of his research is on understanding notions of security as they apply to landscapes in cities. He has contributed to the NATO Urbanization Project, identifying concepts and capabilities needed for future military operations. He has examined the long-term role of military lands in contributing to national security by providing training and testing areas and ensuring environmental security through the sustenance of natural processes that contribute to society's well-being, including clean air, clean water, and native biodiversity. He has written about the relationships between national, environmental, and human security in the context of climate change. Recent writings include a collaboration on "Conceptualizing Model Antifragility in Dense Urban Areas," published in the Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture, and "The Paradox of Security," published in a book excerpted online in Places Journal.

Research Interests