Simonds, John Ormsbee

John Ormsbee Simonds worked for over fifty years as a landscape architect and planner. Beginning in 1940 when he founded his first partnership, Simonds and Simonds, his firms were responsible for planning over 500 projects, including more than 80 planned communities and new towns. In 1970, he was a co-founder of The Environmental Planning and Design Partnership (EPD), with offices in Pittsburgh, Miami Lakes, and Michigan. Primarily national in scope, EPD focused on urban renewal, parks and recreation, and broad-scale regional planning, particularly the development of new communities.

In 1961 Simonds authored the premier major textbook used in landscape architecture and planning education during the latter half of the 20th Century, Landscape Architecture: The Shaping of Man's Natural Environment. This publication was revised twice under the title Landscape Architecture: A Manual of Site Planning and Design (1983 and 1998), and Simonds was working on a fourth edition at the time of his death in 2005.

From the description of John Ormsbee Simonds Collection, 1912-2005 (bulk 1940-2005). (University of Florida). WorldCat record id: 63171619

John Ormsbee Simonds worked for over fifty years as a landscape architect and planner. Beginning in 1940 when he founded his first partnership, Simonds and Simonds, his firms were responsible for planning over 500 projects, including more than 80 planned communities and new towns. In 1970, he was a co-founder of The Environmental Planning and Design Partnership (EPD), with offices in Pittsburgh, Miami Lakes, and Michigan. Primarily national in scope, EPD focused on urban renewal, parks and recreation, and broad-scale regional planning, particularly the development of new communities.

His philosophy of planning was firmly rooted in the Buddhist and Taoist traditions of Asia, to which he traveled frequently throughout his life. These travels taught him the importance of designing experiences, rather than places or things, and the need to promote harmonious relationships between humans and the environment. These concepts were proven in projects such as Mellon Square in Pittsburgh, the Chicago Botanic Garden, and the new towns of Miami Lakes and Pelican Bay in Florida.

Not only by his practice of the profession, but also by his role as educator and author, Simonds was able to significantly affect the field of landscape architecture. Through his teachings and writings, he helped to change the perception of landscape architects from that of plant and garden specialists to environmentalists, urban designers, and regional planners. In 1961 Simonds authored the premier major textbook used in landscape architecture and planning education during the latter half of the 20th Century, Landscape Architecture: The Shaping of Man's Natural Environment . This publication was revised twice under the title Landscape Architecture: A Manual of Site Planning and Design (1983 and 1998), and Simonds was working on a fourth edition at the time of his death in 2005.

Throughout his career, Simonds was an environmentalist who preached the need for planned development in order to ensure the preservation of our natural resources. His working philosophy was: "The great opportunity for true (dynamic) conservation lies in promoting (not blocking) the process of comprehensive land planning whereby the most sensitive, most productive, and most scenic areas are defined and presented in perpetuity."

• 1913, March 11: Born in Jamestown, North Dakota
• 1930: Enrolled at Michigan State University
• 1933 - 1934 : Took a year off from school to live in Borneo and travel throughout Asia
• 1935: Graduated from Michigan State with a B.S. in Landscape Architecture
• 1935 - 1936 : Worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps in Big Bay, Michigan (responsible for rehabilitation of land and design of Marquette State Park)
• 1936 - 1939 : Attended Harvard Graduate School of Design, receiving a Master's in Landscape Architecture in 1939
• 1939 - 1940 : Traveled to Asia with fellow Harvard graduate and future partner Lester A. Collins
• 1940: Established Simonds and Simonds partnership in Pittsburgh with his brother, Philip
• 1941: Could not enlist when U.S. entered WWII because he had contracted malaria during his travels to Asia, but worked on military base projects in Pennsylvania
• 1943: Married Marjorie C. Todd
• 1945 - 1960 : Simonds and Simonds practice flourishes during post-war boom and Pittsburgh Renaissance
• 1952 - 1970 : Partner in Collins, Simonds and Simonds
• 1955 - 1967 : Served on faculty of Carnegie Institute of Technology (Carnegie Mellon University)
• 1961: Published Landscape Architecture: The Shaping of Man's Natural Environment
• 1963 - 1965 : President, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
• 1965: Chair, Urban Parks and Open Spaces panel, White House Conference on Natural Beauty
• 1965: Principal planner and author of Virginia's Common Wealth, one of the first state action plans for land and resource planning
• 1966 - 1968 : Member, Federal Highway Administration's Board of Urban Advisors - Simonds edited the board's report, Freeway in the City (1968)
• 1968 - 1970 : Member, President's Task Force on Resources and the Environment
• 1970: Simonds and Simonds firm renamed EPD: The Environmental Planning and Development Partnership
• 1973: Awarded the ASLA Medal, one of the highest honors in the profession
• 1978: Published Earthscape: A Manual of Environmental Planning
• 1979 - 1980 : Member, Governor's Resource Management Task Force (Florida)
• 1983: Retired from EPD, but continued to consult afterwards as partner emeritus
• 1983: Published second edition of Landscape Architecture: A Manual of Site Planning and Design.
• 1998: Published third edition of Landscape Architecture: A Manual of Site Planning and Design.
• 1999: Awarded the ASLA President's Centennial Medal
• 2005, May 26: Died at the age of 92 at his home in Pittsburgh

From the guide to the John Ormsbee Simonds Collection, 1912-2005, 1940-2005, (Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida)