Southwest Resiliency Park, Hoboken, NJ

Much of the City of Hoboken lies within the 100 year flood zone and is regularly inundated during big storms. The City endeavored to build a park with a hybrid of green and grey infrastructure that would capture and delay a ten-year storm. The park functions as a stormwater retention sponge with permeable paving and thriving rain gardens with water-loving plants. The rain gardens are beneficial for the surrounding community, a biodiverse bird and insect population, and the municipal stormwater system. At the heart of the park is a stone terraced seating feature that hosts community events. The dog park with boulder berm attracts community dogs and their owners from all over town and provides year-round park activation.

This work was completed for the City of Hoboken in 2017 while Wendy was project designer and manager for Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners, PLLC., in collaboration with Langan Engineering, Dagher Engineering, and Emphasis Design. The park design received a 2020 ASLA-NY Honor Award.

The seeds of Assemblage’s design approach were planted during this project through the layering of hydrological, ecological and social systems that undergird the park. At the same time, the park experience is a simple walk through wetland gardens, an evening gathering, or a tumble across the park lawn.