Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s Susan Rademacher Named Honorary Member of American Society of Landscape Architects for Achievements of National Significance
Susan Rademacher, Parks Curator for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, has been named honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). The honor is bestowed by the ASLA on individuals whose achievements of national or international significance or influence have provided notable service to the profession of landscape architecture.
Honorary membership is among the highest honors ASLA bestows upon upon non-landscpae architects and since its founding in 1899, the Society has conferred membership upon only 176 individuals. Fellow ASLA Honorary Members include former president Jimmy Carter, Robert Redford, Ladybird Johnson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Rademacher's role with the Parks Conservancy includes working closely with landscape architects to preserve and rehabilitate the legacy of Pittsburgh's parks. With the Conservancy since 2007, Rademacher was project leader for the recent renovation of mid-century gem Mellon Square, and authored the 2014 Princeton Architectural Press book Mellon Square: Discovering a Modernist Masterpiece.
Rademacher was Editor in Chief of Landscape Architecture magazine from 1984-1987, and was a founding efitor of Garden Design magazine. She served as both President of Louisville's Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Assistant Director of Louisville's Metro Parks Department from 1991-2007. Born in Columbus, Georgia, Rademacher is a graduate of Miami University and was a Loeb Fellow in Advanced Environmental Design at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design.
"Susan Rademacher's dedication to the design and restoration of our city parks has made her an asset to our entire region, helping bring national and international recognition to Pittsburgh's beautiful greenspaces," said Parks Conservancy founder and CEO Meg Cheever. "This prestigious honor is well deserved."
Rademacher will be honored at the national ASLA Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL on November 6, 2015.
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About the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy was founded in December 1996 by a group of citizens concerned with the deteriorating conditions of Pittsburgh's historic city parks. A nonprofit organization, the Parks Conservancy works closely with the City of Pittsburgh under an official public-private partnership agreement to restore and improve the city’s park system to its full potential. Originally including Highland, Schenley, Frick, and Riverview Parks, the scope of the Park Conservancy’s work now includes a focus on community parks including Allegheny Commons, Arsenal Park, Cliffside Park, McKinley Park, and Mellon Park. To date, the Parks Conservancy has raised $84 million toward park improvements. The Parks Conservancy works with thousands of volunteers annually, stewards over 1,700 acres, and has completed 14 capital projects.
About Susan Rademacher
As Parks Curator for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Susan Rademacher preserves, enhances, and promotes the cultural significance of parks through master planning and project design. Completed projects include the Walled Garden in Mellon Park, Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain, and the Mellon Square restoration project. Current projects include: Cliffside Park renovations, Master Plans for Arsenal Park, Leslie Park, and McKinley Park; Heth's Run in Highland Park; and the Northeast Fountain in Allegheny Commons.
Previously, Rademacher served as President of the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Assistant Director of Louisville's Metro Parks Department. She was Editor in Chief of Landscape Architecture magazine from 1984-1987, and was founding editor of Garden Design magazine. Published books include Mellon Square: Discovering a Modern Masterpiece; Bold Romantic Gardens; Outdoor Living Spaces; and Garden Design: History, Principles, Elements, Practie. She is a graduate of Miami University and was Loeb Fellow of Harvard University's Graduate School of Design.
Rademacher has published and lectured with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, Field Musem of Natural History, J.B. Speed Art Museum, City Parks Alliance, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, American Planning Association, American Society of Landscape Architects, and Project for Public Spaces, Urban Land Institute, and 14 universities.