A renovated civic landscape in Canada’s capital has earned a top honour for design excellence. The Kiweki Point project transforms a long-underused riverfront site into a year-round public space with improved access, ecological features, and new pedestrian and cycling connections. It received an Award of Excellence in General Design in the 2026 ASLA Professional Awards.

The civic landscape sits near Parliament in Ottawa, Ont., on a formerly inaccessible promontory overlooking the Kichi Zibi (Ottawa River).

The site, formerly known as Nepean Point, offered panoramic views but remained largely underused for more than two decades. Mold, asbestos, and failing infrastructure limited access. A steep, vehicle-oriented entrance also created unsafe crossings and disconnected the park from Ottawa’s public space network.

The new design supports year-round use. It improves biodiversity, manages stormwater, and reduces operational carbon through low-maintenance, drought-tolerant planting.

The Pìdàban Bridge provides a key pedestrian and cycling connection to the regional open-space network. The bridge also navigates the site’s complex cliff conditions.

At the promontory’s edge, Whispering Point provides shelter and directs visitors toward the river. The sculptural pavilion is made of Alaskan Yellow Cedar.

Collaboration with the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan and Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg shaped several aspects of the project. The engagement informed an interpretive framework rooted in Algonquin perspectives.

It also led to the site’s renaming to Kìwekì Point, meaning “to return to one’s homeland.” The bridge’s name, Pìdàban, means “dawn.”