ASLA Iowa Announces Winners of 2026 Chapter Awards
RDG Planning & Design has been celebrated for designs that increase public awareness of the role of landscape architects and raise the standards of the discipline.
The Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has recognized RDG Planning & Design with four 2026 Iowa ASLA Awards. These awards recognize organizations and individuals who demonstrate superior skill in the practice and/or study of landscape architecture.
The four projects recognized include the Marion Central Plaza (Design - Built), Ember Youth Recovery Campus (Design - Built), The Linc: Springfield’s Greenway (Design - Unbuilt) and Grow Grinnell: A Vision for Parks and Recreation - Grinnell, Iowa Parks Master Plan (Planning & Analysis).
Central Plaza is the second built phase of Marion, Iowa’s Uptown Master Plan, transforming a core block into a year-round gathering space with an ice loop, interactive water features, a play sculpture, public art, outdoor dining and flexible event amenities. Demonstrating that landscape architecture-led initiatives serve as significant economic infrastructure, the plaza extends the pedestrian mall and draws residents and visitors to Uptown year-round, supporting nearby restaurants, businesses and cultural destinations.
The project preserves City Square Park’s open greenspace and surviving mature trees while restoring the historic Marion Depot to include public restrooms, reservable event space and a winter warming station.
In Iowa, resources for trauma-impacted youth are nowhere near meeting the need. The Ember Youth Recovery Campus, a 50-acre campus, offers 70 beds for emergency shelter, crisis stabilization and residential substance abuse treatment, accommodating up to 750 adolescents and young adults annually in a nature-based setting that promotes hope, wellness and healing.
Ember's location is purposefully situated to balance accessibility to community services with the seclusion necessary for trauma-informed care. Surrounded by rich farmland, much of the donated land is under a prairie conservation easement, which will protect its natural surroundings in perpetuity. Site planning includes planting measures to stabilize, restore, and enrich the prairie land over time.
The Linc: Springfield’s Greenway is a proposed greenway and linear park that stretches through Springfield, Illinois, transforming an existing rail line into a pedestrian-focused corridor. Designed to enhance local and regional connectivity, the corridor will bridge physical and cultural divisions and bolster economic growth in downtown Springfield.
Through investigation and robust community engagement, the proposed corridor is contextually integrated into the urban framework, with a focus on providing equitable access to green space and revitalizing existing neighborhoods. The endeavor heralds a transformative shift towards a more accessible, integrated and culturally enriched Springfield.
Grow Grinnell: A Vision for Parks and Recreation - Grinnell, Iowa Parks Master Plan provides a shared vision that can be maintained, improved and expanded over the next decade and beyond. Rather than starting with a wish list of projects, the planning process focused first on understanding community values and defining a framework for future decisions.
Through public engagement, analysis of existing conditions, previous planning efforts and an understanding of Grinnell’s long-term priorities, RDG identified six guiding principles for the master plan. The principles support health and wellness, bring people together, strengthen connections to nature and contribute to the quality of life that makes Grinnell a special place to live. The Grow Grinell master plan guides decisions to attract investment and deliver lasting improvements that will benefit the community for years to come.
ASLA Iowa celebrated the winners at its Fall Awards Banquet on November 5, 2026, at the Heritage Center in Des Moines, Iowa.