In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Houston was compelled to reassess community preparedness. The 37-acre Alief Center, situated in one of the city’s most culturally diverse areas, addresses longstanding issues of disinvestment and environmental injustice while fostering physical and social resilience.
Elevated above the 100-year floodplain, the Center unites four city departments under one roof, creating a multifaceted community hub that functions as both a daily resource and disaster resilience center. The large, shaded porch serves as a flexible gathering space, embodying a “civic front porch” concept while maintaining street-level connectivity.
Forested basins and bioswales form a natural necklace to manage stormwater, while preserved woodlands and native plantings combat the urban heat island effect. The multi-generational community enjoys diverse recreational facilities, including playgrounds, sports courts, a skate park, and a public pool. Unique features enhance the site’s appeal, such as a wheelchair-accessible community garden, Houston’s first park climbing wall dubbed “Mount Alief,” and a network of trails connecting various “outdoor rooms” designed for workouts, events, and educational classes.
As cities worldwide confront climate change and social inequality, the Alief Center demonstrates how infrastructure investments can address multiple urban challenges. As the first key hub in Houston’s Resilience Master Plan, its performance in disaster scenarios and long-term community outcomes will inform future climate strategies across the city.
Temple City Playgrounds
Ten miles east of Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, Temple City sought to upgrade its aging parks and existing playgrounds into safe and welcoming spaces for community members of all ages. SWA worked with the city to host a community engagement workshop focused on renovating two city playgrounds: Live Oak Park, the city’s largest park, span...
Elk Grove Civic Center
SWA’s design for this community resource improves upon part of a 56-acre master plan with a civic center campus set within a beautiful park, and an added public outdoor commons. The pedestrian-friendly commons weaves new buildings together with mature trees and an outdoor living space linking together a community center, an aquatics center, and a future librar...
Portsmouth Square
Portsmouth Square is the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown: the main civic park for all community festivals and events as well as an important day-to-day outdoor living room for the community. Centered in the densest community in the United States west of the Hudson River, the park plays a critical role in the health and well-being of the local residents, ove...
Terry Hershey Park
The park design includes a one-mile hike and bike trail system, a pedestrian underpass linking the park to an existing trail system, bridges over the creek, and automobile parking. Gabions were used as an environmentally friendly means of slope retention in a floodway and as a tool for creating places for people to enjoy the wooded environment. Sinuous banks a...