Belinda B. Nettles is an Assistant Scholar in the University of Florida Department of Landscape Architecture and Land Protection Planning Coordinator for the Center for Landscape Conservation Planning. Her work explores how human values, decisions, and stories shape landscapes over time, and how those choices influence what landscapes are protected, transformed, or lost. Through research and practice, she seeks to develop more thoughtful and historically informed approaches to planning, stewardship, and design that support resilient ecosystems, meaningful places, and thriving communities for current and future generations.

Working at the intersection of cultural landscapes, conservation planning, and landscape history, she examines how planning, stewardship, and design decisions influence landscape change and shape both ecological and cultural outcomes across scales ranging from individual sites to regional conservation networks.

Much of her applied research focuses on Florida’s working landscapes and includes land protection planning, landscape evaluation, and the integration of cultural and ecological values into conservation decision-making. Through her work with conservation partners, she has contributed to land protection efforts that have led to the conservation of more than 100,000 acres of ecologically and culturally significant landscapes across Florida.

Dr. Nettles also explores how emerging technologies, decision-support tools, and landscape documentation practices can support conservation, planning, and public understanding of place. As the ASLA Florida HALS (Historic American Landscape Survey) Liaison, she works to promote the documentation and interpretation of historic and cultural landscapes as an important component of landscape stewardship and professional practice.

Dr. Nettles earned a Ph.D. in Design, Construction, and Planning (Urban and Regional Planning) and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Florida. She also holds a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Science in Finance, a Bachelor of Arts in History, and a graduate certificate in Historic Preservation.

Research Publications

Nettles, B. B., Volk, M., Smith, D., Hoctor, T. S. (2026). Decision intelligence for the Florida Wildlife Corridor: Advancing a digital twin for conservation and land-use planning. (White paper). Prepared for the University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning. 

Hansen, G, Nettles, B. B., Volk, M. (2026). Perceptions and preferences for using native plants in residential landscapes. Sustainability, 18(6), 2975. doi:10.3390/su18062975

Volk, M., Nettles, B. B., Hansen, G. (2021). Educating future landscape professionals about climate change and climate-wise design: Current status, priorities, and information needs. Landscape Research. 
doi:10.1080/01426397.2021.1958307

Volk, M. I., Hoctor, T. S., Nettles, B. B., Hilsenbeck, R., Putz, F. E., & Oetting, J. (2017). Florida land use and land cover change in the past 100 years. In E. P. Chassignet, J. W. Jones, V. Misra & J. Obeysekera (Eds.), Florida’s climate: Changes, variations, and impacts (pp. 51-82). Gainesville, FL: Florida Climate Institute.
doi:10.17125/fci2017.ch02

Nettles, B. B., Ankersen, T. T., Hawkins, W. T., Burke, A., & Pardo, J. I. (2017). Protecting Florida’s history from hazards: A Guide to integrating cultural resources into disaster planning. Guidebook. Prepared for the National Park Service.

Volk, M., Frank, K. & Nettles, B. B. (2015). Managing coastal change in the cultural landscape: A case study in Yankeetown and Inglis, Florida. Change Over Time: An International Journal of Conservation and the Built Environment, 5(2), 226-246.
doi:10.1353/cot.2015.0018