Molly Bourne, RLA, FASLA

In 33 years of practice, Molly Bourne has championed the design of vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable public open spaces that enrich communities and nurture human connections. Molly utilizes technical expertise to effortlessly incorporate her vision into the urban landscape, creating realizations that honor and celebrate the shared public realm.

She is deeply dedicated to elevated design thinking that advances the public good with a focus on reinvigorated waterfronts. Since joining MNLA in 1999, Molly has led award-winning, multidisciplinary teams on high-profile projects for waterfront parks, cultural institutions, and urban revitalization. Activating public space dialogue, tackling climate change, reclaiming industrial sites and shorelines, and protecting pollinators are her professional passions. As Principal at MNLA, she has elevated the firm’s design voice which is upheld by an iterative process, experienced collaboration, and exhaustive research and analysis. This is demonstrated through several award-winning efforts: first place design recognition on the DL&W Corridor Design Ideas Competition, “All Aboard! Reclaiming Hill & Del” in 2019, finalist on PHL ImageMaker Design Competition, “Take Off from Here” in 2018, and most recently on the selected team for a NY Climate Exchange on Governors Island, NY.

Developing the next generation of practitioners, Molly is a visiting lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design since 2015. She enjoys engaging with the profession and public alike, speaking widely, leading site tours, and exchanging inventive ideas about how to better urban environments.

Viewing landscape architecture as a way to improve the human condition, Molly received her BA at the University of Florida. A Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Molly’s key projects include the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, the NY Climate Exchange, Waterline Square, Governors Island Park and Public Space, South Bronx Greenway Master Plan and Implementation, Canalside at Buffalo Inner Harbor, and the Design Build effort on the Life Sciences Public Health Laboratory in Albany.