Newsletters

From time to time the Waterfront Center e-mails newsletters.  The most recent will be posted here.  If you wish to receive these newsletters by e-mail please send your e-mail address to mail@waterfrontcenter.org with a request to be added to the newsletter e-mail list.  To be sure that the newsletter is not blocked by spam filters, add the Waterfront Center e-mail address to your e-mail address book.

A Tribute to Ann Breen

In the River Action Inc. Eddy Magazine

April 2018 Newsletter

Excellence on the Waterfront 2018 Awards Program

Deadline for Submittals: July 16, 2018 Forms and instructions are now posted HERE 2018 Interdisciplinary Jury Donna Walcavage, principal, Stantec, New York, New York will be this year's jury chair. She will be joined by Mike Houck, Urban Greenspaces Institute, Portland, Oregon, Lamarco Morrison, City of Greenville Parks and Recreation, Greenville, North Carolina and Michael Sripiprasert, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.  We encourage those considering entering to visit the website and browse through material about previous winners including the interactive database which give details on the over 400 winners from 1987-2018.

The Waterfront Center 31st Annual Excellence on the Waterfront  Mini-Conference Awards Ceremony and Reception

Friday, September 21, 2018 12:30 – 7:00 p.m. The Churchill Hotel  1914 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

Friday afternoon attendees at the mini-conference will hear presentations by the 2018 award winners. The winners will be announced on the Center’s web site in August and the list of speakers posted. They will receive their awards and be feted at a champagne reception following the ceremony. Donna Walcavage, principal, Stantec, New York, New York, this year’s jury chair, will preside. Fee will include conference attendance and the reception.

Gala Dinner Honoring the 2018 Winners  Friday, September 21, 2018, 7:30 p.m.  2101 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

The Optional Gala Dinner, immediately following the awards reception at the Churchill Hotel, is held in the historic parlor of the 1927 apartment building across from the hotel. The convivial evening will include a delicious multi-course meal with wine and champagne toasts. Sign up on the Center's Website. Details to be published in mid-April

Urban Waterfronts Still on a Roll

The urban waterfront phenomenon begun in earnest nearly 40 years ago continues apace – whether new projects or re-dos. Here are some  articles/links to check out.

Another Chicago Navy Pier Renovation

Navy Pier has long been a fixture on Chicago’s Lakefront and the article “Pier Review” by Zach Mortice, pages 93-109 in the December 2017 issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine offers a fulsome history of the 3,300 foot structure as well as detailed account of James Corner Field operations update. The pier has always been a major public space but in the words of Steve Haemmerle, executive director of Navy Pier: “ Public places are living, breathing things, and in order to remain relevant throughout time, they need to adapt and be flexible.” The 1990’s revision added a Ferris Wheel along with a mix of commercial uses and entertainment that gave short shrift to the planned open spaces. This current remake is the “product of careful decluttering as much as it’s a showcase of new space” and is sleeker and provides much more public realm. The article is fully illustrated with photos and diagrams.

The Navy Pier

The Navy Pier Ferris Wheel The Navy Pier Fountain

The Navy Pier Park

Some background:

See chapter on Navy Pier in The New Waterfront: A Worldwide Urban Success Story by Breen and Rigby, pages 84-87. The renovation preceding the latest one was completed in 1995 at a cost of $150 million. The design team was Thompson and Wood Associates and VOA.  The biggest splash if you will was the installation of the Ferris Wheel that had historic significance since George Ferris first displayed the amusement ride that now carries his name in 1883 at the Chicago's World's Fair. The six-story Crystal Gardens featuring palm trees was one of the first attractions. Remembering…….what pier public access looked like in 1995!

Crystal Gardens in 1995

Thirty some years ago things were quite different as you can see from this photo from our files. Well, however rudimentary, at least you could sit, get views the lake, and maybe catch a fish. Shows you how far we have come in the design and execution of our urban waterfronts!!!  People ask us all the time: “What has changed?”

The Navy Pier in 1985

Major Developments in Dundee, Scotland

Dundee Waterfront, is a massive 1-billion-pound transformation of 593 acres on the River Tay that is the longest river in Scotland. This ambitious project will include all manner of commercial, residential, recreational, tourist developments and major amounts of public realm.  We urge you to visit their Website to gain an in-depth understanding of the project. There is a fly through of the project HERE.

Dundee Waterfront

Among many exciting developments and plans in the works for the Dundee Waterfront is a new Victoria and Albert Dundee Museum designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, set to open on September 15, 2018. This international center of design will feature Scotland's design heritage for the first time. Besides Scottish Design Galleries, the museum will house touring exhibitions from around the world, temporary exhibitions as well as learning spaces for all ages.

Victoria and Albert Dundee international center of design

A fly through of the Victoria and Albert Dundee international center of design is shown HERE

Conferences/Events of Note

Light City Baltimore Festival Field Trip April 11 - 22, 2018 Baltimore, Maryland

Waterfront Alliance Annual Meeting: "Cities on the Edge" New York, NewYork May 8, 2018 Aboard the Hornblower Infinity National Working Waterfronts & Waterways Symposium May 14-17, 2018 Grand Rapids, Michigan Contact: breederl@msu.edu deadline for hotel Early bird April 13 See HERE 11th Annual Upper Mississippi River Conference October 24-25, 2018, Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center Moline, Illinois

Late March 2018 Newsletter

The Old Mill District, Bend, Oregon, 2017 Honor Award Photo Nate Wyeth, Project Design: Mayer/Reed

GET RECOGNIZED!

31st Excellence on the Waterfront Awards Program

Selections made by independent, interdisciplinary jury. Winners receive worldwide publicity and are featured on our interactive Web Site. DEADLINE for submittals (20 images and two-page narrative) must be postmarked by July 16, 2018. Open to built projects, comprehensive plans and citizen actions as well as students. See HERE for entry details. Awards announced on Friday, September 21 at afternoon program and ceremony in Washington, D.C. Optionai awards dinner. Details on Web site. If you wish to receive our periodic newsletter send an email to: mail@waterfrontcenter.org and make the request.

Mid March 2018 Newsletter

A Brilliant Waterfront Opportunity Awaits!!! Special Field Trip to the Baltimore Festival City Lights April 13-15, 2018

A longtime friend and associate of the Waterfront Center has put together a really exciting weekend for those interested in experiencing this spectacular event that won a 2017 Excellence on the Waterfront Honor Award (check out HERE for more info).

Light City Baltimore Festival Field Trip April 13-15, 2018 Baltimore, Maryland

Pictured: Peacock by Tim Scofield & Kyle Miller with Steve Dalnekoff & Will Cocks. Photo courtesy of Crystal Whitman

Charlie the Peacock will host a Behind the Scenes field trip to the third annual Light City Baltimore Festival April 13-15. The festival is America’s only large-scale international light and ideas festival. For waterfront specialists, Light City re-imagines the waterfront into a premier cultural destination: fully accessible, free and open to all. The festival, running April 14-21, is the perfect marriage of cutting edge artistic installations utilizing the latest lighting technology set against the backdrop of Baltimore’s beautifully restored Inner Harbor. Neighborhood Lights installations April 6-8 and Labs@Light City innovation conferences April 18-21 act as bookends to the festival. According to Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA), in just its second year, Light City 2017 attracted nearly 500,000 nighttime visitors, generated $44 million in economic impact, and created one billion media impressions for Baltimore. Conceptualized in 2015 to shed a “light” on all the amazing cultural, artistic, and community assets that define the city in the aftermath of the tragic death of Freddie Gray in May 2015, Light City is an extraordinary testament to the transformative, healing powers of light as a way of bringing people together in a secure, celebratory setting.   86% of visitors said they felt safe during the festival;   88% felt it changes perceptions of Baltimore; and   91% would recommend friends and family visit Light City. Click HERE to see Baltimore’s powerpoint presentation at The Waterfront Center’s 2017 Excellence on the Waterfronts awards ceremony.

Light, innovation, and ideas

Special arrangements for Waterfront Center participants include VIP credentials to the festival and hospitality areas, including an invitation to a private preview event on Friday, April 13th at Light City Baltimore’s VIP Artists’ Reception and Media Preview Party from 5-7 p.m., followed by the final, full dress rehearsal of the light installations from 8-10 p.m., courtesy of Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, producers of Light City Baltimore.  VIP Venue is Pier 5 Hotel, 711 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202, with validated parking at the hotel for those driving. The opening night parade is Saturday, April 14, with informal walking tours and discussions on April 14 and 15. Twenty-one light artists were commissioned by an international jury at a cost of $2million to create light installations for the festival and to work with local artists to create “Neighborhood Lights” displays during the week prior to the festival.   We have a block of discounted hotel rooms (closing soon) and special hotel packages, as well as validated parking at Pier 5 Hotel for those driving.

For further information

Behind the Scenes of Light City Baltimore is produced by Charlotte DeWitt, CFEE, President of International Events, Boston. Email: charlotte@internationaleventsltd.com Cell: +1 617 513-5696. Charlotte is Past-Chair of the International Festivals and Events Association, and founder/past-President-CEO of IFEA Europe. She is a member of the IFEA Hall of Fame, the industry’s highest honor.

Limited space! Please pre-register by Wednesday, April 4, 2018. RSVP to charlotte@internationaleventsltd.com

Confirmation details and an updated program will be send upon registration. There is no cost to register. Participants are responsible for their own travel, hotel accommodations, and meals. Accessibility In an effort to provide a positive experience for all, Light City is a fully accessible event, regardless of ability.

Light City Field Trip at a Glance

Pictured: Elantica by Tom Dekyvere. Photo courtesy of Bart van Overbeeke Fotografie.

Friday, April 13, 2018

Artists’ Reception and Media preview party Courtesy of Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts 4:30PM Registration 5-7PM Program 8-10PM Final Dress Rehearsal

Light City VIP Lounge Pier 5 Hotel 711 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21202 Limited space. Please RSVP by Wednesday, April 4, 2018, to charlotte@internationaleventsltd.com

April 14-15, 2018

Light City Opening Night Parade April 14 Informal walking tours and discussions TBA https://lightcity.org/

Late February 2018 Newsletter

Urban Waterfront 2018 - Yuma Powerpoint Presentations Now on the Web!

