Detroit by Design 2012 announced the winner of the Riverfront Competition!

[southen]

the only problem is the importance of hart plaza to events in our city. i think you could take elements of it and apply it to the rest of the riverfront though. perhaps when they begin work on the riverwalk west of joe louis these are concepts they can toss around.

[Gistok]

the only problem is the importance of hart plaza to events in our city. i think you could take elements of it and apply it to the rest of the riverfront though. perhaps when they begin work on the riverwalk west of joe louis these are concepts they can toss around.

Bingo! Hart Plaza serves as a focal point for large gatherings... and the first and second place designs don't really address that, although I like parts of each design.

The first design, I like the knoll part of it. Cool to have an elevated section, although it runs counter to the general slope of the existing area. And I think people's comfort level will drop if they are hidden in a thicket of trees... also blocking the view of the water shouldn't be done there... I agree other parts of the waterfront could incorporate some of this.

The 2nd idea is also pretty cool... but where do a large mass of people congregate? I do like the idea of a waterway independent of the river... but it would be nice to have it in a San Antonio "Riverwalk" type of way... where you have an continuous waterway with bridges at intervals... not separate pools or holding ponds of water.

As southen said some of these ideas would be cool for the yet to be built western Riverwalk.

[wolverine]

the only problem is the importance of hart plaza to events in our city. i think you could take elements of it and apply it to the rest of the riverfront though. perhaps when they begin work on the riverwalk west of joe louis these are concepts they can toss around.

I did think of that. But I'm wondering if events could be adapted to the shape. In fact the design of the "fingers" of park space that extend out toward the river almost lends itself to music events since each of those spaces could host a stage or be utilized as a promenade configuration for food events or something similar. From a crowd control standpoint, it's sophisticated when you think how it creates naturally compartmentalized areas. For that reason and many others is why new park designs have shifted away from large plazas towards bands of linear park space of different program and functions.

While the existing hart plaza is of great utility for large events, it doesn't do all that much else as far as of providing experience and enjoyment. On non-event days, it's got some nice monuments and sculptures and a great view of the skyline but I think has huge potential to become something much greater.