Waterloo Greenway underway in Austin — LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AOTEAROA

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates’ design for Waterloo Greenway is already well underway, with a 2026 completion goal and some sections already open to the public.

Managed by the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy in partnership with the City of Austin, the 1.5 miles (almost 2.5 kilometres) park system consists of 14 hectares of connected green space, stretching from 15th Street along downtown’s eastern edge to Lady Bird Lake, and is home to an array of natural and cultural destinations.

The Conservancy describes it as, “a 1.5-mile urban ecosystem with the power to bring the entire Austin community together.”

“Just imagine: a continuous path that moves you effortlessly from the University of Texas all the way to Lady Bird Lake- one where you wind around a pristine creek instead of crowded roads, where stop signs are replaced by shade trees, and playful detours lead to dazzling gardens and perfect patches of picnic grass.”

Phase One, Waterloo Park, Symphony Square and Moody Amphitheatre, is already open, and once complete, Waterloo Greenway will feature around five kilometres of ADA-accessible trails and bridges.

The trails are due for completion by 2026.

Waterloo Park is an impressive 4.5 hectares , with more than 2.5 kilometres of tree-lined cycle and hiking trails. The park features the elevated Suzanne Deal Booth Skywalk, the Kitty King Powell Lawn, Great Lawn and Moody Amphitheatre.

Upcoming projects include Palm Park, which will host a variety of community programs, and the Refuge, a new creek-level exploration zone offering year-round activities and programs, as well as serving as a major trail connection, bringing visitors in from 7th Street and the Red River Cultural District.

Also ahead is the Confluence, where the mouth of Waller Creek meets Lady Bird Lake, and the creek is deeper and more ecologically-diverse than anywhere else in the city. Three lightweight suspension bridges will drape across the restored delta landscape, “creating stunning canopy walks with unrivalled vantage points, and vital new east-west connections.” A stand of bald cypress trees will create a sustainable habitat, and visitors can explore a creek-level trail and elevated boardwalk.

Waterloo Greenway is funded by a combination of public and private funds, at a total estimated cost of US$265 million.

“Amid epic gardens and rolling pathways, and a twinkling Waller Creek that links them,” says the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, “the environment, arts, health and adventure will converge- and nourish authentic and uplifting experiences that reflect our city’s diversity.”