If you missed the conference altogether or were there and missed some presentations because you were attending another panel, Stewart has secured the material and placed it on the web. They can be seen HERE. The conference was highly informative including an in-depth exploration of the Colorado River and presentations from a variety of speakers from around the U.S.

Book of Note

Visualizing the Universe: Athena Tacha's Proposals for Public Art Commissions - 1972-2012

Artist Athena Tacha is a longtime friend of the Waterfront Center who helped us put together our first public art panel in 1984. At the time despite the star power (Robert Irwin, Siah Armajani and herself) it drew very few attendees as the topic was quite new. When we repeated an art panel in 1997 in Baltimore that included Athena, the room was packed. Today public art in its many guises is not so novel any more, enriching the world around us.  Visualizing the Universe is an exhaustive history of the Athena's proposals as a finalist for 139 permanent public art commissions including the 45 that she won. This book gives insights into the world of public art competitions, commissions and indeed the whole realm of public art. One can see and read about works that were never built, were built and destroyed as well as ones that survive. The text is greatly enhanced by color photographs and drawings.  In 1970 Athena articulated her two basic principles for her art: " -To render perceptible the rhythms of energy and after that I sense within the visible universe, from the macro to the micro levels.  - To execute my sculpture in public spaces, making it available to everybody to experience."   Visualizing the Universe. Edited by Richard E. Spear. Grayson Publishing. 2017.

Plastics Penance

Whether you are a Lenten observer or not, the Church of England put out the suggestion of giving up plastic instead of sweets or other more typical practices. Given our mission to promote cleaner water, this change in habit might be a good thing year-round. See: "What to Give Up for Lent" by Richard Perez-Pena in the February 15, 2018 New York Times.

Collecting Plastic Waste

Incidentally, as Washingtonians, we do know that the 5-cent charge for plastic grocery bags put into practice here has made a major change and helped the Anacostia River.

Conference/Events of Note

Waterfront Alliance Annual Meeting: "Cities on the Edge" May 8, 2018 Aboard the Hornblower Infinity

Aboard the Hornblower Infinity

National Working Waterfronts & Waterways Symposium May 14-17, 2018 Grand Rapids, Michigan Contact: breederl@msu.edu

Grand Rapids Michigan

11th Annual Upper Mississippi River Conference October 24-25, 2018, Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center Moline, Illinois

Moline

February 2018 Newsletter

The Waterfront Center 31stAnnual Excellence on the Waterfront Mini-Conference, Awards Ceremony and Reception  Friday, September 21, 2018 12:30 – 7:00 p.m. The Churchill Hotel 1914 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

Friday afternoon attendees at the mini-conference will hear presentations by the 2018 award winners. The winners will be announced on the Center’s web site in August and the list of speakers posted. They will receive their awards and be feted at a champagne reception following the ceremony. Donna Walcavage, principal, Stantec, New York, New York, this year’s jury chair, will preside. Fee will include conference attendance and the reception.

Gala Dinner Honoring the 2018 Winners  7:30 p.m. 2101 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

The Optional Gala Dinner, immediately following the awards reception at the Churchill Hotel, is held in the historic parlor of the 1927 apartment building across from the hotel. The convivial evening will include a delicious multi-course meal with wine and champagne toasts.

Awards Gala Dinner 2016

Sign up on the Center's Website: www.waterfrontcenter.org. Details to be published in late February.

Excellence on the Waterfront 2018 Awards Program

Deadline for Submittals: July 16, 2018 Forms and instructions are now posted HERE

2018 Interdisciplinary Jury

Donna Walcavage, principal, Stantec, New York, New York will be this year's jury chair. She will be joined by Mike Houck, Urban Greenspaces Institute, Portland, Oregon, Lamarco Morrison, City of Greenville Parks and Recreation, Greenville, North Carolina and Michael Sripiprasert, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. We encourage those considering entering to visit the website and browse through material about previous winners including the interactive database which give details on the over 400 winners from 1987-2018.

Urban Waterfronts 2018 - Snapshots from our 33rd Conference

The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Corporation, our co-hosts, pulled out all the stops for this waterfront gathering held in this sunniest of cities. Our thanks once again to Charlie Flynn and his dedicated and talented staff - not to mention his wife, Ann who volunteered, for all their hard work to make this a very memorable event.

Charlie Flynn and Ann Walker

Wednesday evening's a pre-workshop networking social featured delicious drinks and dinner was held in the 1909 repurposed old St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Delegates attending the Thursday field trip got a full briefing of the remarkable achievements along the Colorado River in Yuma (see awards database and previous newsletters to see images) and a bus ride out for a site visit to the Imperial Dam.

Imperial Dam Tour

Tour wound up with date shakes at the Imperial Date Gardens -- a revelation for many that Yuma has Medjool date farms!  The social events were spectacular! Thursday evening we watched the sunset from the historic Territorial Prison yard followed by a most incredible dinner in the Cell Blocks!

Dinner at the Territorial Prison

Friday, attendees were treated to a very special Mexican Fiesta with margaritas, music, dancing and great food.

Fiesta

Fiesta Dancers

Balancing all the fun, the program itself featured wonderful speakers sharing their expertise. The keynote speaker, Anne Castle, former assistant secretary for Water and Science at the US Department of the Interior, enlightened us about the intricacies of the Colorado River's water supply and flow.

Ann Castle

Mary Miss, artist and founder City as Living Laboratory, delivered a thought provoking finale presentation beginning with her work at Battery Park City, touching on waterfront pieces elsewhere and winding up with her more recent interactive endeavors in Indianapolis and Milwaukee. See her web site to see the full range of her work.

Mary Miss at the Cell Block dinner

Over 15 presentations covered the many facets of Colorado River as well as speakers dealing with an array of waterfront issues from other parts of the country. The power points from these sessions will be posted on the Center's website.

Co-directors Rigby and Breen shown here at the Fiesta wish you had been there. Think about joining us September 21 in Washington for the Awards event!

Dick Rigby and Ann Breen

January 2018 Newsletter

Urban Waterfronts 2018 The 33rd Annual International Conference Yuma, Arizona January 26-27, 2018

JANUARY 12, REGISTRATION DEADLINE. Visit HERE

NOT TOO LATE -- BEAT THE JANUARY CHILL!!

Join us in sunny Yuma where the temperature will be more like 72 not 15 pictured above. Working with Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area staff, we think we have pulled together a dynamite educational and social program. You'll learn a lot and meet wonderful fellow professionals working on waterfronts.

Bone Up on the Colorado River and the West

Charlie Flynn, executive director of Yuma Crossing has pulled together three panels for the conference that will illuminate the varied and complex issues and challenges involved with this storied river. To get in the mood, you might want to go the your library or bookstore and get a hold of one or more of the following.  Where the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River by John Owen, author and New Yorker contributor.  Quoting the book reviewer, David Biello in the May 28, 2017 NYT Book Review:  "The waterways of the west now exist as monuments to an ambitious desert civilization. Across the vast region of America, few, if any rivers flow without hosting one or more dams, concrete channels, diversions or other human-made "improvements" that allow people and farming to flourish in this dry country. And few, if any, rivers reveal this unnatural world more than the Colorado, which no longer reaches the sea or carries along its entire 1,450 mile-length much of the reddish silt that inspired its name." Also:  Cadillac Desert by Marc Reinhart - a classic book from 1986 which remains the definitive work on the West and its water problems. Water is Worth Fighting Over by John Fleck, a water reporter who documents the ongoing struggles between the various factions. If you are attending the workshop on Thursday, January 26, you'll get a first hand look at Yuma's Award-winning riverfront and drive through some spectacular scenery to reach the Imperial Dam.   Perusing Periodicals - Some Articles of Note The Winter 2017 issue of Nature Conservancy has several very informative pieces that point up the important work of non-profits like the Nature Conservancy. Given the current rollbacks on environmental regulation and funding, these groups need support more than ever.  • "Winds of Change" Following years of careful planning to protect birds, bats, marine wildlife and fishing, wind turbines operated by Deepwater Wind have been placed off the coast of Rhode Island providing renewable energy to homes on Block Island.  • "The California Effect" by Brendan Borrell. California's cap-and-trade program is supporting scores of conservation project from Virginia to Alaska, providing funding for forests and other projects that sequester carbon or reduce ozone-depleting substances. The article provides a useful map illustrating where the number of projects around the country that are earning credits for reducing carbon. While the U.S. government is backing away from climate commitments, states are stepping up, none more profoundly than California.  • "Greater Lakes - a $2 billion collaboration between farmers, conservationists and governments aims to repair the largest flowing freshwater system on earth," by Amy Crawford. This well-illustrated article documents the history of diminishment and pollution of the lakes and rivers that flow into them. While pollution was reduced after the 1972 Clean Water Act but the lakes were then plagued with invasive species brought in by seagoing vessels. Since 2010 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, backed with major funding and administered by the EPA and other federal programs, as well as state, local and non-profit entities like the Nature Conservancy, aims to continue to reduce pollution, restore wetlands and reduce agricultural runoff among other projects. Given the importance the Great Lakes economically and environmentally to the eight states and one Canadian province that touch their shores, this program is extremely important to put it mildly. In March of 2017, the White House budget proposal set out to eliminate funding for the initiative and slash EPA's overall budget by a third. Not surprisingly the proposed cuts are being met with bi-partisan opposition. (Go to the web and search Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to learn latest developments e.g. funding for 2017 was preserved. The real challenge will be 2018).

Excellence on the Waterfront 2018 Awards Program Deadline for Submittals: July 16, 2018

The 2018 Interdisciplinary Jury: Donna Walcavage, principal, Stantec, New York, New York, Jury Chair Mike Houck, Urban Greenspaces Institute, Portland, Oregon Lamarco Morrison, City of Greenville Parks and Recreation, Greenville, North Carolina Michael Sripiprasert, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.    Forms and instructions will be posted in early 2018.

Mid December 2017 Newsletter

Urban Waterfronts 2018

33rd Annual International Conference on Waterfront Planning, Development and Culture January 26-27, Yuma Arizona

REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JANUARY 12, 2018  Visit HERE for complete information and registration

REMINDER - HOTEL CUT-OFF!

