The Red Electric Trail is coming along. Steel sections of Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) pedestrian and bicycle bridge between SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and SW Capitol Highway were lifted into place last week. The bridge is a critical segment of the Red Electric Trail system.

Gateway Green, the park built within a Portland interchange, just won Oregon Recreation & Park Association and APWA Oregon awards!

We talked with a few of the people instrumental to its creation and even convinced a GreenWorks landscape architect to show off his mountain biking skills.

We’re delighted to share that GreenWorks Associate Principal Jennifer D'Avanzo, PLA, PWS has been named a Daily Journal of Commerce Oregon Woman of Vision. Join us in celebrating with Jennifer at an October 28th event at the Oregon Zoo!

“Women of Vision is the region’s preeminent recognition and educational program that supports the women who are shaping the built environment with their technical skill, leadership, mentoring, community involvement and the creation of opportunities for the future generation of women in the industries.” - DJC Oregon

The sad news of Confluence founder Jane Jacobsen’s passing this spring caused us to reflect on our time working with her and the project as a whole. In the three-decade history of GreenWorks, Confluence has been one of our favorite clients. It’s an expansive and ambitious set of “art landscapes” designed by Maya Lin and implemented by artists and professional service firms from around the region. GreenWorks is proud to have played a part in creating many of those landscapes.

Last week, GreenWorks Landscape Architect and Project Manager Ben Johnson traveled to Orcas Island in Washington to attend the dedication of the Village Green Nature Play space. It’s located in the town of Eastsound, the largest community on Orcas Island, at the mid-point of the 57-square-mile island.

GreenWorks was hired by San Juan County Parks to design the playground in the Village Green, at the heart of Eastsound Village. It’s a civic open space home to a weekly farmers market and community events. The nature play areas will be the first for San Juan County’s park system.

GreenWorks attended the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Tamarack Park at Reed’s Crossing on Friday, June 30. The event was hosted by the City of Hillsboro and Brookfield, formerly Newland Communities, a public/private partnership responsible for the project. GreenWorks worked with both entities on the design for the park from concept through construction documentation.

Each year in East Portland, more than 65 million people whiz right by Portland’s newest urban bike park in cars and trains. It’s a thin, 25-acre island of trees and meadows that undulates in the center of eleven lanes of traffic, four entrance and exit ramps, the TriMet Red line, Union Pacific freight train tracks, and the I-205 multi-use path. With so much transit happening around it, you’d think the land that’s now known as Gateway Green would be useless.

But visit the park and you’ll immediately realize it’s a treasure. This is because the site was reimagined with the help of a nearly twenty-year effort that began with two community members who saw the opportunity to reuse a piece of the "right-of-way" land to make East Portland better. Interest in the site touched so many different agencies that the Oregon Governor's office got involved to help smooth the way for the project's success.

Earlier this week members of the GreenWorks team traveled to Wenatchee, Washington to facilitate a full-day public open house and “pizza party” to solicit input from community members to gain insight as we develop a long-range master plan for Wenatchee Riverfront Park.

This work is sponsored by the Chelan Public Utility District (PUD) in partnership with the City of Wenatchee. The work is also being supported by the Riverfront Park Advisory Committee, a group of key stakeholders and highly engaged community members.

On Thursday, June 24th, the City of Estacada had a Groundbreaking Ceremony for the construction of Wade Creek Park Phase 3. The ceremony was kicked off by Mayor Drinkwine followed by the Parks Commission, Library Board, funders, and the City Manager, Denise Carey.

“It is very exciting to finally see the project site break ground,” Landscape Architect and project manager for GreenWorks, Jennifer D’Avanzo said.

Wade Creek Park Phase Three, designed by GreenWorks and Otak, converts a man-made pond to a flowing stream and creates a community building, trails and boardwalks, a picnic shelter, habitat plantings, pollinator gardens, and an overlook.

When GreenWorks began our work, we saw the need for smart design and truly sustainable solutions to pressing problems. Since 1987, we have been privileged to be a part of the Portland Design community.

After a year of global pandemic and increasing climate change, one thing is becoming even more clear to me: The practice of landscape architecture is vital because it connects people with nature. The functions and values of parks, trails, and open space were highlighted over the last year of quarantine, devastating wildfires, and a barrage of grim and sad news. We all needed places to exercise, pause, reflect, and recharge. Some of us are fortunate to have gardens that meet some of these needs but all of us can use some time in the trees to recharge.