The Aquatic Park and Pier Vision Study is a community-led effort examining new possibilities along San Francisco’s northern waterfront. Prompted by the need to replace the disintegrating Aquatic Park Pier — a historic, curvilinear structure that shelters shoreside water for swimmers and boaters — the Vision Study looks beyond the immediate boundaries of the Maritime National Park to envision ways in which the park and pier can better connect to the rest of the city and to its waterfront neighbor, Fort Mason. The study’s goals are to remediate infrastructure, improve accessibility and connectivity, and enhance visitors’ experience of this special waterfront site.
In partnership with National Parks agencies and community groups, the Vision Study process utilized a wide variety of outreach tools, including a video that employed “cartoon” renderings to encourage engagement from diverse participants. The resulting vision for Aquatic Park is documented in the study and will be used to secure funding, support future partnerships, and guide implementation of the vision.
Golden Shoal Riverfront Park
Located along Chongqing’s Jialing River, this new linear public park offered unique challenges: a 30-meter annual river fluctuation, steep topography, and low-impact maintenance of a continuous riparian corridor. Adjacent new urban development, with attendant needs for green space, called for a flexible and resilient approach to the park’s landscape and infras...
Riverside Park South
Located on the West Side of Manhattan on the scenic Hudson River shoreline, Riverside Park South is a massive, multiphase project of sweeping ambition and historic scope. Combining new green space, new infrastructure, and the renovation of landmark industrial buildings, the plan – originally devised by Thomas Balsley Associates in 1991 – is an extension of Fre...
Shenzhen Bay
Situated just across the bay from Hong Kong, the city of Shenzhen has transformed from a small fishing town of 30,000 to a booming city of over 10 million people in 40 years – and has grown over 200 times its original size since 1980. Along the way, the character of Shenzhen’s bayfront was radically altered. Over 65 km2 of marsh and shallow bay were filled to ...
Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park
Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park was envisioned as an international model of urban ecology and a world laboratory for innovative sustainable thinking. The project is a collaboration between Thomas Balsley Associates and WEISS/MANFREDI for the open space and park design with ARUP as the prime consultant and infrastructure designer.
What was once a ba...