[ BING THOM ARCHITECTS ] Trinity Point Planning Project

Trinity Point Planning Project in Fort Worth, Texas

 

BTA was retained by the Tarrant County Water District to work with the team updating the Trinity River flood control system. The design brief was to prepare a framework plan and urban design standards for the Trinity Point lands in Fort Worth, Texas. The site is adjacent and north of the downtown core. This project was initiated by the strong desire of the community to reconnect their city with the Trinity River. This connection has been hampered by the fact that the Trinity River has a wide flood plain and as such the community has largely abandoned the waterfront.

 

The historic struggle of how to connect with the river while maintaining safety from flood conditions was solved when BTA proposed the idea of building a bypass channel. This channel will divert the occasional flood waters away from the development lands. With this concept a 500 acre development site was created adjacent to the downtown and the river. This concept has transformed the community's relationship to the Trinity River and activities are being created to make the river an active player in the City's life.

 

The new site plan creates in excess of 20 km of accessible waterfront and trails. This waterfront system is centered by an urban lake that will be surrounded by housing, retail, cultural and entertainment facilities, educational facilities, and civic functions. The lake will become a new public open space encouraging people to come down to the waterfront. The historic Trinity River bluff will be preserved as a natural park for all citizens to enjoy.

 

The new development site will be home to approximately 25,000 residents. The site will have complete mixed-use neighborhoods with parks, amenities, schools, services, retail, etc. in order to be true homes for families. These neighborhoods will compliment the adjacent downtown commercial and entertainment core. By placing such a large group of people within walking distance of the core there will be a reduced dependence on the automobile. Sustainable strategies such as local storm water retention, low impact landscaping, dense land use development, waste water recycling will also be implemented in the plan.