Pedagogy 2025
Abstract
At a time when urban development often sacrifices the hinterlands for sprawl or community for density, the pocket neighborhood has emerged as a type of antidote, an intimate, human-scaled alternative rooted in social connection. “A pocket neighborhood is a cohesive cluster of homes gathered around some kind of common ground within a larger surrounding neighborhood,” is how author Ross Chapin defines these spaces. For landscape architecture students, the test lies not just in working through the landscape architecture design process to create spaces but also in embedding their personal values, often communicated through a manifesto or design statement. This paper examines how undergraduate students’ manifestos inform and shape their design proposals and supporting graphics. Drawing from a sophomore landscape architecture studio at a research institution in the Southern United States, this study utilizes ChatGPT-assisted analysis to investigate the alignment between students’ stated values, spatial decisions, and visual communication. Chapin’s text “Pocket Neighborhoods” was utilized to develop student knowledge of this specific type of design philosophy. The research addresses three core questions: What values are most frequently expressed in student manifestos? How are these values spatially developed in their neighborhood designs? And how successfully are these ideologies visually conveyed through drawings and graphics (such as elevations, sections, plans, and details)? Through ChatGPT, the analysis of written, spatial, and visual components identifies repetitive themes, sentiment, notable divergences, and similar patterns across individuals and the group. In doing so, it reveals how emerging designers translate personal ideology into spatial and visual practice.
Taze Fulford is a dedicated associate landscape architecture professor at Mississippi State University, focusing on ecological design, sustainability, and visual storytelling. During his 19 years at MSU, he has inspired students through an emphasis on place-based learning and design with meaning. A skilled educator and mentor, Taze bridges traditional drawing techniques with digital tools such as SketchUp, AutoCad, and Adobe software, along with Artificial Intelligence, to help students explore their design philosophies and the formation of personal graphic styles.