DETAILS
What is now three miles of underutilized and neglected waterfront property is envisioned as a vibrant new mixed-use community, with a dramatic ribbon of riverfront parks and walkways that are intertwined with small neighborhoods and upland connections. A new open space system was conceived and given form as a critical component of the vision plan in which Thomas Balsley Associates participated with Cooper Robertson Partners, the city’s stakeholders, and Detroit’s Economic Development Corporation.
The 240-acre park experience ranges from broad, sweeping greenswards and state parks along a naturalized shoreline to large, interpretive grassland parks. Smaller social and active spaces for play, gatherings, and events enrich the park experience. All have been conceived of as common grounds for a new and diverse community, with river heritage narratives woven throughout in the language and culture of 21st century recreation. When completed, these parks will finally link Hart Plaza at the city’s downtown center to pastoral Belle Isle, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, and in doing so, reintroduce the citizens to their river and the world to a new image of Detroit.
Flushing Commons
This ten-acre mixed-use development with parks, plazas, and retail will become the center of social and retail activity in downtown Flushing. Driven mostly by an influx of immigrants from East Asia, Flushing is one of the fastest-growing and most diverse neighborhoods in the US. Abuzz with shopping and socializing at all hours of the day and evening, its stree...
Guiyang CBD
In the heart of Guizhou province lies China’s Forest City: Guiyang. Nestled on the banks of the Nanming River, today’s Guiyang is a vibrant metropolis poised to play a significant role in the rapid development of inland China. The Nanming Riverfront Cultural Central Business District Master Plan, led by SOM, leverages this potential and proposes Guiyang as the...
Next C
Next C Water City is a new, fully self-contained sustainable city planned for 500,000 residents. Water was central to the Next C planning concept, supplied by two adjacent rivers and monsoon rains. The city is a system of wetlands, rivers, lakes, and canals, cleansing the water from up-river communities and managing floods during the monsoon season. Working wi...
Queens West Open Space Master Plan
Queens West is a new mixed-use community planned for the Long Island City shoreline, directly across from midtown Manhattan and the United Nations. Central to its urban plan is an extensive open space system that includes upland and waterfront parks as well as streetscape. Beginning with conceptual plans the Thomas Balsley Associates team, together with Weintr...