FROM FLOOD TO FUN
01 Dec 2016
Set to become America’s largest urban nature park, Trinity River Park will be constructed in Dallas, Texas over 10,000 acres, offering ample public recreation and a sustainable stormwater solution for the flood prone city.
Dallas, Texas is about to become one of the greenest cities in America by building the country’s largest urban nature park. Dallas’ new “Nature District” will comprise a staggering 10,000 acres, including 7000 acres of the Great Trinity Forest.
Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Trinity River Park will revitalise a Dallas floodplain, transforming it into a lush green public recreation space. The park will provide visitors with access to playgrounds, lawns, and riverside trails.
The design aims to enhance the natural beauty of the area while minimising damage caused by flooding in Dallas. Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates said they worked with government engineers to ensure the infrastructural soundness of the floodplain so that the park transforms flooding “from a natural disaster into a breathtaking spectacle.”
Forming the “Nature District”, 1000 additional acres of the Great Trinity Forest have already been developed into a golf club, the Texas Horse Park, and the Trinity River Audubon Center, which boasts a nature centre for kids and event spaces. The new Trinity River Park will become a part of this area.
A $50 million donation gave the Trinity River Park project a boost in late October, and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said the park will “redefine Dallas for the 21st century.”
Another ambitious green project in Dallas is the Trinity Strand Trail, which will connect 73 miles of trails. The first two and a half trail miles opened last year, and plans are in the works to add more miles and connect the existing Katy Trail with the Trinity River.
