Destination: Portugal

The History of Landscape Architecture course is normally a three-credit semester class that fulfills an LAEP as well as a General Education Breadth Humanities requirement. However, during spring semester 2020, 12 USU students (5 of which have LAEP majors) completed the course during spring break and spent eight days in Lisbon, Portugal to boot!

For the first time, LAEP 2300 was offered in an intense study abroad format that immersed the students in the beauty, climate, history, and culture of the famous Portuguese city of Lisbon. Professors Ben George and Dave Anderson led the trip (which went off without a hitch), with students and faculty returning to Logan just before COVID-19 restrictions were announced.

Students were introduced to the important stylistic movements, individuals, sites, and developments in world history that have shaped the landscape – and how the landscape has in turn shaped the world’s societies. Using Lisbon and the surrounding area as a backdrop, students saw firsthand the impacts that topography, geology, climate, culture, and other historic influences have had on a place.

The itinerary was packed and ranged from 2,200-year-old Roman ruins and a 1,000-year-old Moorish fortress to modern city planning and famous ‘starchitecture’. Everyone had a great time experiencing the city by Metro, train, and A LOT of walking, which helped everyone work off the many many famous Portuguese pastries that were consumed!