“[Halperin Park] will be an engineering marvel over I-35E, with five acres of wooded slopes, water features, rocky escarpments, a restaurant/retail complex hidden under a hilltop, and one of the most awesome kids’ playgrounds in North Texas. But its greatest achievement may be to make Oak Cliff whole again—and to bring all of Dallas together.”
– Dallas Innovates
Halperin Park (previously known as Southern Gateway Park) caps Highway 35 in South Dallas directly adjacent to the Dallas Zoo and the Oak Cliff neighborhood. The park’s design effectively reconnects the neighborhood, which was cleaved by the highway’s construction many decades ago.
Recognizing the reunification’s significance, the cap park design introduces the 12th Street pedestrian promenade that expresses the importance of this street and doubles as a “history walk.” Here, interpretive elements are introduced to celebrate the people who have shaped this diverse, historic neighborhood.
The park will be built in two phases, beginning with infrastructure to “cap” the highway. The completed park features event spaces, lawns, and a market-style dining and retail area, showcasing the region’s unique geological features.
Design for Halperin Park commenced at the beginning of COVID quarantine. Despite limitations on in-person meetings, a thorough and inclusive public engagement process featured five bilingual workshops and facilitated interaction with several hundred Oak Cliff residents.
The park is a testament to restoring equity and providing great public realm space as a community’s anchor.
Curious? View this video created by the advocates for Halperin Park.
Burlingame Town Square
SWA partnered with the City of Burlingame to transform a surface parking lot into “The Grove,” a vibrant 1-acre community gathering space envisioned as downtown Burlingame’s outdoor living room. Blending urban functionality with engaging public amenities, the design features a grid of deciduous trees, a central glass-clad fountain with a cascading waterfall, c...
Changchun Tractor Factory Renovation
Once-industrial site re-imagined as a commercial complex with eye-catching public spaces.
For this site, which was once an industrial tractor factory that epitomized Changchun’s thriving industrial past, SWA provided conceptual design through implementation to transform the former of Changchun Tractor Factory into an eye-catching public realm that fulfi...
Bicentennial Park Renovation
After nearly 15 years of being closed to the public, Bicentennial Park will soon provide a lively setting for neighborhood recreation. The City of Hawthorne has been home to many creative people throughout history: a legendary athlete and Olympian, Jim Thorpe; a world-famous movie star, Marilyn Monroe; and one of the most beloved American rock bands, The Beach...
Shanghai EXPO UBPA (Urban Best Practice Area)
Shanghai EXPO’s Urban Best Practice Area surrounds the Plein Air Museum Park, which chronicles the unique and rich history of the site through objects of art, artifacts, and architecture. The landscape component of the museum park is expressed physically in the form of a Central Park: a gathering space and activity center for the community. The landscape was a...