Christy Edstrom O'Hara
| Position | Professor |
|---|---|
| Phone | 805.756.2639 |
| cohara@calpoly.edu | |
| Office | 34-216A |
| Office Hours |
Fall 2026 |
Areas of Expertise
- Cultural Landscapes
- Landscape History and Historic Preservation
- Theory of Landscape Architecture
- California Regionalism
- Contemporary Design Practice
Faculty Biography
Christine Edstrom O’Hara is a professor whose research focuses on landscape history and historic preservation. She received her Bachelor of English from Stanford University, Master of Landscape Architecture from University of Washington, and PhD in Landscape Architecture from University of Edinburgh. With expertise in the California work of the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm, she was awarded the Douglas Dockery Thomas Fellowship in Garden History and the Charles E. Beveridge Research Fellowship to support her research on the Olmsted firm’s ecological approach to design in 1920s Los Angeles. Her publications include essays in The Journal for the Society of Architectural Historians, Landscape Journal, Pacific Horticulture, Eden: the Journal for the California Garden & Landscape History Society, Journal for Green Building and the International Journal of the Constructed Environment, with an interview of her design work published in Garden Design magazine. Her forthcoming book, California Eden: Heritage Landscapes of the Golden State will be published in 2024.
Prof. O’Hara has lectured both nationally and internationally on landscape preservation as well as its application to sustainable landscape design and construction. She views history and contemporary design as companion ideas where history provides the framework for understanding the direction of the field of landscape architecture. In addition to teaching, Prof. O'Hara has had a landscape design practice for over 30 years. Within that practice, she consults on the restoration and preservation of historic landscapes by writing National Register nominations, Cultural Landscape Reports, as well as restoration and rehabilitation plans. She is the past president of the California Garden & Landscape History Society, trustee for the national organization Olmsted Network, and is passionate about education and conservation of historic places.
Prof. O’Hara teaches landscape history, analog and digital graphics, planting design and landscape construction courses.
