April Newsletter – World Landscape Architecture Month
April 28, 2025
Celebrating the Transformative Power of Design
April is World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM), a global celebration of the professionals who design healthy, beautiful, and resilient places for all. This year’s theme, “Beyond Boundaries,” honors the work of landscape architects who transcend physical, cultural, and environmental barriers to create spaces that unite, restore, and inspire.
At BETA, we’re proud to celebrate our in-house team of talented and creative landscape architects. Their designs help improve the communities where we live and work – whether by enhancing parks and public spaces, integrating green infrastructure, or shaping more inclusive, climate-resilient environments.
From Vision to Reality
Our landscape architects help guide the journey from idea to built space, transforming community goals into tangible designs that shape how people interact with the world around them. This process often begins with a simple sketch – a concept that captures the spirit of a place. From there, our landscape architects refine, illustrate, and evolve those ideas using a range of tools, from hand drawings to immersive 3D visualizations. Each step helps us not only study and strengthen the design, but also share it clearly with clients and communities.
In celebration of WLAM, we’re showcasing a series of projects that highlight this transformation. Explore a visual gallery of spaces that have gone from conceptual vision to real-world impact, and discover the stories behind each design.
Landscape Architecture in Action: A Collaborative Approach to Riverwalk Park
We recently sat down to chat with the multidisciplinary team behind the nearly completed Riverwalk Park and Boardwalk Design & Permitting project in Yarmouth, Massachusetts. Located on the former West Yarmouth Drive-In site, the project reimagines a long-vacant parcel into a vibrant public space that connects the community to the scenic Parkers River and surrounding salt marsh.
BETA’s landscape architects worked hand-in-hand with engineers and scientists to craft a design that includes multi-use paths, green infrastructure, amenities for all ages, and a boardwalk offering sweeping marsh views, all while navigating extensive environmental constraints. Watch our video to see how thoughtful design can restore access, enrich public life, and protect coastal ecosystems.
Another Award-Winning Season
We’re proud to announce that two BETA projects earned Bronze in the 2025 ACEC/MA Engineering Excellence Awards! The Lexington Battle Green Traffic & Streetscape and Taunton Main Lift Pumping Station Improvements were recognized for their technical innovation, community impact, and design excellence.
From enhancing safety and accessibility in historic Lexington to advancing climate-resilient infrastructure in Taunton, both projects exemplify the transformative power of thoughtful engineering. We’re grateful for our multidisciplinary team whose collaborative approach continues to shape stronger, safer, and more sustainable communities.
Welcome to the Team!
Steavi Swinson joins BETA as a senior geospatial specialist in the firm’s GIS/asset management group. Steavi earned her bachelor’s degree in global studies from the University of New Haven and her master’s in geographic information technology from Northeastern University. Before joining BETA, Steavi worked in FM Global’s engineering plan services department, conducting quarterly data releases for client-facing GIS applications to ensure accurate geospatial data for risk assessment. Steavi also has municipal experience, having managed geospatial data for public infrastructure for the Hingham, MA Department of Public Works.
Jason Plourde, PE, PTP, has rejoined BETA as a senior project manager in the transportation group. Jason returns from a previous role as a transportation systems leader at another consulting firm, where he led a multi-disciplinary team on a diverse portfolio of transportation planning and traffic engineering projects for both public and private clients. He is one of only 20 certified Professional Transportation Planners in New England, highlighting his unique expertise in the field.
Read to join our award-winning team?
BETA will challenge you with interesting work and offers the potential for growth and advancement. We are currently looking for talented staff across many of our disciplines in offices throughout New England. Browse our current job openings.
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