Tom Barratt is a landscape architect whose career has helped shape the evolution of resort and mountain community design in British Columbia and beyond. His professional path began with the BC Provincial Parks and Forest Service recreation programs, where early work in park planning and outdoor recreation management sparked a lifelong commitment to landscape architecture.
Barratt holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Simon Fraser University (1976) and both Bachelor and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees from the University of Oregon (1981).
He began his professional career with the Resort Municipality of Whistler as Parks Planner from 1981 to 1985, where he designed and implemented Whistler’s groundbreaking Valley Trail and park system. This project established more than 40 kilometres of interconnected multi-use trails linking parks, beaches, and neighbourhoods throughout the valley. The system became an internationally recognized model for sustainable resort community planning and continues to serve as a case study in landscape architecture programs, evolving through decades of expansion and refinement.
In 1986, Barratt founded Tom Barratt Ltd., building a respected practice focused on resort development, parks planning, trail systems, and environmental rehabilitation in sensitive mountain landscapes. His work has contributed to some of Whistler’s most defining public spaces, including leadership roles in landscape architecture for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Throughout his career he has also championed innovation in the profession, advancing the integration of digital mapping and design technologies into landscape planning and practice.
Barratt’s work reflects a long-standing commitment to creating enduring public landscapes that balance recreation, environmental stewardship, and community connectivity.
