Elliott Maltby

Ms. Elliott Maltby, a landscape and urban designer, is a founding partner of thread collective, a multi-disciplinary collaborative design studio that explores the seams between city, art, and landscape. Ms. Maltby believes that art and design can improve the sustainability and vitality of the urban environment; she is particularly interested in how an ecological systems perspective can support both urban and landscape interven- tions. Influenced by the non-equilibrium paradigm that posits open, dynamic ecosys- tems constantly adapting to disturbance, Elliott brings a strong ecological and social perspective to her design approach. Extensive site research, including phenomenological, historical, experiential, and politcal perspectives serve as the foundation for each project. Time and the human experience of time are also important elements in her process and final designs.

Elliott’s work both as a designer and academic explores the politics of public space, with a particular interest in the intersection of social and ecological conditions. In addition to having taught a popular class on parks and public space structured around a series of walking tours for 10 years, she co-created and teaches an inventive green infrastructure design build studio which explicitly links landscape performance to larger urban scale social issues.