As one of the largest U.S. cities, Houston’s sprawling, car-centric infrastructure is underpinned by a vast arterial system of over 2,500 miles of bayous—an untapped ecological feature that could redefine urban life.
Recognizing this potential, the Houston Parks Board worked alongside SWA to develop a visionary plan for nine central bayous as an interconnected park system, bringing 60% of Houstonians within 1.5 miles of green space.
The network was reimagined as a 3,000-acre greenway and blueway system linking neighborhoods with multimodal trails and restored habitat. Named Bayou Greenways, the master plan represented a shift in Houston’s approach to designing with water—framing it as a civic asset rather than a source of risk. The framework identifies opportunities to enhance ecosystem performance while reducing flood impacts on adjacent neighborhoods, carving out space for direct water access and alternate modes of transit.
The monumental task required a decade-long collaboration between the Houston Parks Board, City of Houston, Harris County Flood Control District, and numerous stakeholders. Beyond recreation, the Bayou Greenways initiative embodies a broader vision for living in Houston—prioritizing health, resilience, equitable access to open space, and authentic connectivity to the city’s natural heritage.
Panyu Central Park
Panyu Central Park breaks the boundary of the traditional gated community and promotes sharing of open space among residents and visitors. This neighborhood development is the hub for a dense urban community, raising its visibility and value and setting a high standard for open space in the area. The park provides welcoming activity space for all ages with its...
Santa Monica North Beach Trail Improvements
While the beaches of Santa Monica are arguably one of the most iconic landscapes in Southern California, the trails running through them are less well known. Among those is the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, which runs from Mexico to Oregon and is commonly referred to as “The Strand” by locals. In recent years, The Strand bike trail had become congested and dangero...
Park 101
The ambitious Park 101 aims to cover part of downtown Los Angeles’ 101 Freeway with a multi-purpose park that will include playgrounds, seating, festival areas, and a plaza. The approximately four-block cap park will reconnect the two sections of Downtown that have long been separated by the freeway, greatly enhancing the currently noisy, with much-needed shad...
Resonant Memory: One October Memorial
Inspired by the shared love of country music that brought people from all over the world together for the Route 91 Music Festival, Resonant Memory is based on the shape of an acoustic guitar. The design makes particular use of the instrument’s sound hole as a recurring motif to represent absence, honoring the lives lost on October 1, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada...