Enhancement of a historic waterway into a resilient public greenspace.

Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston, Texas is a 160-acre park and a critical urban green space located in one of Houston’s primary drainage ways, Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s major and most historic waterway.

Buffalo Bayou Park is a great example of resilient infrastructure.

2019 Selection Committee

Submitted for consideration to the RBA by its master planner SWA Group, this 2.3-mile-long urban park turned the under-used land underneath highway overpasses into a lush, diversely-programmed public space.

Using Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s 2002 Buffalo Bayou and Beyond Master Plan, created by Thompson Design Group, as a guide, Buffalo Bayou Park project has restored the area to a more natural and self-sustaining state, reintroduced native landscapes, and added amenities to enhance safety and convenience for visitors.