Holly Street Studio & Floor Associates collaborated with the City of Tempe to create a long term road map for the Rio Salado Park. The resulting Master Plan project will guide both public and private development along a 4 mile stretch of the perimeter of Tempe Town Lake. Known as Rio Salado Park, it is a major component for the City as both a regional destination and neighborhood park.

 

In its current state, the Park conveys a mixed-bag of design outcomes, disparate activity zones, and is challenged by over-use and low capacities, accessibility constraints, and missing entry sequence from a pedestrian standpoint. In addition, the Park also lacks general amenities to support passive recreation and events for users at different times of the day. The Plan will help establish a vision for the future, which includes a robust stakeholder involvement process led by Diane Jacobs, AIA and Kristina Floor, FASLA. The project focuses on existing and proposed programmatic elements, including large and small scale performance spaces, a complete (and shaded) running, cycling & walking circuit, infrastructure for mini activity nodes along the perimeter, and distinct connections to adjacent neighborhoods, arts institutes, Arizona State University, and private development.

 

The RSMP has received wide ranging support from local neighborhood groups, City leadership and various public organizations. The HSS and Floor team continue to guide the process as it moves from public outreach to conceptual design to phased implementation.