H-GAC Recognizes Houston Parks Board’s Greens Bayou Greenway Connection

Houston Parks Board honored for innovative approach to parks planning and implementation along Greens Bayou Greenway

Houston Parks Board is pleased to announce a key connection along Greens Bayou Greenway was selected for recognition in the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) annual Parks and Natural Areas Award Program.

H-GAC established the Parks and Natural Areas awards program in 2006 to highlight best practices and innovative approaches to parks planning and implementation. H-GAC honors projects in the categories of Projects Over $500,000, Projects Under $500,000, Planning Process, and Policy Tools.

“We are honored that our work along Greens Bayou Greenway is being recognized,” said Beth White, President and CEO of Houston Parks Board. “This particular trail project improved access through the City of Houston’s Brock Park and is the nexus of the Halls Bayou and Greens Bayou Greenway system which are part of our Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative.”

In December 2019, Houston Parks Board completed a key linkage between the Halls Bayou Greenway, Greens Bayou Greenway, and City of Houston’s Brock Park. By installing a 460-linear foot bridge, the Greens Bayou trail segment connected the north and south sides of Brock Park across Halls Bayou. This new connection drastically expanded recreation and transportation options for people in nearby neighborhoods in the Northeast Houston community. Clark Condon served as landscape architect for the project and was responsible for design.

“Clark Condon was pleased to work with the Houston Parks Board on the Greens Bayou Greenway. This trail segment further increased access to bayou systems for Houstonians, a major component of the Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative. The trail traverses an existing forest that was previously inaccessible, providing an immersive, nature-driven experience for users,” said Mary Keilers, Principal Owner at Clark Condon and project manager for the Greens Bayou Greenway project.

Bayou Greenways 2020 is a public-private partnership between the nonprofit Houston Parks Board, the City of Houston, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department. The initiative is implemented in close collaboration with the Harris County Flood Control District, which manages the county’s bayous and creeks for drainage and flood risk reduction. Bayou Greenways 2020 will transform 3,000 acres of underutilized land along nine major waterways and create a 150-mile network of connected parks and trails along Houston’s major waterways.

Thanks to Kinder Foundation’s visionary leadership and transformational gift, as well as the extraordinary generosity of the Hildebrand Foundation, Houston Endowment, The Brown Foundation Inc. and many other Houstonians, Houston Parks Board has surpassed its goal of assembling more than $225 million to invest in Bayou Greenways. The fundraising journey began in 2012 when Houston voters resoundingly approved a bond to provide $100 million in funds to the Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative. Houston Parks Board has since more than matched this number through a $125 million capital campaign.

Projects recognized by this awards program are selected by a panel of expert judges and industry professionals. Houston Parks Board and other winners were honored during an online celebration on February 5.

For more information about Greens Bayou Greenway and Bayou Greenways 2020 visit https://houstonparksboard.org/about/bayou-greenways-2020.

For more information about H-GAC’s Parks and Natural Area Awards, visit https://link.edgepilot.com/s/e6e686ab/hdFBMkL5IESuCLE3zMu44A?u=http://www.h-gac.com/parks-and-natural-areas/awards.aspx.