San Antonio’s Landmark Land Bridge Wins Prestigious Architectural Award

The Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park is once again drawing national attention. The ambitious wildlife crossing — the largest of its kind in the United States — has been awarded an ASLA Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), one of the highest recognitions in landscape architecture.

The accolade will be officially presented to the project’s designers, Stimson Studio, at the ASLA’s annual conference in October. According to the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, the award highlights the project’s groundbreaking approach to blending urban infrastructure with natural ecosystems.

“A great case study in possibilities,” the ASLA 2025 jury noted. “This project makes an incredibly difficult task of building a functional landscape on structure; creating a welcoming space over a highway; balancing the needs of humans and non-humans alike; and connecting ecological fragments look easy.”

Bridging City and Nature

Since its debut in December 2020, the 330-acre park’s land bridge has become a celebrated model for urban design. By reconnecting the north and south sections of Phil Hardberger Park, the bridge allows both pedestrians and wildlife to safely cross over Wurzbach Parkway.

The project was more than just infrastructure. Designed with soil, vegetation, and native habitats, the bridge functions as an extension of the land itself, creating a living corridor that supports wildlife while offering city residents a serene, nature-rich passage.

Principal architect Stephen Stimson emphasized that dual mission:

“We set out to create something more than infrastructure: an extension of the land, a new home for native species, and a place for people to reconnect.”

A Living Classroom

Beyond its ecological role, the land bridge has become a learning landscape, attracting thousands of visitors annually. Students, conservation professionals, and everyday parkgoers explore the site for lessons in conservation, sustainable design, and landscape innovation.

Melissa Kazen, executive director of the Conservancy, said the award underscores the community effort that made the bridge possible:

“This Honor Award is a tribute to the power of persistence, vision, and collaboration of the community of San Antonio and visionary designers. The land bridge is more than beautifully designed infrastructure — it’s a bridge that actively connects our community to nature through successful urban ecology.”

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