PUSH studio, LLC, Washington, DC

 
For four decades, Glenn LaRue Smith has advanced design knowledge and social equity work in the public, private, and academic realms and in projects in underserved urban communities. His deep commitment to environmental and social justice has been a consistent hallmark of his career and sustained his work in communities of color and the mentorship of a generation of Black landscape architects. In 2012, Glenn established the Black Landscape Architect's Network (BlackLAN) to help the small community of Black landscape architecture students and professionals network around common issues. Since 2018 BlackLAN has been collaborating with ASLA and other allied professional groups and is now incorporated as a nonprofit service organization. This work earned him the 2020 ASLA Outstanding Service Award. Glenn has also been a significant leader as director and chair of graduate landscape architecture programs at the only two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) housing MLA programs: Florida A & M University (program now closed) and Morgan State University. Glenn has also developed a design process that reveals the uniqueness of each site and social context and embodies the concepts of spontaneity and symbolism. He has long explored conceptual thinking through the lens of art, crafting a unique process of design thinking and teaching, centering around the idea of landscapes as art settings that elevate the human experience.