Groundbreaking

Clare Cooper Marcus is Professor Emerita in the departments of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. She is internationally recognized for her teaching, research, and publications on the social and psychological implications of design, especially regarding urban open space, family housing, outdoor space in healthcare facilities, and environments for children and the elderly. She was educated at the University of London with a BA in Cultural and Historical Geography, at the University of Nebraska with an MA in Urban Geography, and at the University of California, Berkeley, with an MCP in City and Regional Planning. She is the author of four books and numerous articles. Two of those books were co-authored with former students: Healing Gardens: Therapeutic Benefits and Design Recommendations (1999) with Marni Barnes and Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence-Based Approach to Designing Healing Gardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces (2014) with Naomi Sachs. A previous memoir, Iona Dreaming: The Healing Power of Place, was published in 2010. Her forthcoming autobiography, Groundbreaking, comes out in 2026 from New Village Press. She lives in Berkeley, California, where she is an avid gardener. She is a grandmother, published poet, and holds joint British and American citizenship.