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Research ArticlePeer-Reviewed Articles

Use Value, Not Exchange Value

A Framework for Designing Landscape Improvements Without Catalyzing Gentrification

Steve Rasmussen Cancian
Landscape Journal, November 2025, 44 (2) 93-113; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/lj.44.2.93
Steve Rasmussen Cancian
Steve Rasmussen Cancian is a licensed landscape architect and Senior Project Manager for the San Francisco Unified School District. Previously, he was an assistant professor at North Carolina A&T and an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley and Cal Poly Pomona. During his 17 years in practice, he focused on culture‐ and class‐responsive design for local governments and community organizations. Before becoming a designer, he worked as a community organizer for 13 years, including managing Jesse Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign in New Hampshire and building dozens of multicultural tenant unions. He lives with the love of his life, Hanne, and their dog, Oddie, in San Francisco.
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Use Value, Not Exchange Value
Steve Rasmussen Cancian
Landscape Journal Nov 2025, 44 (2) 93-113; DOI: 10.3368/lj.44.2.93

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Steve Rasmussen Cancian
Landscape Journal Nov 2025, 44 (2) 93-113; DOI: 10.3368/lj.44.2.93
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  • Article
    • Abstract
    • Introduction
    • Literature Review
    • Methodology
    • Case Studies of Designing for Improvement Without Gentrification
    • Conclusion
    • Peer Review
    • Acknowledgments
    • References
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Keywords

  • Gentrification
  • green gentrification
  • avoiding gentrification
  • culture and class in design
  • community design
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