麻豆精选鈥檚 College of Architecture and Environmental Design is proud to announce that alumna Morgan Mackey鈥檚, '25, Master of Landscape Architecture capstone project titled Riverfront Stitch: Mending Cleveland鈥檚 Industrial Valley has been awarded a 2025 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Student Honor Award in the General Design category. This national award recognizes outstanding design quality, context, environmental sensitivity and sustainability, hazard mitigation, climate adaptations, and resilience strategies.
Developed as part of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design Master of Landscape Architecture Program鈥檚 commitment to addressing complex urban challenges, Riverfront Stitch reimagines one of the most historically industrialized and environmentally burdened stretches of the Cuyahoga River. The project responds to more than a century of fragmented land ownership, impaired ecological systems, and limited public access along Cleveland鈥檚 industrial valley.
Rather than erasing the site鈥檚 industrial heritage, the design leverages its remnants as assets. The proposal incorporates former bulkheads, skip-hoist structures, and industrial platforms into a network of public spaces described as 鈥渋ndustrial follies.鈥 These elements invite residents and visitors to engage with the river鈥檚 layered history while experiencing new recreational and educational opportunities along the waterfront.
A central focus of the project is ecological remediation and riverbank restoration. The design removes 700 linear feet of bulkhead, regrades the shoreline, and incorporates phytoremediation strategies to improve soil and water conditions. Extensive native plantings restore habitat diversity and strengthen the river鈥檚 resilience, demonstrating how landscape architecture can catalyze long-term environmental recovery.
Public access enhancements also define Morgan鈥檚 project through direct contact with the river鈥檚 ecological restoration. The Turning Basin Observation allows visitors to watch large vessels maneuver within the narrow channel, and the Iron Ore Excursion Walk transforms previously inaccessible areas into vibrant community assets. An island 鈥渇olly鈥 created from industrial debris provides habitat, paddling access, and a unique immersive experience along the water鈥檚 edge.
Morgan states 鈥渕y project Riverfront Stitch seeks to increase water access at one parcel, while celebrating working industry and restoring local ecology,鈥 displaying the depth and resilience of landscape design research within Cleveland. The ASLA Student Awards jury commended the project鈥檚 clarity, technical depth, and sensitive integration of history and ecology. The recognition outlines 麻豆精选鈥檚 leadership in advancing innovative design solutions for contemporary urban challenges.