Buffalo Bayou Masterplan
Location: Houston, Texas
Date Completed: June 2002
Client: Buffalo Bayou Partnership, City of Houston, Texas, Harris County Flood Control District.

New boathouse, ponds, wetlands and parks in the Western Bayou

As part of the EcoPlan team, Dodson Associates, Ltd. created an environmental, recreational and urban design masterplan for an eight mile river corridor running through the center of Houston, Texas. Dodson Associates was responsible for landscape, recreational, environmental and open space issues. Through an extensive public participation process, the consultant team developed a vision for the river corridor featuring environmental restoration of the river, enhanced recreational and boating opportunities, flood management strategies, urban design recommendations for the river's edge, improved public access and enhanced activities and mixed use commercial development at key spots along the waters edge. The $1.4 million study was completed in the spring of 2002.

Dodson Associates explored solutions for the Bayou that include widening the floodplain, creating wetlands, marshes and riparian areas and expanding wildlife habitats. The plan introduces new environmentally sensitive design solutions and new technologies for dealing with problems of urban pollution and environmental degradation.

Green Fingers low-impact development section perspective. Rooftop gardens, cisterns and bio-filters retain and cleanse storm water runoff. Click image for full size view.

Dodson Associates recommended low-impact development strategies that deal with storm water run-off on site to greatly reduce stormwater runoff and improve water quality. One of these strategies involved the creation of "Green Fingers" - new stream corridors extending into derelict areas of the city. The corridors include a series of tributary settling pools where storm water and river water is slowed down and allowed to be purified. These "Green Fingers" extend into the neighborhoods, linking the Bayou with the existing city park system and neighborhood streets. "Green Streets" running perpendicular to the Bayou bring residents to its banks and nearby parks. By interlacing green and urban environments, the rehabilitation of the Buffalo Bayou is interconnected with the improvement of its nearby neighborhoods and streets.

New flood control canals are people-friendly. This sketch illustrates the proposed canal and river walk.

Dodson Associates also proposed the reclamation of the Bayou as the recreational and scenic spine of Houston. The Master Plan proposes parks, continuous walking and biking trails, outdoor theaters and usable, people-scaled spaces that invite exploration and play near and in their river. By creating a Bayou that is accessible to pedestrians and usable for recreation, the city gains an invaluable resource and visual amenity. Changing the physical appearance of the Buffalo Bayou will bring about a change in the civic image of Houston that will be integral to the city's revitalization.

 

Dodson Associates created visual simulations that allow us to envision what our designs would actually look like. Houston's Buffalo Bayou suffers from flooding, pollution, habitat loss, dis-investment and industrial decline. Click image for full size view.

Parks, waterfront recreation, habitat restoration, stormwater management and flood control create a healthy, revitalized bayou. Click image for full size view.