Hilton Garden Inn. A block of rooms has been set aside for conference attendees at Hilton Garden Inn overlooking the Colorado River. A special room rate of $139 will be available until December 25, 2017. Make your reservations to assure this offer by calling 928 783 1500 and mentioning the Waterfront Conference to receive the rate. When calling make your reservation at the front desk as they know about group rates.  Social and Networking Opportunities. Our co-hosts have gone out of their way to provide some very special venues. Thursday night we'll have a catered dinner in a repurposed old church. On Thursday night we will dine in the old cell block area of the Yuma Territorial Prison. Friday night, a full-fledged Mexican Fiesta awaits at a former warehouse in the Historic Quartermaster's Depot (now renamed the Colorado River Historic State Park) a short walk from the conference center. Back in 1864 all far flung military posts at the traced their roots to this base in Yuma.  The bookstore at the Depot carries a fascinating read: Vanished Arizona: Revelations of the Army Life of a New England Woman by Martha Summerhayes. This amazing story recounted by an Army wife details her experiences during the 1870s in Arizona. She paints a vivid picture of the harsh climate, rattle snakes, cactus thorns, white desperadoes among many other hardships and makes one appreciate how extremely difficult life was in the frontier-military West.

A Closer Look at Yuma's Riverfront

Earlier this year, we sent an e-letter showing various aspects of this incredible restoration of 400 acres.  While touring the parks, we noted what that little extra in the budget can do toward design details that can make a difference in 'placemaking.' Below are some examples of things to look out for when you tour the parks, Thursday, January 25th.  One of many park benches found throughout the parks, the design is straightforward, easily maintained, sturdy and the logo makes it distinctive.

Park Benches and Lights

Interpretive signs are found scattered throughout. This one depicts what once was the blighted "City Dump' that now has been transformed into a 110-acre riverfront park.

Sign Showing Former City Dump

So often public restrooms are cinderblock monoliths. Anyone who has seen our visual presentations knows how we like to point out imaginative examples. Note the interesting, sculpted ironwork at the entrance to this restroom.

Restroom Entrance

This year's awards winners featured not one but two bridges, one in Memphis and one in Fort Worth see HERE to learn more. Here in Yuma, a pedestrian bridge receives an extra artistic boost.

Yuma Pedestrian Bridge

Pedestrian Bridge Detail

Gates installed to keep vehicles from coming and going when not appropriate usually look like something found along a highway: steel and sturdy, nothing to write home about. How refreshing to discover these somewhat nature-inspired portals.

Traffic Control Gates

Given the Arizona climate in Yuma, throughout the park are a number of what they call 'rarmadas' that provide shade, tables and in some cases barbecues. ( "Ramada' was a new term to us that translates to an arbor or porch to provide shade usually found on beaches or picnic grounds.) Below are examples found around the community fishing lake. Here again note the artful touch in the tile.

Lakeshore Ramada

Ramada Interior

Fish on Ramada Tiles

Man on Ramada Tiles

A ramada with children's play area is a popular spot along the Colorado.

Ramada with Chidren's Play Area

Dick pauses at this handsome rest stop to look out towards the river.

Excellence on the Waterfront 2018 Awards Program Deadline for Submittals: July 16, 2018

Forms and instructions will be posted in early 2018. Donna Walcavage, principal, Stantec, New York, New York will be this year's jury chair. To date she will be joined by Lamarco Morrison, City of Greenville Parks and Recreation, Greenville, North Carolina, Michael Sripiprasert, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and Mike Houck, Urban Greenspaces Institute, Portland, Oregon Awards Ceremony, mini-conference, reception and gala dinner will take place September 21, 2018 at The Churchill Hotel, Washington, DC. The dinner will be held at 2101 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Registration and more information will be posted on the website in January.

Early December 2017 Newsletter

Remember the Center - Make a Year-End Donation

As you consider your year-end giving, we hope you will keep the Waterfront Center in mind. Every little bit helps. This year we will be holding our 33rd international conference in January; conducting our 31st Excellence on the Waterfront Awards program including the Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner on September 21, 2018. For the last several years we have been giving all the winners a free admission to the ceremony, reception and dinner which adds to the festivity but also to the bottom line. We continue to update our databases, doing an inventory of our image collection and of course issuing periodic e-letters. Thanks to all our past supporters! Send your check to: The Waterfront Center, PO Box 53351, Washington, DC 20009 or give us a call at 202 337 0356 and we can take your credit card information over the phone.

Urban Outfitters Corporate Campus First Hand 2007 Excellence on the Waterfront Award Winner

Over Thanksgiving trying to avoid crowds in tourist attractions or the Black Friday mobs, we suggested to my cousins a field trip to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. We all ventured down to this 1,200-acre site proceeded through the gate and past the stately homes and passed many impressive office buildings till we came upon the huge industrial brick buildings - not to mention all the gigantic mothballed vessels. Our main agenda was to take a look at the Urban Outfitters Corporate Campus, the work of Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle based in Minneapolis. Of course we had seen images from the awards submittal but the reality exceeded our expectations and we want to return to see more of the Navy Yard and be able to take photos when the sunlight is not doing its early winter fade. The imaginative adaptive reuse of the massive structures and the creative celebration of the industrial heritage and artifacts are striking.  Below are glimpses of parts of the extensive public realm:

Logo and old storage tank

One of many pathways. Note the reused rubble used as a bioswale to capture the rainwater.

Note echoes of the rail lines and the handsome plantings.

What appears to be a storage shed or maybe it's a "folly" of some kind reuses old wood and corrugated metal.

"Ballast benches," and reused paving amidst the landscaping.

The entrance to building 543 boasts an old black and yellow artifact.

As one approaches building 543 that houses offices, work spaces, a cafeteria open to the public, a fitness center, and a cafe we caught a glimpse through one of large windows of what looked like shimmering water. In reality, once inside, we discovered it to be a wall covered with glimmering discs - in effect a stunning "water wall" with the atrium off to the right and retained rail lines.

'Water Wall'

Another view of the "water wall" and more ballast.

The very large atrium space is broken up with the cafe and seating; conference style tables and seating; small pools that echo the nearby river with cube seating and a small art exhibition space separated from the cafeteria by scrim screens.

Atrium cafe

Atrium tables

Pool

Scrim screens

The cafeteria scene in the late afternoon light affords views out onto the waterfront including the breathtaking sight of an aircraft carrier.

Views from the cafeteria

We only wished we had not run out of time and light to take in more of this extraordinary campus that has preserved and recycled five handsome historic buildings. Kudos to all involved in the vision and execution of this remarkable place. We urge you to visit our interactive awards database found on our web HERE, type in "Urban Outfitters" and you can read lots more.

Meet Some Winners during Urban Waterfronts 33 January 26 - 27, Yuma, Arizona

Urban Waterfronts 33 is shaping up to be a really interesting event that will include a number of Excellence on the Waterfront winners apart from the fact that Yuma's riverfront itself was a winner. Last e-letter we profiled Fred Phillips. We'd like to introduce more in future e-letters.

Carol Mayer-Reed of Mayer-Reed, Portland, Oregon

Carol Mayer-Reed and her firm Mayer-Reed, Portland, Oregon received an award in 1987 -- the first year of the awards program -- for Sellwood Riverfront Park combining park space, wetlands and a flood-able beach. Her firm also won in 2001 for the Eastbank Esplanade that includes a remarkable floating walkway that opened up access to the east side of the river across from the downtown enabling the public to do a loop. She will be speaking on Friday afternoon relating the past, present and future of Portland's waterfronts.

Sellwood Riverfront Park

Eastbank Esplanade

Hotel cut-off is December 25! Call Hilton Garden Inn. A block of rooms has been set aside for conference attendees at Hilton Garden Inn overlooking the Colorado River. A special room rate of $139 will be available until December 25, 2017. Make your reservations to assure this offer by calling 928 783 1500 and mentioning the Waterfront Conference to receive the rate. You need to make these reservations through the front desk not "reservations."

Register for the Yuma Conference HERE

Awards Deadline and Ceremony

AWARDS DEADLINE: JULY 16, 2018. Watch the Website in January for details. Donna Walcavage, principal, Stantec, 2018 Jury Chair.  Next year's Awards Ceremony, Reception and Gala Dinner will be September 21, 2018 in Washington, DC. We will return to the Churchill Hotel for the awards ceremony and reception and hold the dinner at 2101 Connecticut Avenue. More information and registration will be posted on the web site in early January.

November 2017 Newsletter

Urban Waterfronts 2018 33rd Annual International Conference on Waterfront Planning, Development and Culture January 26-27, Yuma Arizona

The conference offers a unique opportunity to experience two very different tracks. One track concentrates on the many issues surrounding the past and future of the Colorado River. The second track has speakers from around the country who will address resiliency broadly defined and case studies tracing the history and future in Baltimore, Portland, Oregon and Philadelphia. Visit HERE for complete information and registration Hilton Garden Inn. A block of rooms has been set aside for conference attendees at Hilton Garden Inn overlooking the Colorado River. A special room rate of $139 will be available until December 25, 2017. Make your reservations to assure this offer by calling 928 783 1500 and mentioning the Waterfront Conference to receive the rate. The hotel is next door to the Pivot Point Conference where sessions will be held. The hotel has an attractive lobby, bar and restaurant as well as a pool area.  Social and Networking Opportunities. Our co-hosts have gone out of their way to provide some very special venues. Wednesday night we'll have a catered dinner in a repurposed old church. On Thursday night we will dine in the old cell block area of the Yuma Territorial Prison. (If you are an aficionado of old Westerns, the prison gets lots of mention in the film 3:10 to Yuma - worth another viewing to get you in the mood). Friday night, a full fledged Mexican Fiesta awaits at a former warehouse in the Historic Quartermaster's Depot (now renamed the Colorado River Historic State Park) a short walk from the conference center. Back in 1864 all far flung military posts at the time traced their roots to this base in Yuma. Most registration fees are inclusive, so no add-ons for the dinners and receptions.

Excellence on the Waterfront 2018 Awards Program Deadline for Submittals: July 16, 2018

Donna Walcavage

Donna Walcavage, principal, Stantec, New York, New York will be this year's jury chair. To date she will be joined by Lamarco Morrison, City of Greenville Parks and Recreation, Greenville, North Carolina and Michael Sripiprasert, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Two additional juror have been invited and will be announced on the Website.

