Parks/Open Space

Midtown Park

Houston, Texas

Reclaiming vacant space for a livable Midtown

Houston’s Midtown district once suffered with an inhospitable urban environment and a lack of amenities beyond bars and large apartment buildings. As part of a larger renaissance in the City of Houston to reclaim and enliven vacant and public spaces to improve the quality of life for all its residents and businesses, a public-private partnership was formed to revitalize a 6-acre "superblock" in the Midtown district.

Today Midtown is more walkable, sustainable and connected. With the recent completion of Midtown Park, the once under-used lawn is now the three-acre centerpiece of the larger park system, activated with a performance pavilion, trails, marketplace, two restaurants, an arts garden, dog park and social game courts. Bayou-inspired water features bring nature to the city to provide respite and sustainable water management – all built on top of a public underground parking garage. Midtown Park is an early demonstration project for the ongoing development of a greener, more walkable Houston that proves that high-quality public spaces are a crucial ingredient for successful, livable cities.

Services Provided: Master Planning, Construction Administration & Observation, Signage & Wayfinding, Park Planning, Landscape Architecture, Cost Estimation, Public Facilitation & Outreach, Permitting

Awards

  • Planning Process Award, Parks & Natural Areas – Honorable Mention, H-GAC (Houston-Galveston Area Council)
  • Development of Distinction Award - Open Space Category, ULI Houston
  • Development of Distinction Award - People's Choice Award, ULI Houston
  • Honor Award, ASLA Texas

Client

Midtown Redevelopment Authority

Collaborators

Walter P. Moore, Urban Architecture, Water Design, Regenerative Environmental Design

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