Climate Resilient Landscape Showcase Logo

The City of Boulder’s Climate Resilient Landscapes Showcase celebrates and supports landscapes that help our community adapt to a changing climate. From homes and campuses to commercial and shared spaces, the showcase highlights how well-designed landscapes can reduce heat, manage water, lower wildfire risk, support biodiversity and strengthen community resilience.

The showcase combines recognition for existing projects with funding and guidance for new ideas. Together, these efforts elevate local best practices, encourage innovation and inspire more climate-resilient landscapes across Boulder.

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How the Showcase Works

The Climate Resilient Landscapes Showcase includes three opportunities to participate:

  • Existing Landscape Projects Competition

    Community members, organizations and property owners can submit completed landscape projects for awards and recognition. Projects are evaluated by expert judges based on how well they support climate resilience, ecosystems and community benefits.

    Winning projects receive gift card awards a professional photoshoot and recognition as local examples of climate-resilient landscape design.

  • Proposed Projects Challenge

    The showcase also supports new ideas with proposed projects receiving cash awards, along with guidance to help move concepts into implementation. This opportunity is designed to help turn promising, climate-smart ideas into real-world landscapes. Priority will be given to projects that serve the public and are being completed as collaborations between multiple partners. Additional priority will be given to sites that occur within areas of town that experience higher risks from climate change.

    A steering committee of city staff, industry professionals and community members is finalizing competition categories, criteria and judging processes.

  • Showcase

    Participants may opt in solely to the showcase, where projects meeting basic criteria will receive a $50 gift card and be featured in a digital showcase. (No review by jury, no participation in tours). Projects not selected as winners that meet the basic criteria will receive the $50 gift card and be included in the digital showcase.

Priority will be given to sites that occur within areas of town that experience higher risks from climate change, as can be seen in the map below.

Composite Climate Vulnerability Index

Who Can Participate

The showcase is open to a wide range of participants, including:

  • Boulder community members and homeowners
    • Including City Staff
  • Landscape architects, designers and contractors
  • Gardeners and native plant enthusiasts
  • Schools, universities and academic programs
  • Environmental and community organizations
  • Businesses, developers, property managers and HOAs

Projects may include residential, commercial, institutional or campus landscapes, depending on final competition categories.

Key Dates

  • May 11: Entries open
  • July 10: Entry deadline
  • Late July–early August: Entry review by expert juries
  • Early August: Photography sessions for finalists
  • August 15: Finalists announced
  • August 23–24 and August 30–31: Tours
  • September 12: Award show and final presentation

Why Participate

By joining the Climate Resilient Landscapes Showcase, participants can:

  • Gain recognition for climate-smart landscape work already happening in Boulder
  • Access funding and guidance for new landscape projects
  • Share knowledge and learn from real-world examples
  • Help grow a citywide network focused on resilient, high-performing landscapes
  • Contribute to a healthier, more prepared Boulder community

Whether you want to submit a project or explore upcoming events and learning opportunities, the Climate Resilient Landscapes Showcase offers multiple ways to participate and help shape a more resilient Boulder.

Frequently Asked Questions

A climate-resilient landscape is designed to withstand changing conditions, such as hotter temperatures, drought, heavier rain or wildfire risk, while supporting people, healthy soils, plants, water systems and ecosystems.

The showcase will celebrate the diversity of landscape projects in Boulder, from patio gardens of apartment buildings to restored prairies. Existing projects that opt into the competition will only be evaluated against projects of similar size and cost per square foot. Awards for proposed projects will be granted with priority to those located in areas of the city experiencing intersecting climate risk (heat, wildfire, flood) and socioeconomic vulnerability.

No. The showcase includes both existing landscape projects and proposed projects that have not yet been built.

No. Community members, property owners, organizations and professionals are all encouraged to participate.

As long as property owner gives consent, any property type is eligible. Projects will be divided into categories based on size (square feet) and cost (per square foot).

Priority for the proposed projects competition will be given to projects that serve the public and are being completed as collaborations between multiple partners. Additional priority will be given to sites that occur within areas of town that experience higher risks from climate change.

These include zones of high flood risk, areas with populations and city form that create vulnerability to heat and rising temperatures, and risks from wildfire. These risk areas are shown in this map of the City’s climate vulnerabilities based on analysis from the Climate Initiatives department that takes into account equity factors in our population as well as climate change models. For heat as an example our urban form (ie. Lack of trees and mature urban canopy) makes some areas of the city more likely to experience heat increases due to climate change, additionally areas of the city that have higher percentages of vulnerable populations (ie. People over 65 on fixed incomes, or children in low-income households) that have a lower capacity to be able to protect themselves from higher temperatures.

Applications Opening Soon!

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