Forms and instructions will be posted in early 2018

2014 Honor Award Winner Fred Phillips Featured in October 2017 Landscape Architecture Magazine

Fred Phillips

Fred Phillips and his Flagstaff, Arizona landscape architecture firm specializing in wetland restoration won an Excellence on the Waterfront award for their work in Yuma, Arizona where 1,400 acres were restored to become Yuma East Wetlands as well as Quechan Sunrise Park. Fred will be one of the presenters at our upcoming 33rd annual international conference in Yuma in January. Participants will also hear about and see the result of the work along the Colorado River during the all-day workshop and field trip.

Bangka Island Tin Mines

In the October issue of LAM readers can learn about his newest project working to reclaim the enormous degraded landscape left by the tin mining industry. "What Will It Take to Make Indonesian Tin Miners Stewards of the Land?"by Brian Barth.  The story describes how Apple hired Phillips to undertake a 125-acre restoration pilot project for turning illegal tin miners into eco-friendly farmers. Wet, tropical places such as found on Bangka Island allow dense, multistory plantings. The plan calls for starting with nonfood crops moving to more diversity as time goes by and the biological activity increases. Phillips thinks the reason Apple hired him is that they heard of his experiences getting people with diverse backgrounds talking to each other.

Bangka Island Tin Mines

Center Friends Recognized

Rod Marler, director design + place, Panuku Development, Auckland was honored to receive the New Zealand Property Council's "People in Property" award in recognition of his leadership of the Wynyard Quarter project. Many may recall that Waterfront Auckland (predecessor to Panuku Development) won top honor for a major component of Wynyard Quarter: Jellicoe St, North Wharf Promenade and Silo Park in 2012. The Wynyard Centeral Integrated Development Plan was honored by the Center Jury in 2015. Rod has also made presentations in Washington and the Quad Cities for conferences held there.

Rod and his wife Fiona accepting the award.

Kathy Wine, executive director, River Action, Inc., Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois received the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation's Hagie Heritage Award in Davenport, November 1, 2017. Kathy is one of the featured speaker at our upcoming conference in Yuma.

Kathy Wine

Terri Goodman, assistant City Manager of Dubuque, who nominated Kathy said of her: "Kathy Wine is a bold visionary and tenacious leader who invites the community to embrace the Mississippi River and its habitat by creating options for residents and visitors alike to touch the mighty Mississippi through bike trails, interpretative centers, reclamation of natural spaces, public design practices, art, education and economics,"  Wine and River Action’s work to connect the Quad Cities community to the Mississippi River promotes improved water quality and environmental education. They've done a variety of projects, including their initial start lighting the Centennial Bridge that connects the downtowns of Davenport to Rock Island, Illinois. Kathy has worked tirelessly on their "Retain the Rain Program," paving miles of riverfront trails for biking, financed water taxis for the river, helped to acquire Nahant's Marsh and organize the Upper Mississippi River Conference that helps to get high school and college students involved as well.

Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Our friends at the Foundation under the leadership of our long-time supporter Arthur Ziegler are receiving a Richard P. Driehaus Preservation Award the the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual conference in Chicago. The jury recognized the foundation's strenuous efforts undertaking the Hamnett Place project in the Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania neighborhood whose deteriorated buildings have been revitalized to accommodate low-to-moderate income facilities. The neighborhood is also home to the rehabbed building that serves as a hub for wide-ranging educational programming. Visit PHLF.org for more information.

Arthur Ziegler

October 2017 Newsletter

Urban Waterfronts 33 January 25-27, 2018, Yuma Arizona

Plan to join us for this waterfront gathering. Full details and registration available on line HERE

Postcard from Seattle  Pike Place Market's Splendid New Addition

Quoting from the dust jacket of the book, The Pike Place Market: People, Politics, and Produce by Alice Shorett and Murray Morgan: "The market is Seattle's favorite institution. Annually it draws more people than do sporting events or cultural events or the movies. Among American markets, it has a reputation comparable to those of Les Halles in Paris and Covent Garden in London. The difference is that it has survived." This book published in 1982 is a remarkable history of the area but also the story of how people fought hard to save the market from urban renewal and succeeded. It can still be purchased through Amazon along with another called The Soul of the City by the same authors to mark the centennial of the market. A trip to Seattle always includes a trek to this fabulous and funky rabbit warren of a Market.       For those who have never been these photos will give a hint of the flavor of the beloved place including the famous fishmongers who throw the fish around and but one of the many fruit and vegetable stalls.

Pike Place Market

Our main reason for going this trip was to see the new addition first hand. Dubbed MarketFront, this $74 million addition has given residents and visitors - for the first time - a chance to step outside and relish the vistas of the Puget Sound and Elliot Bay with the mountains behind as well the new Ferris wheel on the waterfront. The addition was designed by Miller Hull of Seattle. Miller Hull won a 2004 Excellence on the Waterfront Honor Award for Northwest Maritime Demonstration Dock in Port Townsend. For more detailed information on the MarketFront see HERE.

MarketFront Top Deck      The big metal piggy bank has long been a landmark of the Market. Shown below are the original sculpture as well as the new one. Obviously a popular photo op. There are slots to contribute to the Pike Place Market Foundation. And the little "hoofprints" memorialize donors.

Old Pig                                                                       New Pig                                                                      Along that same vein of paying tribute to contributors is a the very clever "Charm Fence." The circular charms shimmer, inscribed with donor names, shine and dance in the wind making delightful patterns on the paving.

Charm Fence

The top deck has a handsome glassed in area to house market stalls while affording gorgeous views. Wide steps along the front provide a great place to eat a sandwich or just enjoy the warm October sun as Dick is doing.

Top Deck Glassed In Area                               Dick Enjoying the Sun     Enhancing the whole experience is a rooftop garden with a variety of grasses and plants.

Rooftop Garden                                                   Rooftop Planting      Murals celebrating the fruits and veggies add a whimsical, colorful touch.

Roofto p Murals                                                   Mural Details      The new addition as seen from two vantage points. One showing the old neon signage and shelter on the street and the other shows entrance to parking garage with 300 new spaces.

Old Neon Sign                                    Entrance to Parking Garage          First Hand News from Detroit

This news just in from our board member and Detroit boosterHarriet Saperstein. Rather than paraphrase I quote her here.        "On October 16, Detroit REAL (Riverfront East Alliance)"closed out" its organization, by using their remaining bank-account funds to make a contribution to the Riverfront Conservancy, and in turn they have posted a permanent plaque on a tree along the Riverwalk.

Since REAL won a well-deserved Clearwater Award in 2003 from the Waterfront Center, I thought you might want to know about this closure and this very brief update on some of the activities underway. I do not think we would be where we are today without REAL's community organizing and support."       Pictured below are Carol Weisfeld and Dan Wiest and a group photo including Harriet (in the red shirt) and her husband Al in the red hat.

Carol Weisfeld and Dan Wiest                                      REAL Group Photo                     "Just a few of those involved in the early days could attend, but two of the crucial founding members, Carol Weisfeld and Dan Wiest, had prepared some materials and brought a bit of sparkling cider to toast and say farewell to the project, and to celebrate its success. We do not have casinos on the riverfront; we do have an effective responsive public/private Detroit Riverfront Conservancy; Milliken State Park (expanding and improving St. Aubin Park and Marina) is in place and may be expanding; the Dequindre Cut, a bicycle-pedestrian rail/trail conversion now connects the Riverfront to Eastern Market all the way to Mack Avenue (with hopes that it will go further); Lafayette Park's Miles van der Rohe housing is protected as a Historic District; extensive new housing is underway in the East Riverfront area! In addition, plans with extensive community input are underway for further park connections eastward to Belle Isle, (including a "Beach"), and (at last!) new possibilities for controlled and responsible community oriented developments are being planned for the West Riverfront, now that the massive Newspaper "printing plant" is gone!"       Note that the the Detroit Conservancy won an Honor Award in 2015 from the Waterfront Center.

EXCELLENCE ON THE WATERFRONT AWARDS DEADLINE JULY 16, 2018 Donna Walcavage, principal, Stantec, New York will be the jury chair. Details and entry forms will be posted on the Website later this year.

Mid August 2017 Newsletter

Program and Speakers Finalized   September 8 Awards Ceremony and Mini-Conference

The Waterfront Center’s 30th Annual Excellence on the Waterfront Awards Conference, Ceremony, Reception and Gala Dinner Friday, September 8, 2017

Awards Conference The Churchill Hotel , 1914 Connecticut Ave. NW

Gala Dinner, 2101 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

Program

1:00 Registration 1:30 Welcome Remarks  1: 45 Demonstration of the Excellence on the Waterfront Interactive Database         Stewart McKenzie, Webmeister, The Waterfront Center 2:00 About Urban Waterfronts 2018, the Center’s 33rd Annual International Conference in Yuma, Arizona   2:30 Announcement of 2017 Excellence on the Waterfront Honor Awards with presentations by the winners about their projects.         William Wenk, principal, William Wenk Associates, Denver, Colorado, jury chair presiding  2017 Awards and Presenters

Clearwater Citizen Award

• Mike Houck, executive director, Urban Greenspace Institute, Portland, Oregon. Presenting: Steve Durrant, Alta Planning + Design, Portland, Oregon

Honor Awards - Projects

• Infra-Space 1, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presenting:  Dan Adams, Landing Studio, Somerville, Massachusetts • Light City, Baltimore, Maryland.  Presenting:  Ashley Molese and Kathy Hornig, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts  • Old Mill District, Bend, Oregon. Bend Presentng:  Carol Mayer-Reed, Mayer-Reed Inc., Portland, Oregon • Point State Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Presenting:  Marion Pressley, Pressley Associates Inc., Boston, Massachusetts  • Principal Riverwalk Pavilion, Des Moines, Iowa.  Invited: Pam Cooksey, City of Des Moines Engineering Department, Des Moines, Iowa • Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge, Fort Worth, Texas  Presenting: Nadia Westcott, Rosales + Partners,  Boston, Massachusetts

Honor Awards - Plans

• Master Plan for the Burlington Beach Regional Waterfront Park.   Presenting:  Cal Brook, Brook McIlroy, Toronto, Ontario, Canada • Tar River Legacy Plan, Greenville. North Carolina.   Presenting: Ron Sessoms, Rhodeside & Harwell, Alexandria

