Bayou Greenways Park
Bayou Greenways Park is a celebration of Houston’s relationship with its bayous. Known as the ‘Bayou City,’ Houston has a conflicted relationship with these waterways.
The Challenge
The Houston Parks Board launched Bayou Greenways 2020, a project to transform these flood-prone sluggish streams into 167 miles of parks and pathways.
The interconnected web along the city’s waterways provides green connectivity within 1.5 miles of 1.5 million Houstonians.
Project Vision
Bayou Greenways Park opened in 2021 as the capstone project to highlight the greenway system and honor hundreds of contributors.
Bounded by a freeway and a concrete-lined bayou, the park inserts nature and poetry into the city. Reclaimed from an overgrown spoil pile, this unique park offers a green respite to trail users and nearby residents.
Houston Parks Board
Final stanza of the poem at the berm overlooking the skyline and bayou. The quiet, wooded hillside, unexpected skyline views and urban poetry stand in contrast to otherwise harsh surroundings
White Oak Studio, Landscape Architect
A poetry stanza integrated into a landscape of existing trees supplemented with native grasses, understory trees, and shrubs lining the way.
Minor Design, Graphic Design
Poetry stanza
Design & Execution
The lynchpin of the park is the ecopoetry commissioned by local poet Martha Serpas to heighten awareness and encourage deeper reflection of the surroundings.
As a native of the gulf coast region concerned with environmental issues, her poem is specific to the site. The poetry is incrementally revealed, each stanza presented in expressive laser-cut galvanized steel typography— with the final stanza at the hilltop plaza. This promontory reveals stunning skyline views, a new perspective on an urban freeway, and tree-lined views of the bayou. The mission was achieved to create an aspirational moment to reflect on the city and bayou system from a pinnacle in Houston.
Minor Design, Graphic Design
The poem in stanzas as the viewer moves up the slope towards the final stanza on the berm features the eco poetry of Martha Serpas.
Minor Design, Graphic Design
Etched map in concrete with the bayous of Houston as they wend their way to Galveston Bay. The disks indicate park locations on the bayou.
Minor Design, Graphic Design
Gateway signage from the hike bike trail.
White Oak Studio, Landscape Architect
Rugged steel railings integrate donor recognition, displaying major contributor names on waterjet-cut steel panels.
Slideshow
Bayou Greenways Park
White Oak Studio, Landscape Architect
Ecopoetry stanzas along the walkway. Rather than screen views and muffle freeway sounds, the park embraces its unique and unexpected gritty urban circumstances.
Houston Parks Board
Final stanza of the poem at the berm overlooking the skyline and bayou. The quiet, wooded hillside, unexpected skyline views and urban poetry stand in contrast to otherwise harsh surroundings
White Oak Studio, Landscape Architect
A poetry stanza integrated into a landscape of existing trees supplemented with native grasses, understory trees, and shrubs lining the way.
Minor Design, Graphic Design
Poetry stanza
Minor Design, Graphic Design
The poem in stanzas as the viewer moves up the slope towards the final stanza on the berm features the eco poetry of Martha Serpas.
Minor Design, Graphic Design
Etched map in concrete with the bayous of Houston as they wend their way to Galveston Bay. The disks indicate park locations on the bayou.
Minor Design, Graphic Design
Gateway signage from the hike bike trail.
White Oak Studio, Landscape Architect
Rugged steel railings integrate donor recognition, displaying major contributor names on waterjet-cut steel panels.