Cecelia Paine

Cecelia Paine is College Professor Emeritus and Associated Graduate Faculty of Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph where she taught community design, design of the public realm and professional practice for three decades. Her research interests focus on heritage landscape conservation and the interpretation of history in contemporary landscape design. Prior to joining the faculty at Guelph, Cecelia practiced in Ottawa where her firm was known for its work in urban design, parks and open space planning, and heritage landscape conservation.

Cecelia is the recipient of numerous professional design awards and has presented at conferences nationally and internationally. Active in professional bodies, Cecelia served as president of the OALA and the CSLA and was the founding editor of Landscapes Paysages, the official journal of the CSLA. She currently serves on the board of the Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation and is a member of the National Capital Commission’s Advisory Committee on Planning, Design and Real Estate.

Her spare time is spent traveling or gardening on her rural property near Kenilworth, Ontario.

Academic History

• Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, University of Illinois (1972)
• Master of Landscape Architecture, University of Michigan (1980)

Affiliations and Partnerships

• Fellow of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects
• Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects
• Member of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects
• Member of the Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation

Awards and Honours

• Ontario Association of Landscape Architects Pinnacle Award (2016)
• Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Teaching Award (2012)
• University of Guelph Faculty Association Teaching Award (2006)
• Canadian Society of Landscape Architects President’s Award (2004)

Research Impact

Cecelia is the recipient of numerous professional awards for design, planning, research and communication. Her work on the redesign of Sparks Street Mall in Ottawa in the 1980s is one of her most recognized built projects. She has made significant contributions to conservation of Canadian heritage landscapes that protect and reflect cultural identity in the built environment. Representative projects include Mackenzie King Estate in Gatineau Park, Quebec, the Queen’s Park Legislative Assembly grounds, Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, the grounds of Rideau Hall in Ottawa, and the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village in Alberta. She served as an advisor for conservation of Parque del Este in Caracas, Venezuela, designed by world renowned landscape architect, Roberto Burle Marx, and directed a survey and evaluation of over 100 golf courses designed by Stanley Thompson, Canada’s foremost Golden Age golf course architect. Most recently she completed an inventory of the cultural heritage resources of the Cootes to Niagara EcoPark. 

Cecelia is active in professional organizations. She is a past president of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects and was the founding editor of Landscapes Paysages, the national professional journal. She has been recognized for her significant contributions in professional design and communication, as well as numerous built works.

Cecelia has strong connections to the profession and is keen to share her knowledge with students. She is active in professional activities and currently serves on the board of the Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation, which provides scholarships and grants to researchers, students and professionals.

Graduate Student Information

Cecelia’s students have learned from working on actual projects. In many cases, students deal with clients and their ideas may help to clarify design opportunities or serve as a basis for community grant applications or to provide alternative to local planning departments. A recent example of such a project began when Cecelia and her students were requested to design an interface between the eastern boundary of the City of Markham and Rouge National Urban Park. The students worked on accommodating a variety of urban land uses, including a visitor centre for the new park. A complete green infrastructure system served as the primary connection between the city and the park. Their proposals incorporated energy conservation, water management, green technology and biodiversity with urban design goals of connectivity, compactness and completeness. Cecelia has also led several research projects with students related to enhancing walkability in urban environments.

Past graduate students have worked on a variety of urban thesis projects, including design of a portion of Yonge Street in Toronto to accommodate both pedestrians and cars in a multi-purpose space. Another past student designed a section of the Toronto waterfront and is now working as an urban designer for the city of Mississauga. Other students have taken a more theoretical approach, as seen in a project comparing walkability in Chinese cities. A thesis project on bikeability in snow lead to a professional position that includes trail design. Recently, one of her students did a study that indicated the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or drone) equipped with a high-resolution camera to assess the development limits of wetlands.

Featured Publications

• Paine, C. (2018-2019). Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark Cultural Landscape Resource Inventory. Reports on Cootes Paradise and the Lower Grindstone for North South Environmental Inc.
• Panel Discussion. (2016). Landscape Architecture in the Anthropocene Age. Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly. Summer, Issue 34. pp. 14-19. Summarized by K. Nelischer.
• Panel Discussion. (2016). Searching for Innovation in LA Education. Landscapes/ Paysages, 18 (2), 35-40. Summarized by Trottier, J.
• Gilbert, D., Paine, C., & Corry, R. (2014). Survivors - Urban Tree Species Selection. Landscapes/ Paysages, 16 (4), 33-36. Paine, C. & Brown, K. (2012). Long Shots - The Challenge of Heritage Golf Courses. Landscapes/ Paysages, 14 (4), 24-28.
• Paine, C. & Brown, K. (2012). Long Shots - The Challenge of Heritage Golf Courses. Landscapes/ Paysages, 14 (4), 24-28.
• Paine, C. (2010). Reflections on the Third Wave. Landscapes/Paysages, 12 (2), 21-23.

Please visit Cecelia's Google Scholar page for a full list of publications,

Related Links

Cecelia Paine Collection