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Virginia Tech

Valued Spaces of Adolescents in a Rural Community

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This study was conducted with the recognition that adolescence is a developmental stage in the human life cycle and that during this stage adolescents have unique outdoor needs and preferences. In general, the social and emotional needs of adolescents require that their environments provide opportunity for companionship. Within this context, the purpose of this study was to provide designers with information that can be used to assess environmental preferences. With this information at hand, a landscape architect can begin to understand the intricacies of designing a place for adolescents that supports their developmental needs and will be a place that they enjoy. This study was a partial replication of a study Venues and Values conducted by Patsy Eubanks Owens (1987) in which the valued spaces of suburban teens in California were explored. Rather than studying suburban adolescents, this study focuses on rural adolescents in a southwest Virginia town. Adolescents at a local high school are used as the subjects for this study. They were asked to take photographs of their two most valued outdoor spaces. A questionnaire was then given to each student to gain information about characteristics of each valued space. This study was a partial replication of a study Venues and Values conducted by Patsy Eubanks Owens (1987) in which the valued spaces of suburban teens in California were explored. Rather than studying suburban adolescents, this study focuses on rural adolescents in a southwest Virginia town. Adolescents at a local high school are used as the subjects for this study. They were asked to take photographs of their two most valued outdoor spaces. A questionnaire was then given to each student to gain information about characteristics of each valued space.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Landscape Architecture
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Landscape Architecture
Department dc:contributor.department
Landscape Architecture
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1998

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Guitner, Staci J.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Benfield, Ernest F.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Mitchell, Larry D.
  • Rogers, Cosby Steele
  • Gilboy, Elizabeth
  • Reinholtz, Charles F.

Subjects

dc:subject × 3

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-31898-111713
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/36598

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Guitner, Staci J.. Valued Spaces of Adolescents in a Rural Community. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36598