Landmark Columbus Foundation (LCF) demonstrates what design excellence can mean to a community: earned through discipline, proven in public, and cared for as a legacy for the future.
Our Programs
Civic Design Institute
defines the discipline and shares the methods
Progressive Preservation
cares for design excellence over time
Exhibit Columbus
tests design excellence in public
Monumental Gestures
applies the method in other cities
News and Events
Event
The Monument Knows Public Conversation No. 2
with Taylor Schaffer and Blaine Zimmerman
Monday, September 28
Indy Chamber at Salesforce Tower
1 E. Ohio Street, Suite 2200
Doors at 4:30 pm
Event begins at 5 pm
Free and open to the public
Advance registration required
How is Monument Circle used today? What does it mean to the people who gather there? Join us for The Monument Knows: Public Conversation No. 2 with Taylor Schaffer and Blaine Zimmerman, moderated by Sampson Levingston. Together, we’ll explore the Monument as a place of reverence, protest, celebration, and everyday life, followed by a walking tour of the Circle. Learn more about the event at askthemonument.org.
Event
Prove It Summit Keynote with Maurice Cox and Courtney Spearman
What does design excellence look like in large cities and rural towns?
October 8–10
The Commons
300 Washington Street
Columbus, Indiana
Reception 5:30 pm
Program 6–7:30 pm
Join two national design leaders, Maurice Cox (pictured top left) and Courtney Spearman (pictured top right), whose work reaches from some of America’s largest cities to its smallest towns and Tribal communities for a conversation about the places we build, the people they serve, and what it takes to create lasting value.
The program begins with a welcome from Mayor Mary Ferdon and Tracy Haddad, Board Chair of Landmark Columbus Foundation, with remarks from U.S. Senator Todd Young (pictured bottom left). Courtney Spearman and Maurice Cox will deliver keynote presentations, followed by a conversation moderated by Daniel Luis Martinez (pictured bottom right).
Event
The Monument Knows Public Conversation No. 3
with Rasul Mowatt and Tiffany Tolbert
Monday, November 2
Hilbert Circle Theatre
Doors at 4:30 pm
Program at 5 pm
Free and open to the public
Advance registration required
What is missing from the Monument? Whose histories does it hold and whose does it leave out? Join us for The Monument Knows: Public Conversation No. 3 with Rasul Mowatt and Tiffany Tolbert. Together, they’ll explore how race, memory, and power are written into public space, and what it means to care for a landmark as living heritage rather than as a finished object. Learn more about the event at askthemonument.org.
Publication
BEEN THERE, DOING THIS
2025 Annual Report
The 2025 Annual Report documents a pivotal year, marking the culmination of a transformative five-year grant that helped establish the organization as a lasting civic institution. It highlights key achievements—from major investments in preservation and public art to the success of Exhibit Columbus and new national initiatives—while introducing Design Excellence as Civic Practice as a guiding framework for the future. Together, these pages reflect both the impact of recent work and a renewed commitment to advancing design as a tool for civic life.
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