MNLA

What MNLA does

MNLA (legal name Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, P.C.) is a New York City-based professional services firm practicing landscape architecture, master planning, urban design, coastal resilience infrastructure, and sustainable planting design. Founded in 1993 by Signe Nielsen and operating from 120 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, the firm delivers B2B design services from schematic concept through construction administration for a client mix spanning NYC government agencies (DDC, EDC, Parks), real estate developers (Vornado Realty Trust, TF Cornerstone), educational institutions (Yale, Rockefeller, Haverford), and cultural and nonprofit organizations (Hudson River Park). Headcount sits in the 11–50 range, and ownership is private, female-majority, and WBE-certified.

The firm's core output is professional design services rather than a software or technology product. Its technical differentiator is the integration of FEMA-certified flood protection infrastructure with award-winning public realm landscapes—most visibly on the East Side Coastal Resiliency project (a 2.4-mile, six-park corridor protecting 110,000+ Lower Manhattan residents) and Little Island (a 2.4-acre maritime botanic garden in the Hudson River built from 132 precast concrete pots). Other signature commissions include Plaza33 and the $65 million Penn District repositioning, the Pier 42 Master Plan, the Yale Upper Science Hill Development, and the Erie Canal Harbor (Canalside). The firm has accumulated more than 20 industry recognitions across ASLA-NY, MAS, ACEC, ULI, AIANY, and ENR.

Revenue is generated entirely through project-based professional services fees tied to scope, complexity, and phase. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the firm does not maintain tiered rate cards or recurring SaaS-style contracts. Acquisitions flow through competitive procurement for public work and direct commission or team-with-architecture-firm arrangements for private clients. Backed by an annually refreshed award portfolio and entrenched NYC public-sector relationships, MNLA runs as a single unified design practice rather than a multi-product platform.

Name

MNLA

Legal name

Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, P.C.

Website

https://mnlandscape.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MNLA is a New York-based landscape architecture firm designing urban parks, waterfronts, coastal resilience infrastructure, and campuses for NYC government agencies, real estate developers, universities, and cultural organizations through project-based professional services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Coastal resilience design
• Urban master planning
• Waterfront park design
• Public realm development

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Services: MNLA generates revenue through professional services fees for landscape architecture, master planning, and urban design engagements on major public and private projects. Revenue is project-based, driven by scope, complexity, and phase of work from schematic design through construction administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MNLA (Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, P.C.) is a New York-based landscape architecture firm that provides comprehensive professional design services including landscape architecture, master planning, urban design, coastal resilience, waterfront and public park design, and campus planning. The firm earns project-based professional services fees serving government agencies, real estate developers, educational institutions, and cultural/nonprofit organizations across the New York metropolitan area and selected US regions.

