Landscape & Environmental Design (LED) College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

LED 001 — Introduction to Environmental Design (4 units)

Course Description: Introduction to the role of design professionals in contributing to the built environment at a range of scales. Introduction to basic methods used by design professionals to evaluate, design, plan, and manage landscapes and the built environment.

  • Learning Activities: Lecture 3 hour(s), Discussion 1 hour(s).
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit for students who have completed LDA 001.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH) or Science & Engineering (SE) or Social Sciences (SS); Domestic Diversity (DD); Visual Literacy (VL).
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 003 — Sustainable Development: Theory & Practice (4 units)

Course Description: Origins, theoretical perspectives, and practical applications of the concept of sustainable development across scales (site, building, neighborhood, city, region, and nation) through lectures, sketch exercises, student projects, walking tours.

  • Learning Activities: Lecture 3 hour(s), Discussion 1 hour(s).
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 003.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • General Education: Social Sciences (SS); American Cultures, Governance, & History (ACGH); Visual Literacy (VL); Writing Experience (WE).
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 021 — Landscape & Environmental Design Representation I (4 units)

Course Description: Introduction to landscape architectural representation techniques. Fundamentals of orthographic drafting, freehand drawing, photography, and basic digital representation.

Prerequisite(s): LED 001 C- or better (can be concurrent); or consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Lecture 3 hour(s), Laboratory 3 hour(s).
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Pass One restricted to Pre-Landscape Architecture and Sustainable Environmental Design majors.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 021.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH); Oral Skills (OL); Visual Literacy (VL).
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 030 — History of Environmental Design (4 units)

Course Description: History of Environmental Design across disciplines, including landscape architecture, architecture, planning, and urban design.

  • Learning Activities: Lecture 4 hour(s).
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 030.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH); Visual Literacy (VL); Writing Experience (WE).

LED 050 — Site Ecology (4 units)

Course Description: Introduction to ecological concepts, including nutrient dynamics, population regulation, community structure, ecosystem function. Principles will be applied to human activities such as biological conservation, ecological restoration, landscape planning, and management. Weekly lab devoted to field exercises in local ecosystems.

Prerequisite(s): BIS 002B.

  • Learning Activities: Lecture 3 hour(s), Laboratory 3 hour(s).
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Pass One restricted to Landscape Architecture and Sustainable Environmental Design majors.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 050.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • General Education: Science & Engineering (SE); Visual Literacy (VL).
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 060 — Landform & Grading Studio (6 units)

Course Description: Introduction of landform and topography as landscape medium and utilization of grading and drainage to design meaningful and functional spaces. Intro to site analysis and site planning, with specific attention to topography.

  • Learning Activities: Studio 8 hour(s), Extensive Problem Solving.
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Pass One restricted to Landscape Architecture majors.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 060.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH) or Science & Engineering (SE).
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 098 — Directed Group Study in Landscape & Environmental Design (1-5 units)

Course Description: Directed Group Study.

Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Variable 1-5 hour(s).
  • Repeat Credit: May be repeated.
  • Grade Mode: Pass/No Pass only.

LED 099 — Special Study for Undergraduates in Landscape & Environmental Design (1-5 units)

Course Description: Special study for undergraduates.

Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Variable 1-5 hour(s).
  • Repeat Credit: May be repeated.
  • Grade Mode: Pass/No Pass only.
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 140 — Green Building, Design, & Materials (4 units)

Course Description: Introduction to performance-based foundations of sustainable and regenerative design. Emphasizes engagement with processes, materials, work practices and technologies at a range of site and building scales, using real-world case studies and design projects.

Prerequisite(s): LED 050; LED 070; or consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Lecture 3 hour(s), Laboratory 3 hour(s).
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Pass One restricted to Sustainable Environmental Design majors.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 140.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • General Education: Science & Engineering (SE).
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 142 — Applying Sustainable Strategies (6 units)

Course Description: Capstone course examines case studies and techniques of sustainable development. Teams develop detailed proposals for real-world sites.

