Naomi Alena Sachs

Naomi Alena Sachs is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is an internationally recognized scholar in restorative and therapeutic landscapes, evidence-based healthcare design, and salutogenic (health-promoting) environments. Sachs is the founding director of the non-profit Therapeutic Landscapes Network and serves as Co-Editor of the peer-reviewed journal Health Environments Research & Design.

Education

• Ph.D. in Architecture, Texas A&M University
• Master of Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
• B.A. in Women's Studies, Brown University
• Graduate Certificate in Health Systems & Design, Texas A&M University
• Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation and Regionalism, University of New Mexico

Research Interests

Sachs focuses on restorative and therapeutic landscapes, investigating how designed outdoor environments can reduce stress, enhance mental health, and promote overall well-being. Her work embraces evidence-based design methodologies, translating rigorous research into practical guidelines for healthcare and community settings. She explores salutogenic design principles that proactively foster health rather than merely treat illness, and she examines environmental justice dimensions to ensure equitable access to healing nature experiences. Additional interests include environmental psychology, translational research, cultural geography, and intersectionality in landscape design.

Current research projects apply the Healthcare Garden Evaluation Toolkit (H-GET) across diverse healthcare contexts, investigate design strategies for mental and behavioral health environments, and analyze correlations between urban greenspace and violent crime to inform safer, healthier city planning.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• 2018 ARCC/King Medal for Excellence in Architectural + Environmental Research
• 2016–2017 Tuttle Research Fellowship ($10,000)
• 2014–2015 Center for Health Design New Investigator Research Award ($10,000)
• 2012–2014 William W. Caudill Research Fellowship ($26,000)

Advising & Professional Service

Naomi serves on the Nature Rx@UMD Steering Committee, the Center for Health Design’s Research Coalition, and is an Advisory Board member of Gardens for Heroes. She is an Industry Scholar at the Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures and a Faculty Fellow with the Center for Health Systems & Design at Texas A&M University. Since 2007 she has been on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, and she has held leadership roles within the American Society of Landscape Architects Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network.

Laboratories & Teams

Through the Therapeutic Landscapes Network, Sachs leads an interdisciplinary virtual community that connects researchers, designers, healthcare providers, and policy-makers to advance knowledge and best practices in health-promoting landscapes.