Austin, Texas

Waller Creek is a diamond in the rough. Flood-prone and neglected, this 1.5 mile riparian corridor had become the ill-treated, unknown and unloved and sometimes dangerous back-alley space behind buildings which rudely turned their backs. The creek, which runs parallel to I-35 downtown, has had a history of dangerous and sometimes fatal floods. The city of Austin initially sought to control runoff by building a tunnel that flows into Lady Bird Lake. The $146.5 million project is expected to open 28 acres of downtown to development. To take advantage of the new green space enhanced by better drainage, the city ran an invited international design competition in 2012. Ken Greenberg is part of a team led by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates selected by the City and the Waller Creek Conservancy to guide this transformation.

Seen with fresh eyes its transformation will produce a unique and remarkable oasis-like ribbon of green through the heart of Austin that will become a place of pride for locals and a must-see destination for visitors. Its sinuous path, changing width and varied topography will produce a landscape of extraordinary diversity and a amazing range of call and response interactions with the city fabric it traverses. Waller Creek’s newfound identity as a “park” will delight and invite users while drawing life and activity to it.  As it shifts from a barrier to new common ground, it will extend its reach into adjoining blocks, spurring complementary moves and boosting sociability and economic vitality in the surrounding fabric of re-emerging neighborhoods.