Park Spurs Development and Brings Town Through Recession

The creation of a park in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, is credited with helping the city lure new development and stay economically healthy during the recession.

1 minute read

July 31, 2011, 9:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

"The city has a beautiful, natural waterfall smack in the middle of its downtown that was hidden for decades by a concrete overpass, warehouses and boarded-up buildings. White took some political heat, but convinced the city to fund a 20-acre public garden around the waterfall and a suspension foot bridge above.

'The park cost $13 million,' White says. 'Within two years, over $100 million in private investment was created around the park - hotels, restaurants, condominiums, apartments. The entire, what we call the West End of our downtown, just blossomed.'"

The city has also focused on luring development by providing green space and parking for new projects.

FULL STORY: How A Park Helped One Town Weather The Recession

Friday, July 29, 2011 in NPR

Community / Economic Development Government / Politics Land Use Landscape Architecture Urban Development South Carolina Parks Greenville View More

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.