Master Plan

A Master Plan was launched in 2013 to create a road map for the future of Water Works Park. The plan aims to develop and grow a park that celebrates clean water by conserving land, enhancing the park’s innovative natural water filtration system, and offering more recreational and educational opportunities.

With easier access to the outdoors and environmental education, Water Works Park can help transform how our community thinks about and acts to protect water.

The Master Plan project was a collaboration between Sasaki, RDG Planning & Design, and Applied Ecological Services. The team brought internationally recognized waterfront design expertise (Sasaki), regional design, planning, and outreach (RDG), and ecology-driven design and restoration (AES).

Frequent collaborators—including the ongoing Des Moines regional sustainability plan called “The Tomorrow Plan”—Sasaki, RDG, and AES share a sustainability ethic, respect for public engagement, commitment to the richness and life of urban public parks, and belief in design as a vehicle for positive social and environmental change.

SASAKI is the prime consultant and lead design firm. Design Principal Gina Ford leads the process, whose work is nearly exclusively in the realm of the urban American floodplain, including waterfront parks in Chicago, Washington DC, Detroit, and Columbus, Ohio. Gina has extensive regional experience, leading the Cedar Rapids Flood Recovery Planning and Implementation and the Council Bluffs Riverfront Park.

Civil engineer and Honorary ASLA member Steve Hamwey is managing the effort. Steve is responsible for managing many of Sasaki’s most significant, complex urban landscapes, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront, and the Chicago Riverwalk.

Alexis Canter, project manager and landscape architect; Zach Chrisco, civil engineer; Kate Tooke, landscape architect; and Anna Scherling, website manager, support the design team.

RDG is a multifaceted network of national design and planning professionals. Intentionally diverse in knowledge and experience, RDG is boundless in pursuing success for its clients. Leading the charge for RDG is environmental advocate and orchestrator of public processes and public improvements Pat Boddy, most notably as Deputy and Interim Director of the Iowa DNR in Des Moines. Pat brings an unmatched understanding of regional ecological, social, and technical issues.

Landscape architects Scott Crawford and Mike Bell, along with RDG’s Parks and Recreation Studio, bring incredible park-related knowledge and a portfolio of regional park spaces.

Internationally renowned public artist David Dahlquist, leader of RDG’s Art Studio, will provide concept design for the project’s iconic elements and input on an overall public art strategy for the park.

Applied Ecological Services (AES) is one of the leading ecological consulting firms in the world. Dedicated to bringing the science of ecology to land-use decisions, AES applies science to provide practical land-use solutions that strike the most favorable balance between cultural needs, cost efficiencies, and ecological sustainability. Their knowledge of environmental systems provides a solid foundation for creating balanced ecological designs and sustainable, cost-effective, and enduring solutions.

Ecologist Kim Chapman, who has nearly thirty years of experience in ecological restoration, land-use planning, and habitat management, is leading the AES team. He is supported in this competition by two senior scientists: environmental scientist Douglas Mensing and civil engineer Ed Kallas.

The Master Plan