TOP HONOR - PROJECT

• Big River Crossing, Memphis, Tennessee Presenting: Virginia McLean, Friends For Our Riverfront and Representative Steve Cohen, Memphis, Tennessee 6:30    Champagne Reception 8:00     Gala Dinner honoring the 2017 Winners and the 30th Anniversary of the Awards Program

ANNOUNCING URBAN WATERFRONTS 2018

The 33rd International Conference on Waterfront Planning Development and Culture

January 25-27, 2018, Yuma, Arizona, Hilton Gardens Hotel

Preconference Workshop – Thursday January 25 Conference – January 26-27 Sponorsored by The Waterfront Center And Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area

Early August 2017 Newsletter

Announcing the 2017 Award Winners!     The Waterfront Center is pleased to announce the winners of the 30th Annual Excellence on the Waterfront Awards program. As usual there is a range of geography and type of project. We are looking forward to an exciting awards ceremony and program at the Churchill Hotel in Washington, D.C. Visit HERE for more information and sign-up forms.      CAPE MAY, New Jersey – The 2017 ‘EXCELLENCE ON THE WATERFRONT’ awards program, organized by the non-profit Waterfront Center of Washington, District of Columbia., for the past 30 years, recognized seven built projects and two plans. The jury, led by  Bill Wenk of Wenk Associates, Denver, Colorado, met for a day-and-a-half at Congress Hall in this seaside resort.     Winners will be recognized at an Awards Ceremony on September 8 in Washington, District of Columbia, followed by a reception and dinner. Each entrant will be given 20 minutes to describe their entry, usually with a power point illustration.   BIG RIVER CROSSING’ IN MEMPHIS RECEIVES 2017 TOP HONOR AWARD  • Big River Crossing, submitted by Friends of Our River, Memphis, Tennessee. Entrant: Charles McVean, McVean Trading and Investments LLC, and co-entrant, Harry Pratt, Allen & Hosall, both Memphis. Owner/developer Robert Knecht, City of Memphis, and Paul Luker, Crittenden County,  Arkansas. Honor Awards/Projects in alphabetical order. • Infra-Space 1, Boston, Massachusetts. Submitted by Dan Adams and Marie Law Adams, Landing Studio, Somerville, Massachusetts., and Robin Blatt-Eisengart, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Boston. • Light City, Baltimore, Maryland. Submitted by Ashley Molese, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, and Bill Cole, Baltimore Development Corporation, both Baltimore. • Old Mill District, Bend, Oregon. Submitted by Bill Smith, Old Mill District, Bend, and Carol Mayer-Reed, Mayer-Reed Inc., Portland, both Oregon. • Point State Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Submitted by Marion Pressley, Pressley Associates Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, and John P. Jaskolka, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,  Prospect, Pennsylvania. • Principal Riverwalk Pavilion, Des Moines, Iowa. Submitted by Paul Mankins, substancearchitecture (cq), and Pam Cooksey, City of Des Moines Engineering Department, both Des Moines, Iowa. • Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge, Fort Worth, Texas, Submitted by Miguel Rosales, Rosales + Partners,  Boston, Massachusetts., and Stacey Pierce, Streams and Valleys, Fort Worth, Texas. Honor Awards/Plans, in alphabetical order  • Master Plan for the Burlington Beach Regional Waterfront Park.  Submitted by Cal Brook, Brook McIlroy, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Stirling L. W. Todd, The Regional Municipality of Halton, Oakville, Ontario, Canada • Tar River Legacy Plan, Greenville. North Carolina.  Submitted by Ron Sessoms, Rhodeside & Harwell, Alexandria, Lamarco Morrison, City of Greenville Recreation and Parks, Greenville, North Carolina.                                                            Clearwater Award • Mike Houck, Urban Green Spaces Institute, Portland, Oregon

2017 Jury

• Bill Wenk,  principal, Wenk Associates, Denver, Colorado. • Thomas Corcoran, president (retired), Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. • Phillip Musegass, vice president, programs and litigation, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Washington, District of Columbia • Donna Walcavage, principal, Stantec, New York, New York • Michael Zaleski, president and CEO, Riverfront Recapture Inc., Hartford, Connecticut.

Urban Waterfronts 2018: Water: The Defining Force – Challenges for the 21st Century 33rd Annual International Conference on Urban Waterfront Planning January 25 -27, 2018 Hilton Garden Inn and Convention Center Yuma, Arizona

We are working full speed ahead with our colleagues in Yuma to put together a dynamite Urban Waterfront 2018, the 33rd gathering of those involved in waterfront work. A printed brochure will be mailed in early September and more detailed information will be posted on both the Waterfront Center's and Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area's web sites soon thereafter.

July 2017 Newsletter

The Waterfront Center  30th Annual Excellence on the Waterfront Mini-Conference, Awards Ceremony and Reception  Friday, September 8, 2017 1:30 – 7:00 p.m. The Churchill Hotel 1914 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

Friday afternoon attendees at the mini-conference will hear presentations by the 2017 award winners. The winners will be announced on the Center’s web site in August and the list of speakers posted. They will receive their awards and be feted at a champagne reception at 6:00 p.m. Bill Wenk, Wenk Associates, Denver, Colorado, this year’s jury chair, will preside. Fee will include conference attendance and the reception.

Gala Dinner Honoring the 2017 Winners  and Celebrating the 30th  Anniversary of the Awards Program 7:30 p.m. 2101 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

The Optional Gala Dinner, always a convivial evening will include a delicious multi-course meal with wine and champagne toasts.

Sign up form for the Mini-Conference and Gala Dinner found HERE Sign up form for the Mini-Conference, Gala Dinner, Publicity, and Donation found HERE

Leaf Litter:"Restoring Ecology on the Urban Waterfront"

Leaf Litter, the electronic newsletter produced by the firm Biohabitats  has just published a must read issue for anyone involved in waterfront planning, development and culture. The newsletter can be seen HERE.

The issue is chock full of ideas about sustainability and the public realm along the water's edge and is amply and  beautifully illustrated. (The entire issue is full of good information but most interesting for our readers will probably be the the case examples which include extensive information.)

The Waterfront Seattle Program including the very innovative Seawall Project and shoreline walkways.

Seattle Seawall transparent panels in walkway Allow light to pass to water below

Seattle Shoreline Walkway Seattle Shoreline Walkway

Toronto's waterfront efforts including storm water and shoreline restoration efforts including the handsome WaveDecks that take people out over the water and created fish habitats using root ball, logs and other shelter producing materials.

Toronto Waterfront Wavedeck Toronto Waterfront Wavedeck

Baltimore has never rested on its laurels and has made great ecological strides through the installation of floating wetlands, upgrading the Aquarium's campus, including introduction of underwater habitats, Biohuts. And of course there is the Excellence on the Waterfront top honor winner, the Water Wheel.

Baltimore Floating Wetlands Baltimore Floating Wetlands

Detroit continues its decades-old efforts to reclaim the riverfront (Excellence on the Waterfront award-winner in 2014. In keeping with the other cities described above, the city has joined the resiliency bandwagon and is restoring riparian wetlands, installing soft shoreline, reclaiming wetlands and provided public realm.

Detroit Waterfront Restoration Detroit Milliken State Park

Ann Breen was approached by editor, Amy Nelson, and had a delightful morning being interviewed by her. She generously profiled the Center and our work. Part of this profile discusses our upcoming conference in Yuma see below.

See the Waterfront Center profile HERE

Urban Waterfronts 2018 The 33rd Annual International Conference on Waterfront Planning, Development and Culture

sponsored by The Waterfront Center and Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area January 27-29, 2018 Yuma, Arizona

Not your everyday waterfront conference venue as some have noted, but we are very excited about gathering the waterfront world  in Yuma at the Hilton Gardens Inn and Pivot Point Conference Center hard by the Colorado River.      We are busy assembling our speakers for two concurrent panels that will run Friday and Saturday morning.  The conference will be bookended by keynote speakers and we will conclude Friday afternoon with a taste of the Excellence on the Waterfront Award Winners.      A pre-conference event will start on Wednesday evening with a get-acquainted dinner in a converted, historic church and Thursdays offerings include: Briefing and Walking Tour of  Gateway Park and the Yuma East Wetlands, a 400-acre wetlands restoration which is considered a model for restoration in the desert Southwest; a Tour of the Yuma West Wetlands, a 110-acre riverfront park converted from the City’s landfill! and a visit to the Imperial Dam, an engineering marvel where nearly 90% of the remaining water in the Colorado River is diverted, mostly to California.     Details and registration will be placed on our website in the near future.

June 2017 Newsletter

June 30, 2017 -  Excellence on the Waterfront Awards Deadline

Three Weeks to Go!!!     Still plenty of time to get your entry or re-entry in the mail. Go to our website HERE to download the forms.      Award recipients are recognized on our website in several ways including the interactive database that now features 400+ winners - a waterfront researchers dream tool.      Winners are featured in an attractive, illustrated booklet, in press releases and honored at the half-day mini-conference, September 8 and a gala dinner that evening. See below for information and sign up.    Many of our winners get picked up in magazines and newspapers. Of note in the May 2017 Landscape Architecture Magazine is a major feature on 2012 top honor winner: Jellicoe Street North Waterfront Promenade and Silo Park by Gweneth Leigh (pp 89-105).

Jellicoe Street, North Wharf Promenade and Silo Park

The Baltimore Trash Eater

On the lighter side, the cartoon "Arctic Circle" by Alex Hallett depicts our 2015 distinctive top honor winner: Baltimore's Water Wheel.

Baltimore's Water Wheel, 2015 top honor winner                                              Alex Hallatt's cartoon published in the Boston Globe

The Waterfront Center 30th Annual Excellence on the Waterfront Mini-Conference, Awards Ceremony and Reception

Friday, September 8, 2017 1:30 – 7:00 p.m. The Churchill Hotel 1914 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, D.C.     Friday afternoon attendees at the mini-conference will hear presentations by the 2017 award winners. The winners will be announced on the Center’s web site in August and the list of speakers posted. They will receive their awards and be feted at a champagne reception at 6:00 p.m. Bill Wenk, principal, Wenk Associates, Inc., Denver, Colorado, this year’s jury chair, will preside. Fee includes conference attendance and the reception. Gala Dinner Honoring the 2017 Winners and Celebrating the Center’s 30th Awards Program   7:30 p.m. 2101 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington, D.C.     The Optional Gala Dinner, a festive evening of meeting up with old friends and making new ones, will include a delicious multi-course meal with wine and champagne toasts. The event takes place in an historic apartment building built in 1928, within a very short walk from the Churchill Hotel.

