New Landscape Architecture Prize the First of its Kind

The Cultural Landscape Foundation last week announced the creation of an international landscape architecture price, to be awarded for the first time in 2021.

2 minute read

August 20, 2019, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Millennium Park Fountain

The Crown Fountain in Chicago's Millennium Park was designed by Catalan artist Jaume Plensa. | f11photo / Shutterstock

The Cultural landscape Foundation will offer $100,000 to the winner of a biennial landscape architecture prize, according to a press release.

In addition to the cash prize, "the Prize features two years of related public engagement activities to honor a living practitioner, collaborative or team for their creative, courageous, and visionary work in the field of landscape architecture," according to the release.

The $100,000 prize is made possible by a donation from TCLF board co-chair Joan Shafran and her husband Rob Haimes. The lead gift of US$1 million to underwrite the Prize was collectively matched by the rest of the board and other donors, launching a US$4.5 million fundraising campaign to endow the prize in perpetuity. 

The first prize will be awarded in 2021, with a prize committee already appointed to select the inaugural prize winner. "The Prize will examine the state of landscape architecture through the honoree’s practice, showcasing how landscape architecture and its practitioners are transforming the public realm by addressing social, ecological, cultural, environmental, and other challenges in their work," according to the release.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation has also launched a website in connection with the announcement, sharing the press release along with a number of other pages to provide more background on the prize and its raison d'être. There's even a page that imagines who might have won the prize if it had existed 50 years ago.

Monday, August 12, 2019 in The Cultural Landscape Foundation

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

People sitting and walking in plaza in front of historic Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners

How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

March 28, 2025 - Emily McCoy

Two white garbage trucks stopped on New York City street.

How the ‘Direct Vision’ Design Approach Saves Lives

Designing large trucks to ensure better visibility for drivers can reduce fatal crashes and improve workplace safety.

30 minutes ago - Smart Cities Dive

Rendering of proposed greenway design for downtown San Diego street.

San Diego Swaps Parking Lane for Kid-Friendly Mini Park

The block-long greenway will feature interactive play equipment and landscaping.

April 7 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Oil well on hilltop in Los Angeles with city neighborhoods in background.

Tracking the Invisible: Methane Leaks From LA’s Neighborhood Oil Sites

Environmental advocates are using infrared technology to monitor and document methane leaks from neighborhood oil sites, filling regulatory gaps and pushing for stronger protections to safeguard community health and the climate.

April 7 - LAist