Thomas Balsley's work consists of public and private parks, plazas, campuses, and waterfronts and attests to the extraordinary level of design excellence that has defined his international reputation and that of his studio. Working in the margins of the city grid, scraps of land and post-industrial waterfronts, his unique fusion of nature, culture and process have produced vibrant public spaces, urban miracles both large and small, provocative and sublime, and has established himself as a leader in his field and champion of the sustainable and livable urban environment. His award-winning and iconic designs can be found in Dallas Main Street Garden, Cleveland's Perk Park, Tampa's Curtis Hixon Park, Tokyo's Gate City and World Trade Centers in Osaka and Guiyang, China. In NYC alone, his robust portfolio of over one hundred landscapes includes 13 blocks along the Hudson River called Riverside Park South, Gantry Park, Hunter's Point South along the East River across from the United Nations, Peggy Rockefeller Plaza, and Balsley Park on Manhattan's 57th Street, named in his honour.
His teaching and speaking engagements at Harvard's GSD, University of Pennsylvania, the National Building Museum, Seoul National University, etc., together with a wealth of media exposure and publications, including Thomas Balsley: The Urban Landscape, have exposed his work to a broader international audience.
Contributions by: Ian Volner, James Corner, Jane Gillette