Nebraska/Dakotas ASLA Announces Recipients of 2024 Chapter Awards
RDG Planning & Design has been recognized for its work, which positively impacts communities and raises the standard of landscape architecture.
The Nebraska/Dakotas Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA Nebraska/Dakotas Chapter) has honored RDG Planning & Design with four 2024 ASLA Chapter Awards. This annual awards program honors individuals and organizations who demonstrate superior skill in the practice or study of landscape architecture and whose contributions have positively impacted the communities they serve. Awards categories include Design (Built), Design (Unbuilt), Planning & Analysis, Research, Communication, Residential (Built) and People’s Choice.
The four RDG projects recognized include Plaza de la Raza (Award of Excellence, Design Unbuilt), Porter-Leath Early Childhood Academy at Orange Mound (Award of Merit, Design Built), Beltline Trail Master Plan (Award of Merit, Planning & Analysis) and Old Market Alleys Activation Study (Award of Honor, Planning & Analysis).
“The teams who have collaborated on these projects are driven by a deep passion for creating positive community impact, and we are honored that ASLA recognized RDG with four awards,” said RDG Senior Partner and Landscape Architect Bruce Niedermyer, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP. “We’re incredibly proud to share this recognition with our partners and the communities we serve and we are grateful for their ongoing trust in RDG to make a lasting difference.”
Plaza de la Raza is a public plaza, and park space is being planned through close collaboration between the landscape architecture team and two South Omaha-focused nonprofit teams: the Latino Economic Development Council (LEDC) and Canopy South. RDG’s design for the plaza space includes custom shade structures and thoughtful integration of grade change and play areas integrated with a much-needed performance space with strong connections to adjacent businesses within this thriving business district to create a space that will support existing endeavors while inviting more visitors and enhanced economic development to South Omaha.
Developed to provide quality early education for children throughout Memphis, Tennessee, the Porter-Leath and University of Memphis Early Childhood Academy at Orange Mound is a state-of-the-art preschool and teacher training institute designed to serve children from six weeks to age five. The design for the Academy encourages play and exploration and weaves local culture, history, and geography into safe and inviting spaces by using natural light, lush landscapes and bright colors to enrich children's learning opportunities. Utilizing intentional child-friendly architecture and playgrounds, the Academy feels like an extension of home and community with unique features such as the addition of a front porch facade in each classroom, which opens into a natural playscape designed to promote play-based learning.
The Beltline Trail Master Plan showcases the tangible opportunity to invest in recreation, active transportation, and access to natural resources in North Omaha, Nebraska. This plan touts partnerships with various property owners and stakeholders to create an amenity that can improve both the quality and quantity of life in North Omaha. Notably, North Omaha boasts the highest density of Black and African American-identifying citizens in the metropolitan area. The trail's fundamental purpose, equitable access to active transportation, takes on a renewed importance in a community that has historically been devoid of this type of investment.
The Old Market Alleys Activation Study is an assessment and visioning document created for real use by local associations and districts. It is heavily inspired by classic “choose your own adventure” novels. The vision illustrated within this plan fully utilizes a clean and organized network of pedestrian spaces. This document will serve as a resource for the Old Market Association and the Downtown Improvement District, with the ultimate goal herein being to translate the special nature of the Old Market shops, homes and streets into the alleys.
The Nebraska/Dakotas ASLA Chapter unites Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to expand the profession of landscape architecture throughout the region. Participation in the Nebraska/Dakotas ASLA award program helps broaden professional boundaries, increases public awareness of the role of landscape architects, raises the standards of the discipline and recognizes organizations and individuals who demonstrate superior skill in the practice and study of landscape architecture.