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Sarah Little

Dr. Sarah E. Little

Associate Professor
Associate Director
Graduate Liason

Dr. Sarah E. Little.

Education

  • PhD, Design, North Carolina State University
  • Master of Landscape Architecture, North Carolina State University
  • BA, Chemistry, North Carolina State University

Sarah Little is a registered landscape architect in North Carolina. For 10 years she worked as a landscape designer in the design/build field creating high-end residential landscapes in the Charlotte metro area. As a registered landscape architect, she worked for 4 years designing children’s play environments and park master plans involving issues of environmental justice and community participation.

In transitioning from practice to academia, Sarah obtained a PhD in Design from North Carolina State University. Her teaching style encourages students to utilize reflective and critical thinking by emphasizing the role of design in creating an experience. Her research broadly focuses on understanding the influence of the design of the physical environment on human development. Her current research projects involve linking human attachment with place attachment, understanding the link between natural environments and autonomy, and developing observation scales for behavior mapping.

Selected Exhibitions, Additional Research, and Projects

  • Little, S. E. (Principal Investigator), “Program for Research Enhancement,” Sponsored by College of Architecture, The University of Oklahoma, $4,500. (December 1, 2018 – Present).
  • Little, S. (Principal Investigator), “Program for Research Enhancement,” Sponsored by College of Architecture, The University of Oklahoma, $5,000. (January 2018 – April 2018).
  • Little, S. (Principal Investigator), “Program for Research Enhancement–matching funds,” Sponsored by Engage Learning, Other, $2,785. (January 2018 – April 2018)
  • Little, S. (Principal Investigator), “Do nature playgrounds support autonomous exploration?,” Sponsored by College of Architecture, The University of Oklahoma, $2,700.00. (July 21, 2016-Present).
  • Little, S. (Principal Investigator), “Accessible nature playground,” Sponsored by AccessWorks, Inc, $11,500.00. (January 2018 – April 2018).

Awards

  • Recognition of creative activity, President’s Monthly Research and Development Highlights. (October 2017).

Selected Publications

  • Little, S., & Rice, A. (2021). Considering Autonomous Exploration in Healthy Environments: Reflections from an Urban Wildscape. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22), 11867.
  • Little, S. & Derr, V. (2020). The Influence of Nature on a Child’s Development: Connecting the outcomes of human attachment and place attachment. In A. Cutter-Mackenzie, K. Malone, & E.B. Hacking (Eds.), International Research Handbook on ChildhoodNature: Assemblages of Childhood and Nature Research (pp. 151-178). New York, NY: Springer.
  • Harris, J. & Little, S. (2019). Mapping hope: Informal settlement youth and lessons for aspirational urbanization. Urban Forum, doi:10.1007/s12132-019-09361-9.
  • Little, S. (2019). Gather together. topos: European Landscape Magazine, 106, 70-73.
  • Little, S. & Cox, A. (2019). Advancing Design Research: Creating a New Framework from Three Approaches to Case Study Research. Landscape Research Record, 8, 333-342.
  • Cox, A., Loebach, J., & Little, S. (2018). Understanding the Nature Play Milieu: Using Behavior Mapping to Investigate Children’s Activities in Outdoor Play Spaces. Children, Youth and Environments, 28(2), 232-261.
  • Little, S. & Loon, L. (2016). The Hybrid Zone in Divergent and Convergent Thinking. In Amoroso, N. (Ed.) Representing Landscapes: Hybrid (pp. 72-85). New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Kelley, K., Little, S., Lee, J. S., K. C., B., & Henderson, K. (2014). Articulating Meanings of Positive Adjustment to Aging through Physical Activity Participation among Older Adults. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 32(1), 63-77.
  • Little, S. (forthcoming). A Process for the Evaluation of Mobile Devices for Outdoor Data Collection. CELA 2020 conference proceedings.
  • Little, S. (forthcoming). Experiential accessibility: A therapeutic approach to the design of the public realm. In J. Loebach, S. Little, A. Cox, & P.E. Owens (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Designing Public Spaces for Young People: Processes, Practices and Policies for Youth Inclusion. New York: Routledge.
  • Little, S. (forthcoming). The Influence of Caregivers and Peers on a Child’s Direct Engagement with Nature: A domain-specific approach. Accepted by Children, Youth and Environments.
  • Loebach, J., Cox, A., & Little, S. (forthcoming). Behavior mapping as a tool for capturing the activities of youth in public spaces. In J. Loebach, S. Little, A. Cox, & P.E. Owens (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Designing Public Spaces for Young People: Processes, Practices and Policies for Youth Inclusion. New York: Routledge.
  • Loebach, J., Little, S., Cox, A., & Owens, P.E. (Eds.). (forthcoming). Routledge Handbook of Designing Public Spaces for Young People: Processes, Practices and Policies for Youth Inclusion. New York: Routledge.
Gibbs College of Architecture
Gould Hall
830 Van Vleet Oval
Norman, OK 73019
Phone: (405) 325-2444

Updated 11/21/2025 by Gibbs College of Architecture: coa-communications@ou.edu