Patricia O'Donnell

Brief bio of Patricia O'Donnell

Landscape Architecture at Illinois alum Patricia O’Donnell founded Heritage Landscapes in 1987, and the firm has since completed more than 600 commissions aimed at fostering preservation while enabling economic, environmental, and social sustainability for valued public places. O’Donnell’s contributions to that work as a thought leader and skilled professional have demonstrated her deep commitment to sustaining and revitalizing our shared commons.

In this new, urban century, O’Donnell’s efforts have been instrumental in advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda and its New Urban Agenda. She has led committees for the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and the International Federation of Landscape Architects. She has also contributed to UNESCO World Heritage to advance the valued landscape heritage of diverse cultures.

O’Donnell earned a Bachelor of Science in Design, with a concentration in Environmental Design, at the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She then completed Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Urban Planning degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the latter of those with a concentration in Historic Preservation and emphasis on the history, theories, and practice of landscape preservation.

O’Donnell is a licensed Professional Landscape Architect, a Fellow of ASLA, and a Fellow of US/ICOMOS. Her work at Heritage Landscapes has received dozens of professional awards from distinguished national and state-level organizations, including the National Trust, ASLA, and the Preservation League of New York State, among many others.

In 2019, Heritage Landscapes receive the prestigious Firm Award from ASLA, in recognition of more than three decades of excellence in preservation. In 2021, O’Donnell was awarded the Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, that organization’s highest honor.