Guadalupe River Park
San Jose, California
The Guadalupe River Park is a paradigm of a modern flood-control project integrated with a major recreation park and wildlife habitat expressed as culturally “made.” It assures nature a place in the center of San Jose — a legacy to last for generations. The River Park underlay consists of the topography for the flood-control channel itself; it provides the underlying structural spine for the design of the River Park. Undulating terraced banks and landforms create the obviously manmade and river-influenced backbone for the native riverbank landscape. The second level, or River Park overlay, consists of the plan for open spaces, events and habitat restoration along the channel; these places make clear the relationship of humankind, technology and nature.
