Diane Jones Allen

Dr. Diane Jones Allen is a Professor and former Program Director of Landscape Architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), within the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs. She holds a D. Eng. from Morgan State University and has been a licensed landscape architect since 1987, certified in multiple U.S. states. Her work bridges academic research, professional practice, and community advocacy, focusing on environmental justice, transportation equity, and cultural preservation. Allen’s leadership includes renovating UTA’s Landscape Architecture program, achieving accreditation, and expanding its curriculum with courses like Design and Human Behavior.

Education:

• PhD, Transportation Engineering, Morgan State University (2014)
• MLA, Landscape Architecture, UC Berkeley (1984)
• BFA, Fine Arts, Washington University (1980)

Research Interests: Allen’s work centers on transit deserts, environmental justice, and culturally responsive design. Her 2017 book Lost in the Transit Desert examines racial disparities in transportation access. Current projects include the SOM Foundation-funded Reclaiming Black Settlements and research on coastal resiliency via maroon landscapes. She also chairs ASLA’s Biodiversity and Climate Action Task Force.

Grants & Awards:

• $19.9M EPA grant for Trinity River watershed resilience (2024)
• SOM Foundation $54K for Freedman’s Towns research (2021)
• ASLA Fellow (2019), CELA Fellow (2024)
• Harvard Dumbarton Oaks Research Fellowship (2021)

Teaching: Advises over 40 graduate students and teaches courses in climate adaptation, site planning, and landscape history. Her studios emphasize community-driven design and equity.

Public Engagement: Leads projects like the Tamir Rice Memorial and the Sankofa Wetland Park. Serves on boards of the Landscape Architecture Foundation and the National Park Service.