Steven T. Lee (he/him) is a landscape architect and urbanist based in New York City, whose work is notable for fusing human comfort and sociability with a formal language driven by culture and place. Steven’s current and past work has focused on remnant or liminal infrastructural spaces that have led to new public space paradigms in global cities such as Berlin, Mexico City, Philadelphia, and New York. He has also grappled with the complex narratives of contested urban spaces and how they can be newly adapted to serve the needs of diverse communities and promote urban resilience in the face of global climate change and social inequality. A firm believer in collaborative design, Steven enjoys partnering with community organizations, public agencies, professionals from other disciplines, and designers and artists to collectively generate novel ideas and bespoke solutions tailored to each project.
During his career as a designer, planner, educator, and researcher, Steven has gained experience in both the private and public sectors. Currently a Design Principal at SWA, he brings progressive visioning to lead complex public realm projects domestically and abroad, including waterfronts, parks, plazas, mixed-use developments, and academic campuses. Notable recent and ongoing projects include Courthouse Park and Bayfront Redevelopment in Jersey City, Innovation QNS in Astoria, NY, Uptown ATX in Austin, TX, and Expo 2020 Ghayath Trail in Dubai. Prior to SWA, Steven was a Project Leader at West 8, where he led prominent North American projects including Drexel Square in Philadelphia, 87 Park in Miami Beach, and Trillium Park in Toronto. He has served as a design critic or guest lecturer at numerous universities across the US including UC Berkeley, Penn State, Columbia and Cornell.
Affiliations & Registrations:
Registered Landscape Architect, State of New York
Member, American Society of Landscape Architects
Member, American Planning Association
Member, Urban Land Institute
Honors, Awards & Speaking Engagements:
Merit Award, Bayfront Parks Master Plan | American Society of Landscape Architects, NY Chapter | 2023
Chapter Award, Bayfront Redevelopment Area Master Plan | American Society of Landscape Architects, NJ Chapter | 2022
Merit Award, Montclair State University Student Quad | American Society of Landscape Architects, NJ Chapter | 2022
Honor Award, Schuylkill Yards Master Plan | American Society of Landscape Architects, PA-DE Chapter | 2017
Speaker, New York Build Expo, New York, NY | “The Role of Biourbanism in Shaping Future Cities” | April 2024
Panelist, ULI New York Technical Assistance Panel, Bronx, NY | “Reimagining Montefiore Einstein-Morris Park as a Transit-Connected Campus” | December 2023
Lead Speaker/Panelist, ASLA National Conference, Minneapolis, MN | “Bucking the Trend: Sameness in Landscape Architectural Aesthetics and Representation” | October 2023
Juror, ASLA Washington State Awards Jury | April 2022
Field Speaker, NYCxDesign Conference, New York, NY | November 2021
