Unity Park Ecological Design

Unity Park restores a 60-acre floodplain site while unifying, celebrating, and enhancing the quality of life for communities that have suffered racial and environmental injustice.

The Southernside, West Greenville, and Hampton neighborhoods of Greenville have suffered a history of racial segregation and environmental injustice. Located along the Reedy River, the area has been home to a stockade, an incinerator, a landfill, and recently the City’s garbage trucks and repair lot. Although the area contained two city parks, only one was historically accessible to African Americans. In 1939, the City reclaimed a portion of it to construct a baseball stadium in which African Americans were segregated to outfield seating.

In an effort to right a century-old wrong, the City of Greenville launched an initiative to create Unity Park, a green gathering space that links the formerly segregated parks, knits together Greenville’s diverse neighborhoods, creates opportunities for affordable housing, and restores beauty and function to the Reedy River. In addition to an observation tower symbolizing the city’s desire to look back at its past and forward to its future, the plan includes an outdoor event venue, a playground, an interactive water feature, a natural play area, and a pedestrian bridge and trail for strolling along a restored Reedy River.

As the ecological consultant on a design team led by MKSK, Biohabitats developed designs for stream and wetland restoration and provided recommendations to improve soils and native vegetation and manage stormwater and invasive species throughout the park. The final design regenerates ecological function that enhances habitat, water quality, and opportunities for residents to enjoy and safely access nature along the Reedy River.

TAGS

• Assessment+Monitoring
• Design
• Ecological Restoration