Elizabeth J. Kennedy
Elizabeth J. Kennedy, FASLA, RLA, is a Design Trust for Public Space Research Fellow and the 2022 recipient of the Landscape Architecture Foundation Medal, which honors a career of distinguished work in landscape sustainability. The medal award follows her 2021 elevation to the ASLA Council of Fellows and recognizes her efforts to intersect cultural heritage and ecology in socially just ways. Deemed “an exceptional leader, visionary, entrepreneur, advocate for social change, designer, teacher, and mentor to young professional women and BIPOC designers,” Elizabeth’s leadership contributions have received notable awards for landscape architecture and professional development, and she is nationally recognized for her insight into working landscapes and cultural site development. She is a highly sought jurist, panelist, and speaker on topics pertaining to sustainability, the natural environment, social history, and regenerative urban design. She heads EKLA, which she founded in 1994. Black-owned and woman-run, EKLA is the longest-surviving such firm in the country. Its longevity is intrinsically tied to Elizabeth’s tenacity and her belief in the importance of service—to clients, the community, the emerging professionals she trains, the profession, and the process of design.
