SWA prepared a land use and urban design plan for six miles of waterfront adjacent to downtown Long Beach. Through a series of meetings with local community stakeholders, we were able to determine the different needs of each district in the plan: of critical importance was the need to preserve valuable open space inland, and to maintain an ecological corridor for stormwater management along the shoreline. The resulting plan, endorsed by the California Coastal Commission, proposed improved road circulation, a continuous pedestrian boardwalk, marina and commercial development, and a 50-acre shoreline park. In addition to recommendations related to building density and height restrictions to preserve view corridors, SWA proposed several strategies for improving access to the coast from different points within the city. Specifically, we proposed a major new pedestrian spine linking downtown to the bay with provisions for new high-density office and residential development. Following approval of the plan, SWA was hired to perform more detailed studies of downtown development in support of the new convention center arena, performing arts center, Hyatt Regency hotel, and the Shoreline Village. The important recommendations made by SWA are still evident today in the distinct qualities of Long Beach’s downtown and shoreline neighborhoods.
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park has been heralded as Tampa’s missing “here” and the crown jewel in the city’s Riverwalk, a bold urban plan conceived to reactivate the Hillsboro River and downtown Tampa. The master plan sets the park as the district’s focal point, positioning the Riverwalk, museums, and park buildings to the park and the waterfront. The plan...
Shekou Promenade
A gateway for China’s open-door policy, Shekou has revitalized its fragmented and hazardous coastline into a dynamic six-kilometer promenade that masterfully captures the area’s cultural and natural essence.
The promenade repurposes the disconnected former industrial waterfront into a celebrated open space system with new recreation programs...
Hangzhou Hubin
West Lake in Hangzhou, China, one of the world’s most romantic places and as familiar an icon as the Great Wall or the Forbidden City, has been designated by the United Nations as one of the World Cultural Heritage Sites. Seven hundred years later, the city that served ancient emperors as a capitol boasts a population of over three million and is still a...
Hangzhou Grand Canal
For centuries, the Beijing-Hangzhou’s Grand Canal – a staggering 1,000 linear miles which remain the world’s longest man-made waterway – was a lifeline for commerce and communication. The water’s edge was necessary for trade, a logical place to live, and often a driver of innovation. However, as with many waterfronts globally, it eventually fell victim to the...