Situated at the confluence of the St. Joseph, St. Marys, and Maumee Rivers, Fort Wayne, Indiana is flush with funding for an ambitious waterfront revival project.
"The city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, flush with cash and guarantees from a court settlement with its old electric company, chose to put its in the river," reports Chris Bentley. "Instead of plugging potholes or papering over budget gaps, city managers in 2013 hired the Houston office of SWA Group to help the town of 253,000 reinvent its relationship with the region’s defining natural resource."
Bentley provides insight into public outreach and design process for the waterfront project leading up to the February reveal of the design proposal. Fort Wayne Planning Director Pam Holocher is quoted in the article describing the holistic benefits of the proposal—and also the potentially long timeline for all the project's components.
FULL STORY: GO WITH THE FLOW

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Planting Relief: Tackling Las Vegas Heat One Tree at a Time
Nevada Plants, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit, is combating the city’s extreme urban heat by giving away trees to residents in underserved neighborhoods, promoting shade, sustainability, and community health.
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