Prerequisite(s): LED 140; LED 141; or consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Lecture 3 hour(s), Laboratory 3 hour(s), Project.
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Restricted to Sustainable Environmental Design Majors.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 142.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH) or Science & Engineering (SE) or Social Sciences (SS).
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 160 — Design & Build Studio (6 units)

Course Description: Introduction to the spatial design and construction of small-scale projects. Hands-on approach to learning and understanding materials (including wood, concrete, and stone) and methods in landscape construction, and the application of technical skills (including detailing, cost estimation, and specifications).

Prerequisite(s): LED 070; or consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Studio 8 hour(s), Term Project, Extensive Problem Solving.
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Pass One restricted to Landscape Architecture majors.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 160.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH).
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 161 — Professional Practice & Construction Documents (4 units)

Course Description: Legal and professional aspects of landscape architecture, including the development of construction documents (drawings and specifications), proposal writing, fee calculations, project management, cost estimation, and insurance.

Prerequisite(s): LED 160; or consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Studio 8 hour(s), Project.
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Open to Landscape Architecture majors only.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 161.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 182 — Advanced Landscape Architecture Studio I (6 units)

Course Description: Landscape architecture studio featuring advanced studies and applications of creative work, design, technology and/or theory. One day-long field trip required.

Prerequisite(s): LED 171; or consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Studio 8 hour(s), Project.
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Open to Landscape Architecture majors only.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 182.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 201 — Theory & Philosophy of the Designed Environment (4 units)

Course Description: Examines a range of contemporary theories informing the design of landscapes and the built environment. Epistemology of design serves as a framework to examine contemporary landscape architecture, architecture, urban design and planning. Normative theories of design are reviewed along with those from the social and environmental sciences.

Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Seminar 4 hour(s).
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Pass One restricted to graduate students.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have take LDA 201.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 202 — Research Methods in Environmental Design (4 units)

Course Description: Research methods used in environmental design. Conceptual frameworks, research design, ethics, proposals, data collection, analysis and dissemination. Methods examined may include visual observation, surveys, interviews, workshops, material studies, experimental design, participatory design, mapping, prototyping, and post-occupancy evaluation.

Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Seminar 4 hour(s).
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Pass One restricted to graduate students.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 202.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 215 — Critical Infrastructure Studies (3 units)

Course Description: Introduction to interdisciplinary scholarship and design on expanding conceptions of infrastructure, that include social, technical, ecological, political and aesthetic dimensions of the medium. Focus on application of theory to case studies and thinking through landscape as infrastructure.

Prerequisite(s): Enrollment Pass One restricted to graduate students.

  • Learning Activities: Seminar 3 hour(s).
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 215.
  • Cross Listing: GEO 215.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 216 — Food & the City (4 units)

Course Description: Exploration of theory and practice related to the design and planning of alternative and resilient food systems, including urban agriculture, agrihoods, and agri-/rural tourism. Includes investigation of urban-rural connections and case-studies of regional urban agriculture projects. Field trips required.

  • Learning Activities: Seminar 4 hour(s).
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Pass One restricted to graduate students.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 216.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 270 — Environment & Behavior (4 units)

Course Description: Factors that influence human's interaction with their surroundings and the mechanisms used for recognizing and addressing general and specific human needs in community design and development decisions.

  • Learning Activities: Seminar 4 hour(s).
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Pass One restricted to graduate students.
  • Credit Limitation(s): Not open for credit to students who have taken LDA 270.
  • Grade Mode: Letter.
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.

LED 297 — Practicum in Landscape & Environmental Design (1-6 units)

Course Description: Practicum experience integrating coursework into an applied academic, professional or community-based setting.

Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.

  • Learning Activities: Practice.
  • Enrollment Restriction(s): Restricted to graduate students.
  • Repeat Credit: May be repeated.
  • Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only.
  • This course version is effective from, and including: Winter Quarter 2026.