elementsdb is an online database of comparatively measured and illustrated examples of urban land use ‘elements’— buildings, streets and open spaces. We added 20 Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) award-winning open spaces in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal to elementsdb. We selected projects that represented: small public spaces, neighbourhood and community parks, waterfronts, urban plazas, and natural areas. As a free, public on-line resource, elementsdb highlights these award-winning public spaces, the landscape architects who designed them, and the crucial role played by well-designed public spaces in sustainable urban development.