In 1999 Harris County Commissioners
began a 3 year process to transform the
250 acre Astrodomain complex, to include
the new Reliant Stadium along with major
convention and exhibition facilities. Astrodomain
had been a sea of asphalt parking lots between
massive building facilities – a testament
to the primacy of the automobile in the
community. The capital improvement program
offered a unique opportunity to re-think
the image of this Houston landmark. With
involvement and support of a number of civic
organizations, the landscape architects
prepared a report ‘Greening Reliant
Park’ describing opportunities and
strategies for achieving the required 25,000
parking spaces and enhancing the parking
lots to be a greener, more attractive and
enjoyable environment. The report documented
principles used around the country for ‘green
parking’, including alternative pavements,
planting and pedestrian ways. ‘Before’
and ‘After’ images illustrated
how those principles could be applied to
Reliant Park, with proposed improvements
indicated by hand sketching over photographs
of existing conditions.
The report galvanized community support
for ‘greening’ the Reliant Park
grounds and set the stage for project-specific
improvements as part of the capital program.
One immediate benefit was the relocation
of numerous large trees slated for demolition
and their use in a pedestrian corridor through
the parking lots. It was key for the report
to distinguish clearly which improvements
would be included within the immediate capital
projects and which would require an ongoing
commitment from the community to realize.
Jim Patterson led this project as Principal-in-Charge
at Knudson & Associates. Images used
by permission. |
