SWA provided planning and design services for the 3.3km long, 250-acre metropolitan Ningbo Eco-Corridor, which transforms a former agricultural plain that had been taken over by industrial use into urban green infrastructure. Located in the heart of the Yangtze River Delta on China’s coastline, Ningbo is one of China’s oldest cities, with an area of 3,616 square miles and a population of 5.43 million. Ningbo, which translates to “tranquil waters,” has been a well-known key port for foreign trade since ancient times. The development of this area inspired a strategy to establish Ningbo as a larger metropolitan area of economic and environmental importance and has set the stage for an ecological approach to the re-development of the city. Acting as a living filter, the design utilizes ecological strategies of hydrology, vegetation and topography, providing recreational, educational and cultural facilities for the Ningbo Eastern New City. Each area of development exemplifies a sustainable ecological approach by treating and recycling surface run-off water, harvesting solar energy, and reducing the urban heat-island effect. SWA additionally implemented a sustainable hydrological design that allows water to be filtered and aerated effectively and retained for aquifer recharge. The design seeks to offer a link between humans and their environment, fostering a community relationship to water and opportunities for environmental and ecological education. By linking together the ecological network in this region, the Ningbo Eco-Corridor enhances public health, quality of life, and property values of local and neighboring communities, and encourages other cities in the region to support ecological components in their respective developments.
Bensonhurst Park
Bensonhurst Park is part of the larger Shore Parkway, an 816.1-acre collection of parks that stretches across Brooklyn and Queens. Today, the site provides a series of pathways, passive seating areas, recreational fields and a playground.
SWA/Balsley created a master plan for the redesign of the north end of the park and final design and construction doc...
Evelyn’s Park
In honor of their late matriarch Evelyn, the Rubenstein family donated a historically and geographically prominent five-acre tract on the busy Bellaire Boulevard and created a conservancy to fund a public park with primarily private funds, while engaging the public in its design and development. This park seeks to be reflective and adaptive to the local cultur...
Tangqiao Waterfront Park
The Tangqiao project is located along the east bank of Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai. The project consists of landscape areas in three financial-office parcels and one waterfront park parcel. The view of the site is remarkable, looking toward the landmark skyscrapers of Lujiazui Financial Center, Nanpu Bridge, the Bund, and the future Minsheng CBD.
...Exploration Green
The Clear Lake City Water Authority (CLCWA) identified the increased needs for water detention due to the development increase in this area and bought an unprofitable golf course in 2005. SWA was engaged to design and master-plan the effort’s detention pond. The plan’s goals included flood mitigation and water quality improvements, along with the establi...