Independence Landing Waterfront Park Under Construction

Greenworks is honored to be working with the City of Independence to implement the vision set forth in the Open Space Master Plan completed in 2015. The current work on Independence Landing improves a key piece of public waterfront located immediately south of Riverview Park, the flagship of the Independence park system. Designed in tandem with the large waterfront re-development on the old Valley Concrete Site, Independence Landing is one piece in a larger orchestrated effort to revitalize downtown Independence and support commercial growth.

Conceived of as an extension of Riverview Park, Independence landing will offer users a number of passive recreation opportunities. Included in the plan are a waterfront multi-use trail with a river overlook, a shaded patio and lawn space able to accommodate flexible programming, a sizable restoration planting area braided by soft surface trails and a grove of shade trees in which the user can find informal, private seating areas. This implementation of the Open Space Master Plan sets the stage for the continued expansion of improved public waterfront southward along the Willamette River and strengthens the downtown, pedestrian connections to the waterfront.

The success of this project has been a measure of how well the project team has worked together. Shawn Irvine and David Clyne with the City of Independence and Steve Ward with Westech Engineering have been instrumental in guiding the design process, representing the diverse community of Independence and streamlining the construction of this exciting new park space.

Gateway Green Featured on Bermstyle Blog

Thanks to Portland Parks and Recreation, Friends of Gateway Green (FoGG) and the hard work of community partner groups like Northwest Trail Alliance, exciting developments continue to unfold at Gateway Green. The park, which opened last June, offers singletrack trails, a bike skills area, gravity area, and a cyclocross course, and has been celebrated by Portland’s mountain biking community as Portland’s first mountain bike park. It’s even been featured on bike blogs, such as Bermstyle (check out the latest here).As GreenWorks continues to work with Gateway Green stakeholders to see the project through its next phase of development, it’s great to see how the park is already being embraced, enjoyed, and invested in by the community. Visit our Works page to learn more about GreenWorks’ involvement with Gateway Green.

Westmoreland Featured at Design Museum Mornings

GreenWorks is excited to partner with Design Museum Portland to host "Nature Play in the City" this Friday, March 2 from 8:30-10:00am at the Center for Architecture. The event will include a brief networking session with free breakfast, followed by a short presentation by GreenWorks' Associate Landscape Architect Ben Johnson on the Westmoreland Nature-Based Play Area. Exploring how natural playscapes are designed and created in an urban environment, Ben will discuss Westmoreland's features including structures that exercise sustainable practices and double as play objects, from salvaged concrete re-purposed for water play elements and many salvaged logs for climbing features and custom benches.

Westmoreland Nature-Based Play Area opened in 2014 and has been embraced by children and adults alike, earning the ASLA Oregon Honor Award and a feature in Design & Play!

Interested in attending the upcoming Design Museum Morning with GreenWorks? We'd love to see you there. Learn more and reserve your tickets today!

City of Hermiston Breaks Ground on New Festival Street

The City of Hermiston celebrated the groundbreaking of their new festival street this week! Serving as a central gateway into downtown Hermiston, and a cornerstone for the city, the NE 2nd plaza will help stimulate economic development as well as enhance community engagement by providing a space for public programming such as farmer's markets and art festivals. GreenWorks worked with Anderson Perry & Associates and a committee of local business owners to provide preliminary design concepts for the street. Construction on phase one of the project should be complete by Memorial Day.

Graphic rendering by Michael Corrente.

Gill Williams, PLA, ASLA Joins GreenWorks

Gill Williams recently joined GreenWorks as a Principal of the firm. Gill has 24 years of professional landscape architecture experience focused on open space projects, natural areas and public parks, urban redevelopment, and transit-related design. His knowledge of the construction industry, methods and materials gives him the insight to develop creative solutions that are buildable and cost effective. He teams across disciplines to forge holistic, sustainable solutions to complex problems with longevity and durability as priorities. Many of Gill’s projects have required extensive public involvement process where he excels at facilitating a meaningful dialogue to positively influence projects that respond to the needs and goals of the public and project stakeholders. Private and public sector clients alike have cited his proficiency and straightforward approach to project management and construction documentation. We are excited to have Gill join our team!

Making Sustainable Connections Through Food Parks

Cities, farms and parks are often considered separate entities, but Robin Craig of GreenWorks and Mark Davison of Metro have found a way to bring these experiences together in the form of "Food Parks." Read more about these spaces on the Intertwine's website at http://theintertwine.org/blog/food-parks-connect-city-farm-and-nature.

Happy Holidays from GreenWorks!

We wish you a wonderful Holiday Season and a happy New Year!

Westmoreland Nature Play Receives Honor Award

Westmoreland Nature Play was recently recognized by the Oregon Chapter of ASLA with an Honor Award for design. We would like to thank our entire team for all their contributions. Thanks especially to Portland Parks and Recreation for their support and desire to connect kids with nature.

This Saturday -- Westmoreland Park Grand Reopening and Salmon Celebration!

GreenWorker Volunteers for The Columbia Land Trust

The Columbia Land Trust recently enlisted the ALSA Emerging Professionals, the American Planning Association, and other volunteer groups to participate in the Schoolhouse Creek fish and wildlife habitat improvement effort. The event educated volunteers on the creek’s hydrology while promoting stewardship and restoration to youth participants. The most satisfying parts of the event included scenic views of the wetland, surveying the 3-acre site tree plantings, and removing invasive blackberry. Be sure to check out upcoming volunteer opportunities and educational events with the Columbia Land Trust here: http://www.columbialandtrust.org/get-involved/