As part of a larger effort to establish its downtown as a center for business and culture during a period of unprecedented growth, the City of Jacksonville was in need of a design and investment strategy for its underused waterfront along both banks of the St. Johns River. The design team’s approach entails both a large-scale and a node-based strategy, identifying sites of particular opportunity, improving the overall quality of the urban fabric, and establishing an urban design and wayfinding strategy that improves connections to the Brooklyn and Riverside communities.
The large-scale vision sets forth design guidelines for the river’s North and South Banks in a “kit of parts” for upgrades to the built environment. This includes suggestions for wayfinding systems, outdoor lighting, hardscape materials, and planting palettes, the implementation of which will strengthen Downtown Jacksonville’s identity and better connect its Riverwalk to inviting public spaces.
The second strategy highlights a series of nodes near opportunity sites along the waterfront, predetermined by the American Institute of Architects’ Jacksonville Chapter, and connects them through a “Green Ribbon.” These sites were selected for their contributions to Jacksonville’s development throughout the years, and while some are no longer in operation, they represent present-day cultural assets for the city. Designated as either primary or secondary depending on their potential, these nodes were explored for particular design guidance and strategic investment, with initial focus by the design team on Times Union Center for the Performing Arts (Node 6) and Friendship Park (Node 11).
Aitken Place Park
Aitken Place Park is at the heart of Toronto’s East Bayfront Community – an area transformed from an underutilized industrial brownfield into a vibrant waterfront neighborhood. Flanked by the residential development to the west and the commercial buildings to the north, the park’s water’s edge location creates a unique destination that invites residents, touri...
Riverside Park South
Located on the West Side of Manhattan on the scenic Hudson River shoreline, Riverside Park South is a massive, multiphase project of sweeping ambition and historic scope. Combining new green space, new infrastructure, and the renovation of landmark industrial buildings, the plan – originally devised by Thomas Balsley Associates in 1991 – is an extension of Fre...
Hengqin Island
Hengqin Island, located in Zhuhai, China, is embedded within a unique and beautiful landscape, and is currently being developed for urban growth throughout the region. Taking cues from the surrounding site, SWA’s master plan intends to capture the essence of the place, and pay homage to its most fundamental landscape elements: the sea, valley, and mountains. S...
Fuyang Riverfront
Seizing the area’s reputation for “one of the best mountain and water views in the world,” the natural framework along both sides of the Fuchun River inspires this plan integrating urban spaces with landscape to create a harmonious skyline. Fuyang flourishes with economic prosperity while honoring its vibrant cultural heritage.
The scope includes urban d...