The Design Behind St. Louis' Downtown Park

Landscape Architecture Magazine looks at the design behind the new downtown art park in St. Louis and calls it a "hybrid oasis" in the city.

1 minute read

April 15, 2010, 8:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


George Hazelrigg, ASLA, offers this detailed look at the park's design and development in a historically underutilized and forgettable plot of downtown real estate.

"The city's regional geography, notably its two great rivers-the Mississippi and the Missouri-and their tributaries and limestone outcrops, informed the design from the beginning, as did the downtown's urban grid and mapped reminders of earlier property lines, building foundation walls, and alleyways. During an on-site interview last July, Byrd said that one lesson learned from the experience was not to try to force your design, but rather to look as deep as you can into the locale and the region. 'If you bring these out,' he said, 'you can do some pretty remarkable things.'

Early on, the design team decided on a tripartite division of the garden into east–west bands. The northern 'river bluffs' band consists of a series of urban terraces beginning at the site's eastern end, where the park's café extends into a terrace with pool overlooking the lower garden. It ends at the site's highest point, a 'mound' reaching 10 feet above street level at the western end and covered with 70 river birch trees."

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 in Landscape Architecture

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Bluebird sitting on branch of green bush.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire

Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

30 minutes ago - AP News

1984 Olympics

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles

LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

1 hour ago - Newsweek

Close-up on woman in white and blue striped knee-length dress standing next to mint green cruiser bike resting against low wrought iron fence in front of green lawn.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.

2 hours ago - domus

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.