Sign up form for the Mini-Conference, Awards Ceremony and Reception can be found HERE.

May 2017 Newsletter

Waterfront Center Celebrates 36th Birthday and the 30th Annual Awards Program 33rd Annual International Conference     The Waterfront Center was founded on May 1, 1981, almost 4 decades ago and we pause to thank everyone who has supported us over all these years. Plus we want to also acknowledge the people from all over the globe we have met at our conferences and in our consulting practice. We hope many of you will join us in Yuma, Arizona for our 33rd international conference on waterfront planning, development and culture, January 25-27, 2018. Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area is the co-sponsor.

Urban Waterfronts 33: WATER: The Defining Force - Challenges for the 21st Century will be headquartered at the Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center. A block of rooms has been set aside at the rate of $139. The hotel overlooks the Colorado River and has a pool. An optional all-day pre-conference workshop will  also be offered Thursday January 25.

The Excellence on Waterfront Awards Program was initiated in 1987 to recognize top quality waterfront projects and plans. This year's ceremony/mini-conference, reception and gala dinner will take place September 8 at the Churchill Hotel in Washington, D.C. Details will soon be featured on the website. We will plan a special gala in honor of the program's 30th anniversary.

The deadline for submittals: postmarked June 30, 2017

Websites of Note

Recently on Planetizen's site I noted a job opening of possible interest to waterfront folk: Director of Planning at Boston Harbor Now. (employment@bostonharbornow.org). Boston Harbor Now is a relatively new non-profit bringing together two long-standing non-profits: Boston Harbor Islands and The Boston Harbor Association. Kathy Abbott is the executive director. Their address is 15 State Street, #1100 Boston, Mass. 02109.

Interested in city news? Check out newsletter@nextcity.org and you'll find lots of tidbits.

Waterfront Center Board Member News

David Benn sent this along: The partners and principals of Cho Benn Holback + Associates are pleased to announce that we are joining the acclaimed architectural firm of QuinnEvans Architects, effective May 1. Established in 1984, Quinn Evans is known for its award-winning civic, cultural, educational, and commercial building portfolio, with particular expertise in historic preservation and community revitalization. CBH+A will operate as Cho Benn Holback, a Quinn Evans Company, and we will remain in our N. Charles Street office.

Fran Hegeler has joined SWA Group as corporate director of marketing and communications in their Bay Area office. Fran has served on our board from when she worked for Wallace Roberts and Todd in Philadelphia and later when she joined AECOM in San Francisco. She can be reached at fhegeler@swagroup.org.

Al Copp and Dick Wagner - in Memoriam

I am sad to report the waterfront world has lost two more stalwarts. We honor their lengthy careers dedicated to waterfronts.

Al Copp

Al Copp  was a major figure with a distinguished waterfront career in Baltimore working as a planner and president of the Charles Center-Inner Harbor Corporation.More recently he was a serious winemaker. His wife, Laurie Schwarz, is head of the Waterfront Partnership and was on hand to get the top honor for the Water Wheel. See obituary HERE

Dick Wagner

Dick Wagner, founder of the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union in Seattle, was a real pioneer in maritime education and wooden boats - their use and the craft of building them. The Center's educational programming was far-reaching.  See Dick's obituary HERE. He and his wife received a well-deserved Clearwater Award. Go HERE and enter Wooden Boats into the search box for more detail.

Late April 2017 Newsletter

Important Marches Coming Up

Saturday, April 22 Earth Day and March for Science Saturday, April 29, People's Climate March

Earth Day and March for Science are joining forces for events all around the country. We are hoping many of you will turn out in your community/region or here in Washington where a  monumental crowd could well assemble.      We received notice from the Environmental Defense Fund and the Adirondack Council to join them on April 29. To register visit: edf.org/climatemarch or call 800 684 3322. Looks like there will be events not just in Washington but throughout the country.

BOSTON - Plans Afoot for "Jawdropping Park"

Our good friend Charlotte DeWitt from Boston sent us this link about plans for major new public space around the harbor. Boston was one of the early pioneers in the waterfront phenomenon and they just keep on rolling on. A non-profit group Trustees of the Reservations plans to spearhead this ambitious project.

BALTIMORE - Light City

Baltimore, another of those pioneering waterfront cities, just staged a nine-day Festival of Light, Music and Innovation (March 31-April 8). So when the aforesaid Charlotte emailed that she wanted us join her in Charm City to experience the festival, how could we resist.

Charlotte DeWitt

BALTIMORE - Light City

We were only able to get a very small taste of this highly ambitious event now in its second year. Commissioned artworks by artists from around the world could be found mostly along the ART WALK around and near the Inner Harbor. Of course there was food, drink, music, stuff for children, educational programming and loads and loads of people. The real magic begins as darkness falls and the interplay of light and water comes fully to life. However pieces like this one installed around the pedestrian bridge between the Piers 3 & 4 by Belgian artist Tom Dekyvere using illuminated nylon fabric was awesome even in daylight, but after dark it was spellbinding especially with the music accompaniment. It reminded me of "cat's cradle" (remember that childhood game?) on steroids.

String sculpture by Belgian artist Tom Dekyvere

Light Boats

'NEW WATER MUSIC' Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana

Ever ones to try a little waterfront adventure --  when we spotted a notice of a "nautical visual presentation" of composer Yotam Haber's "New Water Music" to occur Saturday evening April 8 we ventured to an area of New Orleans we had never been to. Thousands were on hand to witness the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and hundreds of musicians perched on a flag-bedecked rusting old barge and several tents along the shoreline play the haunting piece. Lots of flags, headdresses, colorful sashes and costumes rounded out the scene.

One of the many musicians arrives for the performance

Orchestra leader conducts from a perch high above the water

Decorated shrimp boats were hired to perform a "ballet."

Part of the Shrimp Boat Ballet

The non-profit New Orleans Airlift artistic director Delaney Martin oversaw this unusual production.      An intriguing installation of fishing nets hanging from the underside of an overhead highway provided visual interest plus play space for kids and backdrops for selfies.

Ghosts

A number of exhibits were set up by non-profit groups involved in coastal/environmental/working waterfront issues. Nearby food trucks and bar were jammed. Our only quibble with this truly unusual undertaking was that the crowds were partying (hey its New Orleans) a bit much, drowning out the ability to really hear the music as we imagine it was meant to be heard. We only hope the event was recorded and could be played on a big screen somewhere.      Not sure what King George I who commissioned Handel's Water Music would have thought or whether the folks who flocked to the banks of Thames in 1717 were rowdy as well.

EXCELLENCE ON THE WATERFRONT AWARDS DEADLINE JUNE 30, 2017

See HERE for details and entry forms

April 2017 Newsletter

Important Earth Day Coming Up - Saturday, April 22

A double header is in the offing up and it's not baseball. Earth Day and March for Science are joining forces for events all around the country. We are hoping many of you will turn out in your community/region or here in Washington where a  monumental crowd could well assemble. It may well be the women's march squared and that was unforgettable.      Trump's budget and related actions are disastrous for all of us who cherish environmental values and sound waterfront planning, development and culture. An historical footnote: When Dick and I worked for Dept. of Commerce/NOAA/Coastal Zone back in the day we wrote booklet called "Improving Your Waterfront: A Practical Guide" published in 1980. We compiled information on some 28 federal programs that offered assistance to localities and we know that waterfronts all across the national availed themselves of some of these grants and loans. Many of these programs/agencies face elimination or severe cutbacks. Very often the imprimatur of receiving a federal grant helped  generate other sources of revenue. We need to try to save as much as we can. Let your voices be heard. At the end of this blast is a portion of a letter we wrote to a Washington Post reporter about the value of National Endowment for the Arts.*

Philadelphia's Waterfront - Patience Pays

As a native Philadelphian, when we first started the Center in 1981 and visited the waterfront there, I have to admit,  the experience was less than wonderful. It was severed from the downtown by 17 lanes of highway (talk about an obstacle!) and Penn's Landing bunker-like architecture and detailing lacked luster.

Apart from ambitious programming that breathed life to it on weekends, little occurred. But in the past ten years or so things began to stir. In 2007 the University of Pennsylvania's PennPraxis produced a series of forums and published a Civic Vision for the Central Delaware that received a Clearwater award from us. In 2008 the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation published a Master Plan for the Central Delaware. The Corporation also recently invested in three Excellence on the Waterfront award-winning gems: Morgan's Pier, WinterFest and Spruce Street Harbor Park which have all been featured in past newsletters. You can check these projects out on our interactive database HERE.      Now after decades of lagging behind, the waterfront is poised for a huge breakthrough. I feel as if there should be a big drum roll: Mayor Kenney recently announced a $90 million plan to cover the highways between Walnut and Chestnut Streets and create a $225 million park. The 3-year construction is scheduled to start in 2020. Philadelphia will at long last gain a beautiful centerpiece park and a literal toe hold on the Delaware River!

Penn's Landing park capping

Camden - Prison to Public Realm Plus Much More

Across the river from downtown Philly, sits the Camden riverfront which had a waterfront park back in the '80s, an aquarium, kids play area, a ferry and a battleship museum. It also had - along with many other waterfronts - a state prison.

Former New Jersey State Prison in Camden NJ

In 2009, the prison buildings were torn down to make way for a four-acre park which the State Economic Development Authority will undertake.  This park is only a small part of the picture: EDA president also said the agency wants to take advantage of recent developments: a groundbreaking for the new American Water headquarters, under construction; the Liberty development, which includes proposed housing, restaurants, and a hotel; and a proposal last week by three major South Jersey firms, including the insurance brokerage Conner Strong Buckelew, to build a $245 million office complex there. So there are big things in the works on both sides of the river!

