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Kim Douglas teaches her students to consider social, historic and economic impacts along with natural systems in their work.

Landscape Architecture Director Wins ASLA’s Community Service Award

Jefferson’s Kimberlee Douglas has received the Community Service Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

The association recognized the University’s landscape architecture program director in part for her belief that all projects consider the social, historic and economic impacts along with the natural systems.

Douglas also directs Jefferson’s Lab for Urban and Social Innovation, which unites communities, students, faculty and stakeholders in collective action through real-world design, construction and environmental projects. 

“Kim’s enduring and sustained community service has made a lasting impact on many neighborhoods in Philadelphia in providing quality green spaces in low-income neighborhoods,” says Barbara Klinkhammer, executive dean of the College of Architecture and the Built Environment. “She serves as an enthusiastic ambassador of the power of landscape architecture in transforming the urban environment.”

Douglas founded the award-winning firm STUDIO GAEA, where her commitment to inclusive design has driven pro-bono work on major community-oriented projects like Philadelphia's Titan Park master plan and the conceptual master plan for the city's Nebinger School.

In addition, Douglas serves as co-chair of the Architecture Construction Engineering Legacy Project Committee, works with the Community Design Collaborative and is an associate with the Environmental Leadership Program.

Kimberlee Douglas

“Kim Douglas has shown her dedication and brilliance across the country, but I am most proud of her work in our city—a city very much on the front lines of urban decay, which sadly records the worst gap in longevity between ZIP codes of any major U.S. city,” wrote Jefferson President Dr. Stephen K. Klasko in his nomination letter for Douglas. “Philadelphia is also a city with deep history and its own spirit. As a result, Professor Douglas's green design in parks, storm water projects and schools has critically been integrated with the social and historical network in which those solutions work.”

Selected by ASLA’s Board of Trustees, the Community Service Award is among the highest distinctions the association presents each year. It recognizes a landscape architect who has provided sustained, pro-bono service to the community demonstrating sound principles or values of landscape architecture. Douglas will receive the honor at ASLA’s Conference on Landscape Architecture in San Diego this November.