Claire Latane

Claire Latané is an assistant professor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Her work focuses on climate-appropriate design, green schoolyards, and promoting equitable access to humane urban environments and nature. Her writing has appeared in Landscape Architecture Magazine, The Dirt blog, and the Los Angeles Times. She was selected as an inaugural Fellow for Innovation and Leadership by the Landscape Architecture Foundation in 2017. Previously she was a Senior Associate at Studio-MLA in Los Angeles. She earned her BA in Journalism from the University of North Carolina and her MLA from Cal Poly Pomona.

Schools That Heal

Design with Mental Health in Mind

What would a school look like if it was designed with mental health in mind? Too many public schools look and feel like prisons, designed out of fear of vandalism and truancy. But we know that nurturing environments are better for learning. Research consistently shows that access to nature, big classroom windows, and open campuses reduce stress, anxiety, disorderly conduct, and crime, and improve academic performance. But too few school designers and decision-makers apply this research to create healthy schools.