Spanning over 460 acres and 8 linear miles of waterfront, the Port of Los Angeles is among the most important pieces of infrastructure in the Western Hemisphere—the largest container port in the U.S., a linchpin for global logistics, and an industrial hub critical to San Pedro and L.A. County at large.
Today, the Port is imagining a more connective, accessible, and resilient future waterfront. Building on nearly $234 million in public access investment over the past two decades, the San Pedro Waterfront Connectivity Plan weaves together multiple goals, presenting strategies to enhance connectivity between the San Pedro shoreline, adjacent neighborhoods, and the wider region.
Building on extensive community engagement events including nearly 300 participants, the plan presents a comprehensive set of recommendations spanning vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, public transit, and water-based mobility across the Port—as well as outlining open space, public art, wayfinding, and recreational opportunities. Direct connections to local climate action policy are woven throughout the plan, positioning the Port to deliver on its long-term sustainability goals in all proposed projects.
Navigating highly complex conditions, the plan brings together fundable, feasible, and resilient strategies to define a cohesive waterfront experience, solve for immediate connectivity issues, and remain adaptive to future use—a framework for a world-class waterfront destination for L.A. and the region.
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OCT Bay
Located in Shenzhen, OCT Bay has a combined site area of approximately 1.25 square kilometers including equal parts new urban center and nature preserve. SWA provided both master planning and landscape architectural services for the entire site. As a new urban cultural and entertainment destination, OCT Bay provides urban amenities, entertainment components, p...
North Bund Riverside
North Bund Riverside Park, located on a prominent 2.1 km waterfront along Shanghai’s Huangpu River, is the first project of its kind in Shanghai to address contiguous waterfront open space. The goal of the associated international competition was to find innovative solutions to transform a post-industrial waterfront with historic elements into a viable active ...
Hangzhou Grand Canal
For centuries, the Beijing-Hangzhou’s Grand Canal – a staggering 1,000 linear miles which remain the world’s longest man-made waterway – was a lifeline for commerce and communication. The water’s edge was necessary for trade, a logical place to live, and often a driver of innovation. However, as with many waterfronts globally, it eventually fell victim to the...
Bayfront Parks Master Plan
Jersey City is bounded by the scenic Hudson to the east, lined with high rises and waterfront parks offering views of Manhattan, and the often-overlooked Hackensack to the west, featuring wetlands, industry, and degraded post-industrial sites. The Bayfront Redevelopment Master Plan aims to transform a formerly contaminated 100-acre site on the Hackensack River...