Mayor Knox White recognized by American Society of Landscape Architects
November 10, 2015
GREENVILLE, SC – Mayor Knox White was awarded Honorary Membership in the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) at the 2015 ASLA Annual Meeting & EXPO, held in Chicago November 6-9. ASLA is the national professional association for landscape architects, representing more than 15,000 members in 49 professional chapters and 72 student chapters, and its mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education and fellowship.Honors recipients are selected by the ASLA board of trustees, and honorary membership is among the highest honors ASLA bestows on non-landscape architects.
Mayor White was nominated by Thomas Tavella, senior design associate with Alta Planning + Design, and immediate past president of ASLA, who cited the mayor’s passion for environmental stewardship and belief in healthy, safe communities in his nomination. “Mayor White understands buildings don’t make a city – it’s the people and the experience between the buildings that make a great place,” said Tavella. “His understanding and commitment to the public realm are what make him a successful leader and innovator for the city of Greenville.”
The executive board of the SC Chapter of ASLA unanimously supported Mayor White’s nomination, referring to his distinction as one of only three mayors in the state to receive the chapter’s most prestigious award – the Genius Loci Award. “Mayor White is that individual who sees the benefits of good design in public spaces for his community,” stated Duane Christopher, president of the SC Chapter of ASLA, in his letter of support. Christopher called White a “true visionary who was steadfast in bringing about the necessary changes in the infrastructure and changing the direction of growth to bring life to a downtown on the decline.”
Also among those endorsing Mayor White’s nomination were two members of the ASLA Council of Fellows – David Lycke, vice president, PMB/PLaCE Studios, and William Eubanks, creative director, Urban Edge Studio of SW+. In his letter, Lycke urged the ASLA board to award White honorary membership “in recognition of his vision, his tireless work and leadership to better the city in which he was born.” Eubanks’ letter described both his firm’s and his personal experience working with Mayor White, stressing the mayor’s emphasis on park expansion, neighborhood revitalization, economic development and transformational projects for downtown. “Mayor White is energetic, enthusiastic and visionary,” said Eubanks. “I know for certain, through my own experience, that he acknowledges and values the role landscape architects have played in the growth and revitalization of the city of Greenville.”
According to ASLA, the purpose of the honorary membership award is to recognize persons other than landscape architects whose achievements of national or international significance or influence have provided notable service to the profession of landscape architecture. Since its inception in 1899, ASLA has inducted only 191 honorary members.