Excellence on the Waterfront Awards Deadline: June 30, 2017

Go HERE for details and entry forms

Waterfront Center Indebted to NEA - a Bit of History

While NEA is the most popularly known for its funding: theater, fine and applied art, literature, film, dance, opera, orchestras and the like -- all of which are very important to us as a nation.  BUT I don’t think people are aware what an extremely diversified mission it has had. This a very important point to drive home. The Center  is a case in point. Our mission is about urban planning, design and execution, helping communities and educating them about the tools they need to accomplish the complex and lengthy process of improving their waterfronts, balancing the economic, ecological, social, recreational and aesthetic considerations.     The Waterfront Center was founded as a non-profit educational entity on May 1, 1981 -- 35 years ago and counting. Its mission has been -- and is still today -- to help communities make the wisest uses of their waterfront assets in the long-term public interest, through its varied programs.     We owe a great debt to the NEA that funded three early projects of ours.     Three grants ranging from $5,000-$7,500 grants from the Endowment served as critical seed money, affirmation and recognition in our formative years that enhanced our credibility nationally. The programs/research the Endowment funded have had long-term impacts as outlined below. Big bangs for little bucks!

• The Waterfront Center’s Annual International Conference Since 1983, the Waterfront Center has hosted the premier annual waterfront conference that has brought together thousands of attendees from all parts of the country/world who are interested in learning more about current practices and initiatives. What distinguishes the Center’s conferences is that the presenters and attendees are by and large practitioners -- the “doers” that make waterfront transformations happen. The Endowment funds assisted us in launching this meeting and the publication of the proceedings.

• Excellence on the Waterfront Awards Program  In 1987 with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Waterfront Center established the “Excellence on the Waterfront Awards Program.” This is the only awards program that recognizes top-quality waterfront work around the world. Over 400 projects, plans, citizen’s effort and student work have been recognized for their achievements.  The Waterfront Center is close finishing inputting all the annual award winners from the past years into a unique searchable database that is posted on its Web site and thus freely available to all.

• Caution: Working Waterfront: the Impact of Change on Marine           Enterprises       (The Waterfront Press: 1985) Ann Breen and Dick Rigby  A third NEA grant helped support the research, writing and publishing of a monograph describing the importance of retaining what the authors’ termed the “working waterfront.” The issue is still very current where the pressure of the marketplace is driving up waterfront property values that threaten small marine enterprises such as boatyards, commercial fishing docks and marinas. A related advocacy stand of the Center is the felt importance of retaining, or interpreting, components of the industrial past, put to new uses if the industry has closed. Old gantry cranes and a host of other  artifacts have been incorporated in many waterfront redevelopments.

March 2017 Newsletter

Start to Make Your Plans JOIN US IN YUMA, ARIZONA! Hard by the Colorado River.

Last month co-directors Breen and Rigby travelled to Arizona to advance the meeting planned for next January. They conducted a community workshop there over twenty years ago and were amazed at the changes. Charlie Flynn, executive director of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, our co-sponsor squired Ann and Dick around and they met with staff to begin lining up events for the meeting. They came away enthused about introducing  the waterfront community to a new part of the world.

The Waterfront Center’s 33rd Annual International Conference

January 25-27, 2018. In cooperation with the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. “Challenges for Waterfronts in the 21st Century:  Too Much Water or Too Little?”

The conference will feature two simultaneous tracks with 12 speakers each, plus opening reception, keynote presentations and conference luncheon. Lots of fun optional social events are being planned.   Track One: Featuring the Colorado River’s issues past, present and future.   Track Two: Featuring an array of speakers and topics covering the national and international urban waterfront scene.     On Thursday, January 25 an optional workshop, will include an all-day in-depth briefing about Yuma’s amazing riverfront transformation and a field trip to the Imperial Dam passing through the vast areas where from November to March 90 percent of the country’s leafy greens, including lettuce, are harvested. A glimpse of what you’ll see and learn about:

East Wetlands Park, 400 acres cleared of invasive species and replaced since 2004 with over 200,000 cottonwood, willow and mesquite trees. Features a 3.5 mile hiking trail.

Along the trail a glimpse of the historic Ocean to Ocean Bridge seen through the trees

Sunrise Point Park, developed by the Quechan Indian Tribe, overlooks a restored marsh and 40 acres of native cottonwoods and willows.

From this vantage point you get a appreciation for the wide open spaces with the mountains in the distance.

Pivot Point Interpretive Plaza, marking the exact spot where the first train entered the Arizona Territory in 1877. Features  a large steam locomotive. Preserves the concrete pivot on which a bridge turned to allow steamships to pass.

Pivot Point plaza gently slopes towards the river                                 Intrepretive signs explain the history of the area

1907 Baldwin Steam locomotive is located  on the exact spot where the first train entered the Arizona Territory in 1877

West Wetlands Park, site of the former city dump, being converted into a 110-acre riverfront park, including a lake, boat launch, beaches, hummingbird garden and”Castle Park” built with design ideas of local children.

Couple enjoy a quite moment along the river in the West Wetlands Park                            Charlie and Dick take in one of the interpretive signs                                                                                                                                   found in the outdoor environmental classroom                           A picturesque lake attracts anglers, picnickers, sun worshipers                    “Castle Park” is a very popular gathering spot for families and model boat enthusiasts among many                                                                                        COME TO THE CONFERENCE - MAKE IT A HOLIDAY!

Shake off the winter blues: Yuma is the sunniest spot in the U.S. – average January temperature: 70 degrees!  Yuma is steeped in the history of the old West and lots more to see and learn about including:  • Historic Quartermaster Depot is a beautifully landscaped state park with 19th Century adobe structures. The depot’s spacious storehouse will be the venue for our Friday Gala Dinner - a colorful Mexican feast with mariachi music.

Quartermaster Depot Grounds                                                                         Quartermaster Depot Wagon                                                            TheTerritorial Prison, state historic park opened in 1876 and housed over 3,000 prisoners. The stone-walled cell blocks will be the site of a special candlelit dinner Thursday night.

TheTerritorial Prison

• Medjool Yuma Date Festival all day Saturday Jan. 27, 2018, on Main Street. Enjoy a delicious “date shake.”

• Saguinetti House, Museum and Gardens – 19th Century adobe home, historic site and gift shop downtown on Madison Ave.

Saguinetti Gardens

• Lutes Casino is Arizona’s oldest pool hall with eclectic décor and great southwestern bar food.

Lutes Casino

• Three National Wildlife Refuges can be found in the greater Yuma area.

Fish and Wildlife Refuges Near Yuma

February 2017 Newsletter "WATERFRONT EXCELLENCE" 1987 - 2016

Powerpoint presentation of the Top Honor Excellence on the Waterfront Award Winners       The Center is pleased to announce that this powerpoint presentation with over 300 images of top honor winners selected by independent juries was featured at the WaterEdge Symposium in Auckland, New Zealand last November and is now able to be viewed on the Center's website HERE     Special thanks to Stewart McKenzie for making this available to everyone. He is also the person behind our interactive database of close to all of the winners - to date a universe of well over 300. So, if you want to delve more deeply into any of the top winners or winners in general read the instructions HERE. The geography includes 16 foreign countries, six Canadian provinces and at least 33 states. This unique waterfront resource is freely available and we thank those friends of the Center who contributed to the projects.  2017 Awards Deadline: June 30, 2017  Waterfront Alliance Annual Conference See Awards Entry Form HERE  Measuring Our Harbor: Strong, Healthy and Open May 7, 2017 - 9:00 to 5:00 Aboard Hornblower Infinity     If you want to catch up on what's new in the New York region's waterfronts this is the meeting for you. For more information go to the Waterfront Alliance's website. Varied rates with an early bird at $120 that ends 3/15. Government and non-profit rate is $75.   Upper Mississippi River Conference Now Available      River Action, Inc., an organization many of you may remember from our joint conference in the Quad Cities several years ago, held their annual meeting this past October to address issues raised by America's Watershed Initiative Report Card for the Mississippi River watershed. Participants at the meeting were challenged to come up with action items for each of the following goal areas:     Ecosystems, Flood Control and Risk Reduction, Transportation, Water Supply, Economy, Watershed-wide indicators and Recreation. It should be noted that the Upper Mississippi basin received a grade C which was the highest of the River's sub-basins. This 10-page report outlines the priority objectives identified to "raise the grade." One action recognized by every sector was the need for education and outreach. An update on the Action Agenda will be given at the 2017 Upper Mississippi River Basin Conference. You can download the report from River Action's website.

Groundhog Day 2017 Newsletter

Happy Groundhog Day!

Whether he sees his shadow or not, February 2 signals spring is not so far away which is always cause for a celebration

Excellence on the Waterfront Awards DEADLINE Postmarked by June 30, 2017. see website for details.

2017 Awards Ceremony, Winning Presentation and Gala Dinner

We will hold the Awards Ceremony and Reception at The Churchill Hotel in Washington, D.C. September 8, 2017. An optional gala dinner will follow. Our 2016 attendees really enjoyed the 20-minute presentations by the winners to give more insights into their work so we will repeat this format. Details will be updated and posted.

Postcard from the North of North Island, New Zealand

Prior to joining up with the WaterEdge Symposium in Auckland last November,  co-directors Breen and Rigby were joined by long-time board member, Charley Norris who was game to drive us all on the wrong side of the road to re-visit places we had been to together over twenty years ago. We had fond memories of these towns and should your travels take you to this northern most part of the country we recommend visiting them as well as the fantastically beautiful Bay of Islands.     Whangearei. our first stop, is located on the Hatea River and has a charming redeveloped Town Basin waterfront that is even nicer than it was on our first visit. Shops, cafes, bars and restaurants enliven the scene. One waterfront perch tempted us to stop for a pint of good Kiwi beer.

                          Whangearei Waterfront                                                                     Charles Norris and Dick Rigby and a Kiwi Beer

     New to us was the expanded, extensive river walk that includes public art installations, interpretive signage and lovely plantings. One sees a group of warehouses behind park-like setting at the start of the walk close to town center. 

                        Warehouses Behind the Park                                                   Do's and Dont's on the River Walk

                 River Walk Sign                                                    River Walk Seat and Art Installation

    A new pedestrian bridge with sail-like shade structures makes a loop walk possible and doubles as a place to hold events like this Saturday Flea Market. 

