Gregory B. C. Shaw, PhD :: Recreation, Parks & Tourism Administration

Gregory B. C. Shaw, PhD | Associate AIA Assistant Professor
Department of Recreation, Parks & Tourism Administration

BS::Architecture::Georgia Institute of Technology

MS::Recreation Administration::California State University, Sacramento

PHD::Geography (Minor: Landscape Architecture)::University of California, Davis

photo © g. b. c. shaw

The Getty Center Garden::Los Angeles
Robert Irwin::Artist & Landscape Architect

The Getty Center and its garden provide an interesting look at the possibilities of combining architecture, tourism and geographic location. The Getty Center (designed by "starchitect" Richard Meier) is a top-visited attraction located in the hills over West Los Angeles. The site provides views of downtown, the LA Basin and (on clear days), the Pacific Ocean beyond Long Beach. The distinctive style of Richard Meier and the hilltop location both attract visitors as much as the museum's art, and the gardens are used as a public park for both tourists and residents alike. It's as if visitors have walked into a gigantic painting made of plants, rather than a traditional garden. Robert Irwin, an artist, considers the gardens to be a piece of living art, constantly changing as they grow.

Welcome::

I take a somewhat unconventional approach to studying tourism and recreation, and look at it from a multi-disciplinary perspective that includes architecture and geography, with a connection to photography. My desire is to help students realize that there are elements of recreation, parks and tourism in many other fields of theory, study and practice. In the end, hopefully what's gained is an interest in other fields and the tools to communicate (visually, orally and in writing) the importance of the recreation industries to those outside of our discipline.

Office (4020 Solano) Hours for Fall 2009: Mon/Wed 12:00-1:00 & Fri by Appointment: shaw@csus.edu

tourism and architecture

urban parks and open space

museums and tourism

tourism and urban design

tourism & rec. in urban renewal

"themeparking" of society

photography, tourism & architecture

wine tourism

the "third place"

recreation retail

Research Interests::

Shaw, G. B. C. & Elliott-Fisk, D. L. (2009). Tourism in a bottle: The California winescape. In, Momsen, J. & Torres, R. (Eds.), Agriculture and Tourism. Routledge: London. (Forthcoming)

Shaw, G. B. C. (2006). The Role of Urban Design in Promoting Healthy Lifestyles, Research to Practice Facilitation, National Recreation and Park Association Congress and Exposition, 2006.

Shaw, G. B. C. (2007). Tourism by Design: An Analysis of Architectural Tourism and Its Influence on Urban Design from 1997 to 2007. Doctoral Dissertation: University of California, Davis, Davis, CA.

Shaw, G. B. C. (2007). Perspectives on Tourism: Why do we Love Something we Hate so Much? (2^nd Ed.). In, Olson, E. G. (Ed.), Perspectives on leisure: Toward a quality lifestyle. Kendall/Hunt: Dubuque, IA.

Shaw, G. B. C. (2008). The evolution of architourism in urban design. Poster presentation for the California Society of Park and Recreation Educators Conference, Asilomar, CA, November 14, 2008.

Piatt, J. A., Jorgensen, L., Erickson, B., Shaw, G. B. C. (2009). Meeting the needs of all students: Developing an accessible classroom learning experience. Presented at the Society of Park and Recreation Educators National Conference, Salt Lake City, UT, January 30, 2009.

Shaw, G. B. C. & Sheppard, A. G. (2008). Applying the framework of the "4Ps" to employee empowerment and employee self-marketing. Presented at the Resort and Commercial Recreation Association National Conference, New Paltz, NY, November 10, 2008.

Shaw, G. B. C., Sheppard, A. G., & Nozicka, C. (2002). Resident and non-resident perceptions of Lake Tahoe recreation resources: Importance-performance analysis and management implications. Presented at the Leisure Research Symposium, California and Pacific Southwest Recreation and Park Training Conference, Los Angeles, CA, April 6, 2002.

Shaw, G. B. C. (2001). Resident and Non-resident Perceptions of Lake Tahoe Recreation Resources: Importance-Performance Analysis and Management Implications. Thesis – Master of Science in Recreation Administration, California State university, Sacramento, Sacramento, CA.

Sheppard, A. G. & Shaw, G. B. C. (2005). Personal marketing for career success. Presented at the student leadership day of the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association Region VI Conference, Seattle, WA, November 6, 2005.

Sheppard, A. G., Batty, R., Rosegard, E., Shaw, G. B. C., & Tatsugawa, K. (2002). Recreation Education Clearinghouse: An implementation model and demonstration. Presented at the California Society of Park and Recreation Educators Annual Conference, Pacific Grove, CA, November, 2001.

Sheppard, A. G., Batty, R., Rosegard, E., Shaw, G. B. C., & Tatsugawa, K. (2001). Recreation Education Clearinghouse: An introduction and survey. Presented at the California Society of Park and Recreation Educators Annual Conference, Pacific Grove, CA, November 2, 2001.

Sheppard, A. G., Rosegard, E., Shaw, G. B. C., Foemmel, E., Hemberger, R., & Scott, C. (2002). California Boating Needs Assessment. Presented at the Leisure Research Symposium, California and Pacific Southwest Recreation and Park Training Conference, Los Angeles, CA, April 6, 2002.

Shaw, G. B. C. (2009). Student Orientation, Facilitation, California Tourism Industry Association Conference, 2009.

Selected Publications and Presentations::

the Devil is in the Details: West Coast Architourism
l/r
Broad Contemporary Art::Renzo Piano | Caltrans District 7::Thom Mayne of Morphosis
Seattle Public Library::Rem Koolhaas | Getty Center::Richard Meier
de Young Museum::Herzog+de Meuron | Walt Disney Concert Hall::Frank Gehry
[All photographs © Gregory. B. C. Shaw]

Best viewed with MS Internet Explorer

Sacramento Railyards
Sacramento rarely enters the national stage, but for the last few years, publications such as Architectural Record and the Wall Street Journal have declared the Union Pacific Railyards the most exciting piece of urban property in the entire United States. Why? It's very large (over 250 acres) and it's positioned near a downtown, and it has original (if not somewhat dilapidated) industrial structures. Famous German photographer Bernd Becher was fond of photographing industrial sites. I also enjoy the industrial aesthetic (although I'm no Becher). Still, the railyards are a beautiful site that should be preserved for tourists and residents alike. photo © Greg B. C. Shaw
My Railyard Photographs | Railyards Official Site | Bernd and Hilla Becher

ArchTour

A super easy quiz on world icons that puts architecture, tourism and geography together. Can you give the name, location and architect for them all? Then when you're finished, take the ArenaVisual Survey.

How well do you know your California wine regions? This quiz will test your aesthetic knowledge of California's landscape and wine tourism locations. Don't worry, there are plenty of hints to help you through.

WineTour

Modernist Marvels
Most of you probably recognize Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous house, Falling Water. But it's only one of several modern architectural tourism destinations being highlighted this summer by Forbe's Traveler. They were kind enough to quote me in the article, so naturally I'll promote it as much as possible.