Ebru Ozer, Associate Professor in CARTA’s Department of Landscape Architecture + Environmental and Urban Design and expert in sustainability, was awarded the “Who is Who in Sustainability” Award at the 2023 Smart City Expo Miami: Building Sustainable Communities. The conference took place at the Miami-Dade College Wolfson Campus where Professor Ozer also gave a keynote presentation. The conference served as a dynamic forum for experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to collaborate on pioneering solutions for smarter, more sustainable, and resilient urban environments.
“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition,” said Ozer. “It is crucial that we make the connections between nature and people visible in our cities, and playgrounds are excellent places to begin establishing these connections.”
The “Who is Who in Sustainability award is given to highlight the leading innovators who have made significant contributions to advancing sustainability at the community level.
Prof Ozer’s keynote encompassed a historical overview and the evolution of nature’s role in play and highlighted the contributions she has made to the concept of nature-based play through her research and practice, in collaboration with her partner, Douglas Thompson, LandscapeDE. In her address, she emphasized the importance of integrating natural elements into play spaces and their pivotal role in fostering a deeper connection between nature and humanity in the minds of both children and parents.