Product overview

MNLA (Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, P.C.) is a New York-based landscape architecture firm providing comprehensive design services rather than a software product company. The firm's offerings center on landscape architecture, master planning, and urban design across diverse sectors including parks and open spaces, waterfront development, coastal resilience infrastructure, campus planning, and public realm improvements. MNLA's portfolio includes signature projects such as Little Island (a maritime botanic garden in the Hudson River), the East Side Coastal Resiliency initiative (a 2.4-mile climate adaptation corridor), Plaza33 (urban plaza design), and various campus and institutional projects. The firm operates as a single unified design practice rather than a platform with modular products, delivering services from initial concept through construction administration for public, institutional, and private clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture Services Comprehensive landscape architecture and urban design services encompassing master planning, site design, waterfront development, coastal resilience, campus planning, and public space design for institutional, municipal, and private clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Flood protection for 110,000+ Lower East Side residents through FEMA-certified infrastructure integrated with 2.4 miles of public parkland
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Landscape Architecture FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2024MNLA was awarded a $25,000 research grant (the Deb Mitchell Research Grant) from LAF for the project 'Ethically Sourcing: Specifying Forced-Labor Free Materials in Landscape Architecture,' led by Noriko Maeda with academic partner Franca Trubiano.
• Heatherwick StudioflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMNLA collaborated with Heatherwick Studio as joint lead designers on Little Island (formerly Pier 55), a 2.4-acre public park in the Hudson River. MNLA led the landscape design, circulation system, and performance spaces while Heatherwick Studio provided the architectural vision. This is one of the most high-profile landscape architecture collaborations in New York City's recent history.
• ArupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArup served as engineering partner on Little Island, providing structural, civil, and MEP engineering. MNLA collaborated with Arup to realize the complex precast concrete pot system and overall park engineering.
• Vornado Realty TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVornado Realty Trust partnered with MNLA on multiple projects including Plaza33 (17,700 sf pedestrian plaza) and the broader repositioning of the Penn District, a $65 million public realm improvement effort. MNLA served as landscape architecture lead on these projects.
• NYC Department of Design and ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNYC DDC serves as the prime client and project manager for the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project, NYC's first large-scale coastal flood protection effort. MNLA is part of a multidisciplinary design team working under DDC leadership.
• Yale UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYale University commissioned MNLA to lead the landscape design for the Upper Science Hill Development (USHD), an 11-acre project for a new quantum science and engineering hub. MNLA collaborates with TenBerke, Ballinger, Langan, TransSolar, and LumenArchitecture on the design team.
• AKRFcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAKRF is part of the multidisciplinary consultant team on the ESCR project, providing environmental and planning services alongside MNLA's landscape architecture.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIG is a key design collaborator on ESCR, providing architectural vision for the flood protection and park integration across the 2.4-mile corridor. MNLA and BIG work together on integrating landscape and structural design.
• Hazen & SawyerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHazen & Sawyer is part of the ESCR consultant team, providing engineering expertise in water resources and infrastructure.
• CH2M HillminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCH2M Hill (now part of Jacobs) is a member of the ESCR multidisciplinary project team, contributing engineering and project management expertise.
• ONE ArchitecturecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerONE Architecture (with Arup) serves as a prime joint venture partner on ESCR, providing architecture and urban design alongside MNLA's landscape architecture scope.
• NYC Economic Development CorporationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNYC EDC commissioned MNLA for the Pier 42 Master Plan and serves as a key public-sector client for waterfront revitalization projects in Lower Manhattan.
• Rockefeller UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRockefeller University engaged MNLA for the Stavros Niarchos Foundation-David Rockefeller River Campus landscape design, a project that received a ULI NY Award for Excellence in Institutional Development.
• Haverford CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaverford College commissioned MNLA for the Kim and Tritton Residence Halls landscape, which received recognition from AIANY.
• Hudson River ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHudson River Park is the owner of Little Island. MNLA collaborated with the organization as the landscape architecture firm to design and realize the park, which has since welcomed over 3.5 million visitors.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global design and engineering firm with substantial landscape architecture practice competing for large public-sector infrastructure and waterfront commissions. Represents the broad incumbent competition MNLA faces on mega-project public bids.

Direct peers

• OLIN: Philadelphia- and New York-based landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm with comparable practice breadth across parks, campuses, and waterfronts. Competes with MNLA on public-sector and institutional commissions nationally.
• W Architecture and Landscape Architecture: NYC-based landscape architecture firm specializing in waterfront, urban design, and public realm projects. Most directly comparable in size, NYC focus, and waterfront practice to MNLA.
• James Corner Field Operations: New York-based landscape architecture and urban design firm renowned for the High Line and similar signature public realm projects. Most direct competitor to MNLA in the NYC waterfront and public space design market, with comparable client roster and project scale.
• Reed Hilderbrand: Cambridge-based landscape architecture firm known for campus and institutional work (Yale, Harvard). Directly comparable to MNLA on academic and cultural institution practice, with similar signature project pedigree.
• PWP Landscape Architecture: Berkeley-based landscape architecture firm with significant waterfront, civic, and campus portfolio. Comparable to MNLA on design quality, project scale, and integration of public infrastructure with designed landscapes.
• Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA): Brooklyn-based landscape architecture firm known for Brooklyn Bridge Park and similar large-scale urban park and waterfront projects. Directly comparable to MNLA on project type, NYC geographic focus, and signature public-realm positioning.
• SWA Group: Large national landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm with significant waterfront, campus, and public realm work. Comparable to MNLA in service mix and project scale, though SWA is substantially larger and more geographically diversified.
• Sasaki Associates: Planning, urban design, and landscape architecture firm with deep campus and waterfront practice. Comparable to MNLA on integrated design services spanning landscape architecture, master planning, and urban design for institutional and public clients.

Others

• Arup: Global engineering and design firm that has been MNLA's engineering partner on Little Island and ESCR. Included as a frequent design-build collaborator and ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mathews-nielsen-landscape-architects-p-c-
• Instagraminstagram.com/mnla_landscape_architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MNLA