Smale Riverfront Park

Smale Riverfront Park is a 13-hectare urban park along the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, designed by Sasaki and supported by a combination of public and private funding as both a setting and a catalyst for civic life. It is the largest of a chain of high-bank riverfront parks and is framed by landmark structures: the Roebling Suspension Bridge, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park. The park forms a continuous open-space link connecting the state trail and bicycle network to the downtown and to the river itself. Sasaki's design creates an appropriate setting for the historic Roebling Bridge while providing space for large gatherings, passive recreation and programmed events. Activities range from small picnics to pre- and post-game events for the Cincinnati Bengals and Reds, concerts, and the annual Cincinnati Festival, a celebration of music, art and tradition that draws 350,000 visitors downtown each year. The park includes several interactive water features, a performance stage, a sculpture play area, pavilions, bench swings, a water garden and the 300-metre-long Serpentine walking trail. Public and seasonal docks serve the public as well as private charter boats. Sustainability is embedded throughout, with an integrated bicycle centre, support and changing facilities, and a new restaurant pavilion heated and cooled by a geothermal system. A six-block mixed-use district planned on adjacent riverfront land will bring some four hundred residential units, offices and commercial uses to the area. The park is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Project details are limited in the source material.