The Pearl River Delta has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past four decades, evolving from farmland to a global manufacturing and technology powerhouse. Amid the frenetic pulse of this sprawling megalopolis of 86 million people, Sanshan Hillside Park stands as a mountaintop oasis.
Envisioned as New Town’s Central Park, the design embraces the very infrastructure that defines the region’s growth by utilizing Sanshan Mountain’s existing topography and ecosystem to create thematic zones. A wilderness belt encircles the mountain, protecting sensitive natural slopes, while a web of trails provides access to park amenities, including a library, café, elevated canopy walk, and water gardens. The space beneath the high-speed rail bridge has been reclaimed as a public fitness area, and a hilltop observation deck offering visitors the unique experience of “train spotting.” Clever landscaping and strategic vegetation placement mitigate transportation noise.
Aligning with “Sponge City” guidelines, pond drainage swales and rain gardens improve water quality and reduce flood risk. The “Resiliency Edge” connects the park to urban neighborhoods through a system of lakes, waterways, and seasonal rain gardens, doubling as drainage infrastructure.
The park’s commitment to preservation, reuse, and enriching cultural spaces provides a refuge where health and wellness are prioritized. Here, visitors can truly appreciate sweeping views of the region while enjoying a respite from urban life.
Guangming OCT Trail
With its grand landscape views, Guangming Trail is both a green, healthy “slow circulation” system in an urban area, and an exemplar of innovation and sustainability. The trail’s topography changes as it progresses through mountains, valleys, hills, and farms. By considering vegetation, habitats, hydrology, and topography, sites with high value and potential w...
Buffalo Bayou Park
This thoroughly renovated, 160-acre public space deploys a vigorous agenda of urban ecological services and improved pedestrian accessibility, with two new bridges connecting surrounding neighborhoods. The design utilizes channel stabilization techniques, enhancing the bayou’s natural meanders and offering increased resiliency against floodwaters while preserv...
San Jacinto Plaza
SWA’s redesign of San Jacinto Plaza, a historic gathering place in El Paso’s downtown business district provides a state-of-the-art urban open space, while protecting and celebrating the history and culture of the site. The project was the result of an intensive community process involving input from a wide range of constituents. Active programming, environmen...
Lianjiang Park
Located between a mountain and river in rapidly growing Changsha, Lianjiang Park commands a critical juncture between city, nature, and a changing way of life. While the Lianjiang region had always been intimately linked to the water, recent urban development has resulted in a significant loss of wetlands, habitats, and the culture they give rise to.
In...