Stretching 35 miles from the mouth of the Houston Ship Channel westward through residential, commercial and institutional developments, Brays Bayou is one of the most important waterways in Harris County, and a critical link in the area’s watershed. The $450-million project was first established in the early 2000s, with the goal of mitigating flood damage. Initially, SWA was charged with increasing the existing channel’s capacity and developing design guidelines for architectural and open space character throughout the corridor.
The initial Brays Greenway Framework identified a broad set of recreational and open-space opportunities for target programs from its mouth at Buffalo Bayou (the Ship Channel) to the Barker Reservoir (George Bush Park) in the west. Comprehensive implementation of program elements eventually led to a vision for the greenway that moved beyond its individual components toward the creation of a cherished regional waterway that also acts as a flood-damage-reduction project, protecting homes, businesses, and institutions. Strategies included channel widening and regional detention basins, which laid the groundwork for recreation improvements within the channel’s right-of-way. SWA’s recommendations encompassed land acquisition strategies, bridge constructions/enhancements, trail construction, landscaping, and other amenities.
SWA worked with a large team of specialists researching funding mechanisms, organizational structures, community coalitions, design concepts, property acquisition, and surplus property, among other strategies. Partners included universities, parks departments, green space advocacy groups, and private companies, with whom SWA worked in concert toward providing access, recreation, and connection for the entire length of the Bayou.
Guthrie Green Park
Guthrie Green transforms a 2.6-acre truck yard into a lively urban park in the heart of downtown Tulsa’s emerging arts district. Opened in September 2012, Guthrie Green has become the area’s leading destination, drawing 3,000 plus people weekly to activities that have enriched the urban experience and spurred district-wide revitalization. The high-performance ...
Sands Bethworks
One of the most prominent examples of redirecting the environmental legacy of a post-industrial landscape can be traced to the south banks of the Lehigh Canal, in the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Comprising 1,800 acres (20 of which belong to this project) and 20 percent of Bethlehem’s total land mass is the former headquarters of Bethlehem Steel Corporatio...
Sims Bayou
The story of Sims Bayou is based on a large vision. The project is the first step in implementing a long-range plan for watershed greenbelts in the Houston region, a comprehensive system which addresses the potential for parks, wildlife habitat, and economic real estate revitalization while also controlling flooding. The Sims Bayou project has profoundly chang...
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...