Pedestrian Bridge                                                                                           Flea Market         

En route to and from Whangarei we stopped at a very inviting Welcome Center. Not only did they have tons of tourist information and helpful people, there was a small shop, an indoor and outdoor cafe.

The attractive restrooms had baby changing facility and a place to shower. Attention to detail is evident in this handsome red security gate and the etched glass roof celebrating the pongo or silver fern tree. Those fronds and tree trunks are actually steel sculptures.

          Restroom Door                                                                     Etched Glass Roof              

   Our other small town is the somewhat isolated Russell that is popular with tourists who flock by ferry from nearby Pahia. Back in the 1830s this peaceful, charming place was full of swashbuckling whalers and sealers with the reputation as the "Hell Hole of the Pacific." You'd never guess it now. We enjoyed our return to the Duke Of Marlborough restaurant expanded and much-refurbished. A terrific meal and view of the water were thoroughly enjoyed on a fine spring-like evening! Definitely worth the trip.

                     Russell Waterfront Beach                                                                                          Russell Main Street         

The Duke of Marlborough Hotel

January 2017 Newsletter

2016 Winter Solstice Newsletter

Winter Solstice Greetings

     Wishing everyone a happy turning of the year. Celebrate this day of little light with lots of candles and winter feasting today and in the coming weeks.  To all our waterfront colleagues and friends: a  very merry, happy holiday season!

December 31st Fast Approaches

Mid December 2016 Newsletter

Waterfronts Reborn Trailer Now on the Web Site

    The Trailer for the planned hour-long documentary film is now up on our web site. The 12-minute film executed by the documentary filmmaker Jon Dann features Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Texas in particular the new Buffalo Bayou Park. The Park received an Excellence on the Waterfront honor award this year, see HERE. The Center and the film team our currently considering 4-5 other cities as case studies for inclusion in the full length film and are actively fundraising. Waterfronts Reborn will soon have its own page to encourage donations and keep you updated. Pictured below is a portion of the walkway with the imaginative night lighting that follows the moon phases from blue to white during each month. Note that these light fixtures can withstand the severe flooding the bayou withstands.

Buffalo, New York Rejuvenation

If you don't already subscribe to City Links, we recommend it as a good source of urban information. HERE is a  link to a recent very upbeat story. We absolutely love the idea that embraced the old silos rather than tear them down. So many cities over the years have destroyed them. Bravo!

     Co-director Breen recalls going on waterfront business in 1979 and hearing the then mayor talk about his vision for the waterfront. Several plans and attempts to fulfill a waterfront dream over the years have occurred but it seems at last to have come true! Center awarded a plan "Horizons Waterfront Acton Plan" in 1993 and more recently in 2009 "Erie Canal Harbor Project." Visit the interactive database and enter Erie Canal into the Search button to learn more about the 2009 project.

Tis the Season!

Ring, ring, ring in he joy of the season. Just a reminder to not forget the Center as you make your year-end donations.     We appreciate any help you can give us. Wishing you and yours a joyous holiday! Below is a miniature waterfront scene that is part of Philadelphia's Morris Aboretum's extensive magical model train exhibit to delight children of all ages.

33rd Annual International Conference

The Waterfront Center is planning the 33rd Annual International Conference on Urban Waterfront Planning, Development and Culture on  January 26 -27, 2018, Yuma, Arizona.      In collaboration with Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area."Challenges for the Waterfronts in the 21st Century: Too Much Water or Too Little?" Optional pre-conference workshop featuring Yuma Crossing, January 25.  Conference headquarters: Hilton Garden Inn on the Riverfront.

Early December Newsletter

Consider the Waterfront Center for Your Year-End Donations

Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday I am sure you have been besieged. We would like to throw the Center's hat in the ring as you begin to think about your annual contributions to the non-profit world.      With so many projects ongoing, we need your help:  • The Documentary Film - the trailer of Waterfronts Reborn will soon be on our website. We are beginning to fundraise for the hour-long version.  • The Interactive Data Base of the Excellence on the Waterfront Award Winners - close to being finished. It is a unique resource freely available on our website.  • The 30th Annual Excellence on the Waterfront Awards Program. Details will be available in January.   Thank you in advance for any contribution. Send checks to: The Waterfront Center PO Box 53351 Washington, DC 20009

Water Edge Symposium Auckland, New Zealand November 15-17, 2016

Ann Breen                                                     Dick Rigby

Michael Krieger                                             Charles Norris

Joel Mills                                                       Barry Hersh

                                        The Waterfront Center Presentation                                        Dinner                                                                   

                              Maori Dancing                                                          Food                                                

November 2016 Newsletter

    Ann Breen and Dick Rigby will be showing a powerpoint featuring the 50 top Excellence on the Waterfront top honor winners 1987-2016 at the wind-up gala dinner.

Excellence on the Waterfront Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner

    On October 21 all ten Excellence on the Waterfront award winners came to Washington to accept their awards and also made 20-minute presentations to an appreciative audience. They were feted at a festive gala dinner.

Mid October2016 Newsletter

29th Annual Excellence on the Waterfront Awards Events October 21, 2016 - Churchill Hotel, Washington, DC Visit HERE for details. There is still time to sign on and be part of an exciting meeting and awards ceremony.

EPA's Office on Water Announces Grants

EPA has awarded $1.3 million to 22 organizations in 18 states to revitalize urban waters and surrounding communities. Visit water headlines to learn more.

Swimming Pools

Summer may be over but some folks are busy planning ahead to increase swimming opportunities on their waterfronts.     The Charles River Conservancy a non-profit based in Boston recently  raised $25,000 through the Indiegogo  crowdfunding campaign  to help install a permanent swimming pool in the Charles River.  See HERE for details

Charles River Pool

The Brooklyn Bridge Park installed a highly popular pop-up pool on Pier 2. The pop-up will be continued for another season to allow time for the park to come up with a permanent facility. The article referenced The Floating Pool which was docked on the Brooklyn waterfront in 2007. It was the brainchild of one of our founding board members, Ann Buttenwieser who received an Excellence on the Waterfront honor award in 2007 for the project.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Popup Pool

The Waterfront Alliance's September 30 Waterwire ran a article in their newsletter about ambitious plans to install large water filtering pools in the river to give New Yorkers plenty of chances to jump in. The project, +POOL was conceived by Ding-Ping Wong who hopes that within four years  the concept can  be fully tested, the funds raised and come into being realized.     They are currently fundraising through Kickstarter.

Waterwire +Pool

John Belle 1932-2016

John Belle

We were saddened to learn of the recent death of a great supporter of the Waterfront Center. Not only did he generously support our conferences, he spoke at a number of them and received four Excellence on the Waterfront Honor awards including Top Honor for the restoration of the Roebling Bridge/ Delaware Aqueduct in 1990.

The Roebling Bridge/ Delaware Aqueduct

He was a partner in the New York firm, Beyer Blinder Belle noted for their preservation, restoration and contextual designs. In 1991 the firm received an honor award for their work on the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration.

Ellis Island Museum of Immigration

In 1995 the New York State Canal Recreationway plan was recognized and in 1998 the firm received honors for a Governors Island Land Use Study.

New York State Canal Recreationway

Governors Island Land Use Study

Visit the interactive data base to learn more about all these projects The firm's work on Grand Central Station was universally praised. John Belle was an unassuming and very gentle soul. We were privileged to have known him.

Grand Central Station

Bing Thom 1941-2016

Bing Thom

We were equally sorry to hear of the Hong Kong-born Canadian architect, Bing Thom's death earlier this month. Anyone who has visited Washington and ventured down to Arena stage in recent years has seen how he transformed the theater complex into a breathtaking landmark that virtually doubled the space. And for those of us who love river views, the enormous windows in the lobby area enable visitors to gaze out over Washington Channel.

Arena Stage Windows

Bing Thom's firm won two honor awards from the Center. In 1990 the beautifully designed False Creek Yacht Club/Anderson's Wharf is very nearly in the waterfront as the building is cleverly located tucked under a bridge in downtown Vancouver.

False Creek Yacht Club

Bing Thom, another genial soul was on hand at the conference in  2005 to receive his award for the Trinity River Uptown Plan for Fort Worth, Texas.

Trinity River Uptown Plan

Late September 2016 Newsletter

FOUR WEEKS TO GO!

29th Annual Excellence on the Waterfront Mini-Conference, Awards Ceremony and Reception Friday, October 21, 2016 1:00 – 7:30 p.m. The Churchill Hotel 1914 Connecticut Ave. NW,Washington, D.C.

All ten Honor Award winners will be on hand to receive their awards and make presentations. Go HERE to check out the program  and sign up. It is a real bargain at $50.00 and includes the reception.     Gala Dinner Celebration in Honor of 2016 Winners and the Center's 35th Anniversary. This optional event is described on the website and promises to be a exciting evening. Dinner at 8:00. 2101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC.

Indianapolis Uses Creativity to Focus on It's Waterways

Indianapolis through the Center for Urban Ecology and public artist Mary Miss/City as Living Laboratory has launched a terrific program that merges sciences and the arts to foster understanding and appreciation of the six waterways running through the city including the White River. Some of you may remember Mary Miss who made a presentation at our annual conference in 2011 in New York.Her  work is also integral to Honor Award Winners:

South Cove in Battery Park City (1993)

Historic Third Ward Riverwalk in Milwaukee (2005). Visit her website:  marymiss.com to learn about extensive career and work.

Visit Streamlines.org to learn more about the Indianapolis  program that engages the public through visual arts; dance/movement; poetry and music to peek people's interest and curiosity about the many aspects of improving their waterways and engage in the science of water systems. Many events are held to engage the community.

Chicago's New Riverwalk to Get Addition:The Jetty

An ambitious six-block portion of the Riverwalk along the Chicago River designed by Sasaki and Ross Barney Architects won an honor award this year and the project will be presented October 21 at our mini-conference.

An exciting innovation will be part of the addition called the Jetty to be opened in October. Underwater structures designed to provide fish habitat were inspired by similar features constructed in the Port of Rotterdam and made possible by a $175,00 grant from the Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Besides the Sasaki fish-focused features, submergent wetlands will be incorporated and attract birds and insects.

See Landscape Architecture, September 2016, p. 48, "A Riverwalk's Underwater World."