Katy Trail represents a remarkable resource for the residents of the Dallas Fort Worth region. This project enlivens and makes accessible right-of-way established by the storied, but later abandoned, Missouri-Kansas-Texas (better known as the “Katy”) line, and serves as a unifying element for the surrounding neighborhoods. Katy Trail provides approximately 3.5 miles of intercity bicycle and pedestrian trail, resulting in a transportation and recreational corridor for jogging, passive nature interpretation and walking. The trail links approximately 20 neighborhood areas to the Central Business District, the American Airlines Center and Southern Methodist University. Active integration of legacy establishments and involvement with the neighboring communities were part of an ongoing process that enhanced the project’s success.
Buffalo Bayou Smith to Travis Streets Trail Segment
This effort in Downtown Houston extends the Buffalo Bayou trail system eastward with the Smith to Travis Trail, connecting two historically significant sites: Sesquicentennial Park and Allen’s Landing, where the city was founded. It is a technically challenging segment located twenty feet below street level that traverses under multiple roadway bridges crossin...
Bend of the River Botanic Garden
The Bend of the River Botanic Garden Master Plan reimagines an 88-acre site in Temple, Texas, into a regional attraction. Situated at the intersection of I-35 and the Leon River, the site comprises two donated parcels, consolidated to serve Temple’s growing population of over 96,000.
SWA led a comprehensive public engagement process, facilitating conver...
San Antonio Spirit Reach
San Antonio’s river trail system has long stood incomplete, its northern reach at Brackenridge Park abruptly halted by a patchwork of private lands. Recognizing the waterway’s cultural significance, landowners forged an unprecedented partnership, opening sections of their properties for public benefit. The 162-acre Spirit Reach Vision Plan allows v...
Shekou Promenade
A gateway for China’s open-door policy, Shekou has revitalized its fragmented and hazardous coastline into a dynamic six-kilometer promenade that masterfully captures the area’s cultural and natural essence.
The promenade repurposes the disconnected former industrial waterfront into a celebrated open space system with new recreation programs...