Kinston Teens Receives Merit Award from American Society of Landscape Architects - North Carolina Chapter

KINSTON, NC — Kinston Teens is proud to announce that it has received a Merit Award in Planning and Analysis from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NC ASLA). The award was presented during the 2025 North Carolina Conference on Landscape Architecture, held June 4-6 at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem.

The recognized project was the East Kinston Neighborhood Hub and Equitable Development Plan, developed in partnership with nationally renowned landscape architecture and planning firm Design Workshop. With additional support from the North Carolina Climate Justice Collective, Notch Design, and NC State University’s Just Communities Lab, the plan outlines a new, larger vision for the East Kinston Neighborhood Hub—centering equitable development, climate resilience, and community-led design.

“This award reflects the power of deep collaboration, grassroots leadership, and a shared vision for what’s possible in East Kinston,” said Chris Suggs, founder and Executive Director of Kinston Teens. “We’re honored that our work is being recognized among leading design and planning professionals from across the state, and we couldn't be more grateful for our project partners at Design Workshop for submitting this project for award consideration.”

Kinston Teens is currently fundraising for the construction of the new facility. In the meantime, the organization continues to operate out of the existing East Kinston Neighborhood Hub campus on Tower Hill Road, where a formerly abandoned home and church have been repurposed into a vibrant base for outreach, education, and community-building.

To learn more about the East Kinston Neighborhood Hub and Kinston Teens’ ongoing work around food access, affordable housing, economic opportunity, and climate justice, visit www.eastkinston.org.