VIRTUAL Barcelona Livable Cities
Abstract
Grass landscapes in parks, golf courses, school grounds, and university campuses serve essential aesthetic, recreational, and functional roles in urban and suburban environments. However, these turfgrass systems often experience significant stress due to high foot traffic and continuous use, posing complex challenges for maintenance professionals striving to preserve turf health and landscape quality. This study investigates the current management practices, challenges, and effective strategies employed by turfgrass managers across Washington State through a comprehensive survey of lawn care providers, municipal parks staff, golf course superintendents, and educational institution grounds crews. Findings reveal common issues including soil compaction, irrigation constraints, resource limitations, and balancing turf recovery with intense usage. Successful approaches identified emphasize adaptive species selection, targeted cultural practices such as aeration and overseeding, and integrated fertilization and irrigation management. The study underscores the need for enhanced training, knowledge sharing, and accessible resources to support sustainable turfgrass stewardship. These insights provide a foundation for developing user-friendly management tools and collaborative frameworks aimed at improving the resilience and ecological sustainability of high-traffic turfgrass landscapes.
Kate Kraszewska is a landscape designer and the owner and principal of Kraszewska Landscape Design Consulting, based in the western United States. Her work focuses on sustainable stormwater management through innovative, low-impact development (LID) practices and policy. Her expertise includes the use of constructed wetlands to remediate stormwater contaminated by bio-oil, with an emphasis on reducing the environmental impact of wastewater from the bio-oil industry. Currently, she is researching the viability of turfgrass and native grass species for stormwater filtration, saline resilience, and improved water quality. Kate is the Principal Investigator on two active research projects: one exploring the stormwater management potential of turf and native grasses in urban and rural landscapes, and another examining green-space management perceptions and preferences related to turfgrass design and water maintenance. She also serves as senior personnel on a recently awarded NSF NRT (National Research Traineeship) grant, which investigates rivers, watersheds, and communities as a foundation for training, innovation, and equitable decision-making at multiple scales. Kate is committed to promoting sustainable landscape design methodology through her research, teaching, and design practice. Her work has been recognized through award-winning collaborations.