Jersey City is bounded by the scenic Hudson to the east, lined with high rises and waterfront parks offering views of Manhattan, and the often-overlooked Hackensack to the west, featuring wetlands, industry, and degraded post-industrial sites. The Bayfront Redevelopment Master Plan aims to transform a formerly contaminated 100-acre site on the Hackensack River into a model of sustainable and equitable development. Upon completion, Bayfront will feature 8,000 residential units, 35% of which will be affordable, 340,000 square feet of commercial space, an intermodal transportation hub with light rail and water taxi service, 19 acres of public open space, and a publicly accessible waterfront. This project is set to be the largest mixed-income development in the Tri-State Area.
The interdisciplinary team led by Perkins Eastman, including SWA and Moffat & Nichol, aimed to ensure the master plan benefits not only future residents but also serves as a catalyst for economic revitalization of Jersey City’s underserved westside, reconnecting diverse neighborhoods to the Hackensack riverfront. The planning process involved extensive engagement with community groups, including the Bayfront Advisory Committee, and coordination with multiple city and state agencies.
The centerpiece is a half-mile waterfront park with two primary nodes, piers, docks for maritime activity, and newly created marshlands to absorb rising tides, improve water quality, and provide habitat. Two linear parks, built atop engineered caps isolating contaminated soil, connect upland neighborhoods to the riverfront. The Central Park serves as the main access corridor, featuring a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Route 440, protected bikeways, trails, and recreational areas. The Promenade Park offers more passive programming for the prominently residential district. Both parks provide continuous green spaces while adhering to soil depth and loading limitations to protect the underlying cap system.
Wusong Riverfront
Kunshan, China, located near Shanghai, has experienced unprecedented population and business growth in recent years which has resulted in environmental degradation and the need for the city to reshape its identity. SWA’s proposal aims to create a new waterfront district providing businesses as well as residents with public amenities and viable open space. The ...
Aitken Place Park
Aitken Place Park is at the heart of Toronto’s East Bayfront Community – an area transformed from an underutilized industrial brownfield into a vibrant waterfront neighborhood. Flanked by the residential development to the west and the commercial buildings to the north, the park’s water’s edge location creates a unique destination that invites residents, touri...
Embankment Square
The Embankment Square is located along the east bank of the Huangpu River in Shanghai. The project consists of landscape areas in three 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 Minsheng CBD.
The design concept c...
Kula Belgrade
The landscape of the St. Regis Belgrade creates a dynamic public space at the nexus of several major roadways and the city’s bike and pedestrian waterfront path. Drawing from Belgrade’s urban culture, natural context, and layered history, the design introduces a central urban waterfront space at the heart of Kula Belgrade, celebrating a new destination for the...