Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation (LACF) is pleased to announce the recipients of funding in the 2025 Research Grants Program in support of research, communication and scholarship. This year, 7 professional awards and 2 student awards were approved by the jury.
The grants awarded for 2025 cover a broad range of topics and tackle issues important to the profession. The proposals were adjudicated and awarded by a National Jury composed of six individuals from public, private and academic practices areas, representing the different regions of Canada.
"This year, LACF Research Grants are awarded to researchers and students who are searching for ways to make important contributions to sustainability and climate issues. Exploring the effectiveness of small-scale LID practices, the use of low-carbon concrete, the impact of dogs on our park soils and vegetation, automating conceptual green space designs, reinterpreting the iconic lawn, exploring a toolkit for shade, reducing urban heat and exploring sustainable agriculture and water management. These in-depth explorations and research projects will advance our collective knowledge and inspire future stewardship and leadership in the discipline of Landscape Architecture." - Marilyn Gould, SALA, CSLA, Chair, LACF Grants Committee
2025 Grants Recipients
#197: Pockets of Resilience: Small-Scale, Citizen Driven LID Performance in the Urban Landscape
Adele Pierre Awarded $3,000 with the Donald Graham Communication Grant
Adele Pierre (OALA) has collaborated with Green Venture, a Hamilton-based environmental not for-profit organization, to create small-scale Low Impact Development (LID) sites in the urban core. This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of these installations, monitoring LID practices on a site which incorporates rain gardens, rain barrels, permeable pavement and extensive native plantings. Volunteers will assess water infiltration and vegetation health, gaining an understanding of how these systems contribute to sustainable development and resilience against climate change. The findings will serve as valuable resources for environmentally conscious urban planning and community engagement initiatives in Hamilton and beyond.
#198: Decarbonizing Concrete
Brendan teBrinke Awarded $5,000
This research will undertake a holistic review of Class C2 concrete and aims to develop a set of tangible outcomes for Landscape Architects to specify low-carbon concrete. We will speak to representatives across industries, agencies, academia, and practitioners to understand constraints, existing solutions and solutions in research and development. Although the research will focus on solutions in Ontario, the outcomes will provide a strong foundation for Provinces and Territories to further their own research.
#199: Soil Tests in Urban Parks: Assessing the Impacts of Dog Use
Tyler Bradt Awarded $10,000
As cities become denser, park usage naturally increases, and it becomes more important for landscape architects to understand the carrying capacity of urban soils to support trees in parks and streetscapes. This project seeks to develop a standard test to quantify dogs’ impact on these elements through a combination of lab-based soil testing and field observations. Building on existing soil tests that measure nitrogen and phosphorus—key outputs from dogs—it will also investigate bacterial presence and identify other toxins toward an examination of how dog activity patterns create concentrated areas of damage in parks.
#200: Automating green space design concepts and habitat quality indexing with an AI generative model
Corey Dawson Awarded $10,000
Landscape architects work on multidisciplinary projects that require effective design decision-making and communication methods. Habitat restoration, for example, involves diverse objectives from professionals and the public that are sometimes in opposition (ecological value vs aesthetic preference). Here we leverage machine learning applications to improve inclusive design collaborations with an AI model for presenting and quantifying conceptual landscape design scenarios. Our goal is to train a model for automating conceptual green space designs that are supported by a quantitative ‘restoration index’. Through generating multiple designs, conceptual scenarios can be re-generated in response to feedback that supports the initial stages of design.
#201: Landscape of Ideology: How Lawns Shaped and Transformed Suburban Built Environment in the Greater Toronto Area
Han Liu Awarded $2,000
This research will explore how lawns became into an ideological construct in North America and, as such, shaped suburban spaces in the Greater Toronto Area. Moving beyond the physical dimension of landscapes, it will examine the cultural and social values of lawns and their influences on built environments. By reinterpreting lawns within the context of the paradigm shift to the urban-rural continuum, this study aims to uncover new insights into everyday landscapes. Ultimately, it seeks to integrate theoretical analysis and empirical evidence, offering recommendations to guide diverse planning and design initiatives toward more inclusive and sustainable landscapes.
#202: Evidence-based shade design toolkit and interdisciplinary collaboration for climate adaptation, resilience, and health
Jennifer McWhirter Awarded $10,000 with the Sustainable Green Building Fund
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Despite the environmental and health benefits of shade, particularly in the context of climate change, many urban outdoor public spaces lack adequate shade. Moreover, shade inequitably distributed. The scarcity of shade is exacerbated by the design and implementation challenges of its provision. Based on foundational, large-scale knowledge synthesis work, paired with qualitative interdisciplinary input, the Shade Design Toolkit will be a resource for landscape architects to support evidence-based decision making about shade design, implementation, and policy to help improve our cities’ shadescapes.
#203: Green Equity: Designing Equitable Heat-Resilient Public Spaces for Delhi
Kanika Mehta Awarded $2,500 in Student Grant Funding
This project “Green Equity: Designing Heat-Resilient Public Spaces for Delhi” focuses on reducing urban heat in Delhi by creating equitable green spaces in marginalized areas. With recent temperatures reaching 52°C (125.6°F), low-income communities suffer disproportionately due to limited access to shaded, green areas. This project maps Delhi’s urban heat to identify vulnerable neighborhoods and integrates sustainable strategies, such as native planting, forest cover expansion, and cooling interventions, to lower urban temperatures. By prioritizing green equity, this research will highlight the role of climate-responsive design in promoting heat resilience and aims to offer solutions applicable to cities facing similar heat challenges.
#204: Reimagining Punjab’s Agricultural Landscape
Simranpreet Kaur Awarded $2,500 in Student Grant Funding
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Through this project, I will explore sustainable agriculture and water management in Punjab, India, blending traditional knowledge with modern design to address challenges like groundwater depletion, soil degradation, and intensive farming impacts. By designing a regional water collection system at the state level and in the Bist Doab area and creating a detailed design in Hoshiarpur district that can be spatially adaptable to different locations with similar geomorphological characteristics, the project will focus on sustainable water systems, food security, and updating agricultural practices. Additionally, it aims to integrate ecological habitats within the water systems and create social gathering spaces.
#205: Detection of Vegetative Stress Using Remote Sensing Technology in Landscape Restoration and Low-Impact Development Sites
Jenny Hill Awarded $10,000
This project aims to harness the potential of remote sensing technologies, including drone imagery and multispectral sensors, to enhance climate resilience in landscape restoration and low-impact development (LID) sites. Early detection of vegetative stressors such as drought, nutrient deficiencies, or invasive species will enable proactive, adaptive management, ultimately sustaining urban green spaces and reducing climate impacts. By contributing tools for climate-sensitive site monitoring, the project supports Canadian Landscape Charter principles of stewardship, knowledge expansion, and leadership in sustainable urban development.