Joshua Cerra
Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture

Josh Cerra's teaching and research investigate relationships between urban ecosystems, communities and site development processes, and their implications for climate-adaptive design and urban ecological design. He is principal investigator for the Climate-adaptive Design program with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and co-principal investigator for the Cornell Climate Change Garden Installation with the Cornell Botanic Gardens and the YardWorks Project with the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. His studio-based efforts have received award recognition from the national American Society of Landscape Architects, the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, and Cornell.
Selected Publications
Journal Publications
- Georgakakos, C.B., Cerra, J.F., Allred S.B., Williams, K., Walter, M.T., LoGiudice, E., Smith, G. (2021, in press). Cross-disciplinary learning in environmental engineering and landscape architecture. International Journal of Collaborative Engineering.
- Cerra, J., Smith, G., & Zemaitis, L. 2019. People and place: Understanding social dimensions of resilience in the Climate-adaptive Design Studio. 2019 Environmental Design Research Association Conference Proceedings, Environmental Design Research Association.
- Cerra, Joshua F., Brook W. Muller, and Robert Young. 2017. A transformative Outlook on the 21st Century city: Patrick Geddes’ Outlook Tower revisited. Landscape and Urban Planning. 166:90-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. landurbplan.2017.05.015
- Cerra, Joshua F. 2017. Emerging strategies for voluntary urban ecological stewardship on private property. Landscape and Urban Planning. 157: 586-597. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.06.016.
Book Chapters
- Muller, Brook, Adell Amos, Josh Cerra, Noelwah Netusil et al. 2021, in press. “Redrawing Our Urban Waters: Seeking Synergies Between Design, Law and Policy in Advancing Distributed, Place-Based Approaches to Urban Water Systems,” in Ken Yocom, eds., Water Handbook. London: Routledge Press
Awards & Honors
- 2018 Communications Honor Award,National ASLA Student Awards. American Society of Landscape Architects. “A Student’s Guide to Environmental Justice Version 1.3.” Team: Kari Spiegelhalter, Theresa Ruswick, Patricia Noto. Josh Cerra, Faculty Advisor.
- 2018 Faculty Fellowship for Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future
- 2017 General Design Honor Award, NationalASLA Student Awards.American Society of Landscape Architects. “Weaving the Waterfront” Team: Hong Gao, Luyao Kong, Qianli Feng. Josh Cerra, Faculty Advisor.
- 2016 General Design Award, NationalASLA Professional Awards. “Eco-Corridor Resurrects Former Brownfield. Ningbo, China. American Society of Landscape Architects. SWA lead with Herrera.
Courses Taught
- LA 7010 Climate-adaptive Design Studio
- LA 4020 Adaptive Technologies Design Lab
- LA 4070/6070 Emerging Dimensions in Urban Ecology and Sustainable Practice
- LA 6940 Building with Birds
Contact Information
444 Kennedy Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
jfc299 [at] cornell.edu
Education:
Master of Landscape Architecture
University of Minnesota
College of Design
Bachelor of Arts in Biology
Vassar College
More Information:
Joshua in the news

News
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, in partnership with Cornell, is announcing a chance for Hudson riverfront communities to host the university’s Department of Landscape Architecture’s Climate-Adaptive Design Studio in...
- Landscape Architecture
- Climate Change
- Water

News
The faculty recipients of the 2021 Innovative Teaching and Learning Awards will use grants of up to $20,000 to explore new teaching technologies and strategies to enhance the student learning environment across campus.
- Landscape Architecture
- Neurobiology and Behavior
- School of Integrative Plant Science