Groundwork Studio had the pleasure of collaborating on the Gallinas River Park rural design workshop and master plan development for the Project for Public Spaces Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design.The team helped lead community workshop activities and design development of the park master plan in direct response to community input. The three-day workshop included walking tours, model-building and visioning activities, a community-led symposium, prioritization planning and a “design blitz” to create a comprehensive conceptual plan for the entire river park.

The final design divides the park into four phased areas: La Merced, El Ejido, La Resolana, and La Bienvenida. Named by community members, each area has its own distinct character and purpose. The names and programming for each area emerged from environmental and cultural characteristics and desires for each place. As the boundary that has historically separated the City of Las Vegas, the development of the Gallinas River Park brings an opportunity to not only improve ecological and community health, but also to build important social connections and common ground. The plans were well received and celebrated by the community.

After the workshop concluded, Groundwork Studio assisted Hermit’s Peak Watershed Alliance in the development of phased project scoping, fees and construction cost estimations. This effort that was instrumental in helping the City of Las Vegas obtain state capital outlay funding for Phase I construction documents. The team also helped the Gallinas River Park Collaborative in the implementation of a community-painted 3D floating crosswalk on Prince St.