By Adam White MBALI FLI PPLI, Past President, Landscape Institute and Chair, LI College of Fellows and the Landscape Legacy Award Category

For many potential entrants, the Landscape Legacy Award is a chance to showcase work that has already made a mark. If you have a past winning project, you’re not starting from scratch. Instead, this is about revisiting those achievements, reflecting on how they have evolved, and celebrating their lasting impact. Whether it’s a transformative park, a community garden, or an urban space that has become a local treasure, this award is about recognising the projects, people, and practices that continue to inspire.

As a Past President of the Landscape Institute (LI) and Chair of both the LI College of Fellows and the Landscape Legacy Award category, I’ve seen firsthand how great landscapes are never static. They are living, evolving spaces that mature over time; adapting, thriving, and continuing to enrich lives long after they were first created.

The Landscape Legacy Award celebrates this ongoing journey. It honours projects, practitioners, and organisations whose work has made a lasting impact on people, places, and nature. It recognises the visionaries who dared to dream, the teams who brought those dreams to life, and the landscapes that continue to grow, evolve, and enhance lives long after their creation.

A Truly Inclusive Award

One of the most significant changes I championed during my presidency was the decision to open the Landscape Legacy Award to a wider audience. This means you don’t have to be a member of the Landscape Institute to enter. Whether you are part of BALI, SGLD, or another professional body, or even if you are an independent practitioner or organisation, your work can be celebrated here. By welcoming entries from across the sector, we ensure that outstanding landscape projects; regardless of their origin can be recognised and honoured.

Why enter the Landscape Legacy Award?

This is an opportunity for individuals, companies, and projects; especially those previously recognised with a President’s Award to showcase how their original vision has endured. It is a chance to demonstrate how designs have matured, adapted to new challenges, and remained valuable assets to the public realm.

Reflecting on Legacy and Impact

Landscape architecture is about more than just creating spaces it is about creating a legacy. Past recipients of this award have shown how thoughtful design can foster sustainability, preserve cultural heritage, and transform urban and rural environments alike. These projects stand as proof of how landscapes can continue to make a difference, long after the ribbon is cut.

Your Opportunity to Inspire

As Chair of this award category, I have seen firsthand how recognising exceptional achievements can inspire others across the profession. The Legacy Award is not just about initial impact, it is about how projects stand the test of time, continue to thrive, and enrich the lives of those who experience them. By sharing your story, you not only celebrate your achievements but also encourage others to aspire to lasting excellence in landscape architecture.

I encourage you to take that step. Reflect on your achievements, consider their impact, and submit your entry for the Landscape Legacy Award. Let’s celebrate the landscapes that endure, evolve, and enrich our world because great landscapes are never just about the present; they are about the future.

The deadline to enter is Sunday the 25th May 2025.

Find out more about the Awards

Adam White MBALI FLI PPLI

Past President, Landscape Institute and Chair, LI College of Fellows and the Landscape Legacy Award Category
Director, Davies White Ltd Landscape Architects
Founding Trustee, The Sustainable Landscape Foundation