Ken Smith is one of the best-known of a generation of landscape architects equally at home in the worlds of art, architecture, and urbanism. Trained in both design and the fine arts, he explores the relationship between art, contemporary culture, and landscape. He is committed to creating landscapes, especially parks and other public spaces, as a way of improving the quality of urban life.

His work pushes beyond traditional typologies to create landscapes that draw on diverse cultural traditions and influences of contemporary culture. His practice, Ken Smith Workshop is based in New York City.