Researcher(s)
- Rowan Onslow, Landscape Architecture, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- James Zimmerman, Plants and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware
- Joshua Twardowski, Director of Landscape Services, University of Delaware
Abstract
This summer’s internship, I continued developing the University of Delaware’s campus landscape maintenance plan. It built on the work completed last year and introduced a new GIS-based method for data collection and management. I used ArcGIS, a geographic information system (GIS) platform for collecting and visualizing spatial data, to create a detailed spatial database of campus plantings. This database recorded the locations, species information, and other details of trees, shrubs, and perennials in selected maintenance areas.
As the project moved forward, GIS capabilities allowed me to expand the original scope of the maintenance plan beyond just plant inventories. I documented landscape vegetation and mapped campus hardscape assets, including benches, lighting, trash cans, drainage structures, fences, walls, and other maintenance-related infrastructure. Collecting all these assets in one geospatial database created a more complete record of the campus landscape and established a framework that can grow over time.
This work also set the stage for developing an interactive campus maintenance system. By integrating the inventory into ArcGIS Online and Field Maps, the project showed how maintenance staff could access asset information, update records directly in the field, monitor maintenance activities, and support long-term planning using an interactive map-based platform. While maintaining the traditional paper-based documentation, the project complements it with a GIS platform that provides the foundation for a more interactive and scalable approach to campus landscape management.