Master Plan Design Competition
The Master Plan
The Master Plan for Shelby Farms Park offers a vision and guiding framework for how the Park may be improved and enhanced over time. It is intended to be dynamic and flexible, capable of being adapted to changing needs and desires. The Master Plan is also designed to be implemented flexibly in realistic phases, depending upon the availability of funding and priorities set by the Conservancy.
As a guiding vision, the Master Plan provides a bold yet practical framework for future investment in the Park, creating a world-class Park of exceptional distinction, that appeals to the broadest possible constituency and heralds a new era where visionary parks are central to the creation of wholesome, just and rich quality of urban life.
“One Park” addresses the goals of unity, connectivity, sense of place, ecosystem, identity and inclusion. New circulation systems plantings, signage and consistent design elements will shape the Park as one.
“One Million Trees” addresses the goals of ecological improvement and biodiversity, defining edges and screening out undesirable views while maintaining some of the site’s most spectacular vistas; engaging the community in planting and stewardship; creating more shade for strolling; and reducing Memphis’s overall carbon footprint.
“Twelve Landscapes” addresses the diversity and richness of the different areas of the site; the varied user group needs; and the definition of future management zones, with respective goals and objectives.
Together, these three guiding principles will help to steer and form the basis around which the future Park takes shape. New entrances, pathways, plantings and facilities will shape a more defined and beautiful identity for Shelby Farms Park as a whole. In the center will be a magnificent new lake- nearly three times the size of the current Patriot Lake-able to support a wide range of non-motorized water sport activities. Twelve distinctive large-scale landscapes form the Park, each supporting certain uses and events while allowing a strong sense-of-place structure for the many varied user groups within the larger park setting. The plan is respectful of the current Park users and the unique qualities of the landscape, while at the same time affording enhanced amenities—improved and expanded trails, play areas, water bodies, performance spaces, activity areas and facilities—for an even broader spectrum of users.
The Innovative Design Competition
The Shelby Farms Park Innovative Design Competition created an exciting opportunity to bring teams of internationally renowned designers to Shelby County and the City of Memphis. These designers came with a singular purpose; to design a great 21st century park. The winner of the Innovative Design Competition is field operations.
Professionals from the fields of landscape architecture, architecture, art, ecology, and engineering came together to create new visions for the park's future. Some of these ideas were immediate and sweeping. Others were more subtle and will evolve over a number of years. All of the ideas, though, are the result of intense collaboration between the designers, the public, elected officials, community representatives, and the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. Without involvement from all of these parties, this competition, these ideas, and these presentations would not have been possible.
The goal of the Shelby Farms Park Innovative Design Competition was to choose a great design team-not a design. Ideas generated during the competition and on display as part of the exhibition were intended to demonstrate the thought, creativity, and the high level of commitment to bringing in the highest quality designers to Shelby Farms Park.
The aim of the public exhibition was to test out the effectiveness of the ideas from each of the proposals to see what garnered public support and what didn't. The ideas presented in the exhibition were meant to be a starting point and a place from which discussion about the park, its activities, characteristics, and events could take form. They generated interest, inspired participation, and showcased the great amount of work that has been done to make Shelby Farms a wonderful regional park.
Public Participation
Shelby Farms Park belongs to the citizens of Shelby County. In order to achieve a truly great plan that is reflective of the diverse desires of the broadest possible constituencies, the Conservancy designed a two-phase public input plan. In the fall of 2007, public meets and forums were held across the city. Before the three design teams selected to compete in the Innovative Design Process began sketching their concepts, they were given all of the public input data to inform their ideas. When the design teams were ready to present their initial concepts in spring 2008, the Conservancy exhibited models and presentation boards and a video for the designs at the Ben Hooks Central Library, Cossitt Library and Shelby Farms Park. Special outreach meetings were held during the month of March with the goal of reaching both those constituents who are not yet using the park and those who are. field operations was the overwhelming public favorite, and they were chosen to design the Master Plan for Shelby Farms Park. They were provided the data from the second public input phase which they used to finalize the Master Plan.
The public and stakeholder process should not end with the completion and approval of the Master Plan document. Continued participation in and support of the Master Plan are as crucial for future success as they were for the development of the plan that reflects the needs and desires a of the Memphis community. Shelby Farms Park Conservancy is guided by a strong policy regarding minority and public participation.
