Landscape Architect Articles

Meet Janet Rosenberg FASLA, FCSLA 10-22-15 | Feature

Meet Janet Rosenberg FASLA, FCSLA
Women in Landscape Architecture

Janet Rosenberg FASLA, FCSLA

Janet Rosenberg, the only Canadian in this feature, is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, and the American Society of Landscape Architects. As founding principal of Janet Rosenberg & Studio Inc. in Toronto, Janet has over 30 years of experience pushing the boundaries of the landscape architecture domain.

Janet has led the design and implementation of public and private realm landscapes throughout Ontario and across Canada. As an engaged team leader, Janet fosters and mentors talent within her studio.

Among her pursuits, Janet is a founding member of the Toronto Tree Foundation and a longstanding participant of Toronto's Waterfront Review Panel and the city of Toronto Design Review Panel. As a speaker at conferences, and participating in jury panels, she shares her knowledge and experience.

Janet is a member of the Stewardship Council for The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) based in Washington, D.C. She recently was involved in organizing and facilitating the TCLF Conference focused on "Second Wave of Modernism III, Leading with Landscape," which has brought Toronto's public realm to the forefront of the discussion toward refining a 21st Century city that is at once historic and modern.

Firms
Janet Rosenberg & Studio Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Three principles (Janet Rosenberg, Glenn Herman and Wayne Swanton) and 20 plus employees.

Professional Affiliations
Alberta Association of Landscape Architects
American Society of Landscape Architects, Education Committee
City of Toronto Design Review Panel 
Canadian Society of Landscape Architects
International Federation of Landscape Architects
Loblaws Garden Centres, Consultant
Ontario Association of Landscape Architects
Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts
Steering Committee, Parks People, Toronto 
Stewardship Council, Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Task Force on a Beautiful City Member,
Toronto Tree Foundation, Founding Member
University of Toronto AL&D, Instructor
VanAlen Institute Canadian Consulate Forum 
Waterfront Toronto Review Panel  

Recent
Speaking/Jury Commitments 
AZ Awards (Azure), Jury Member, 2015 
ASLA Annual Meeting & Expo, Panel Moderator, 2013
Hamilton Urban Design Awards, Jury Member, 2013 
City of Toronto Chief Planner Roundtable, Speaker, 2013

International Design Competitions
Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park, Toronto, Finalist, 2015
National Holocaust Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Finalist, 2014 
Aquavista, Bayside, Toronto, Ontario, Winner, 2014 

Market Square, Guelph, Ontario

The award winning Market Square, located adjacent to Guelph City Hall, invites people to visit the downtown core for concerts, street parties and markets. The 2.5 acre space is a four-season destination and hub of cultural activity. Seven sculptural shrouds spray water into a shallow oval water feature that is used for splashing in the summer and skating in the winter. Coordinated music, light and sound create dynamic programming for the space. The design of the square is part of a larger urban design strategy to reconnect this growing community with the historic downtown.

Awards
- 2014 RAIC National Urban Design Award, Certificate of Merit, Civic Design
- 2014 Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, Margaret & Nicholas Hill Cultural Heritage Landscape Award
- 2013 CSLA Award of Excellence, Regional Honor

HtO Park, Toronto, Ontario

During the 1800s, Toronto's waterfront was the site of intensive industrial development because of its shipping access to Lake Ontario. As the city population grew, real estate values in the downtown area skyrocketed. Factories gradually relocated to cheaper land, leaving behind a graveyard of abandoned and polluted industrial buildings. This playful 6-acre urban beach has reintroduced Toronto to the Lake Ontario waterfront. Steps from the downtown core, tall yellow umbrellas announce a sandy beach edged by a promenade and playful green dunes. HtO has become an iconic destination for tourists and residents of all ages, and a catalyst for other development across Toronto's once neglected waterfront.

Awards
- 2009 ASLA Honor Award
- 2008 CSLA Award of Excellence, Regional Honor
- 2007 Gold DX Award

Town Hall Square, Toronto, Ontario

This .6-acre park is an oasis of lacy green in the dense urban core that surrounds it. Trees, pots, hedging and ground cover combine to create a strong geometry and manicured aesthetic. The gingko trees, chosen for their ability to withstand the harsh urban environment, are echoed in a 25-foot aluminum sculpture.

Award
2006 CSLA Award of Excellence, Regional Honor.

Riverwalk Commons, Newmarket, Ontario

The Riverwalk Commons project transformed an 8-acre downtown parking lot and brownfield site adjacent to Holland River Park, Fairy Lake and a commercial main street into a multiuse, seasonal area for town-wide and regional events. Colorful materials and patterns, native plants, a naturalized watershed feature and dramatic lighting make for a dynamic and ﬂexible public space. A terraced platform provides views to a once-forgotten waterfall and links to a broader recreation network. The design sought to make local and regional connections by strategically integrating the historic downtown with key links to the Tom Taylor Trail, Holland River park system and Fairy Lake.
The park has become a source of civic pride. It's a space for skating in the winter, cooling off in the splash pad in the summer, stopping to enjoy a rest by the river while enjoying the trails, and a place where neighbors meet to enjoy the weekly farmers' market, movie nights, concerts and exhibits.

Award
2013 CSLA Award of Excellence, Regional Merit

Q&A

1. What was the pivotal or motivating factor(s) that made you choose a career in landscape architecture?
I have had a lifelong interest in art, which was fostered from an early age by my parents, who were avid collectors and art enthusiasts. My love of art has woven its way through my career. I felt intrigued and inspired to explore landscape design as a way to creatively express myself.

2. What in particular do you attribute your success to?
Hard work and perseverance, but also luck, flexibility and daring to take chances. I have always surrounded myself with talented and creative people who inspire and energize me.

3. What career advice would you give to a recently graduated landscape architectural student?
My advice would be to avoid getting stuck in the wrong spot. The profession is growing so substantially and has so many interesting facets and directions. Follow your passion and find the right fit for you.