PP&R Waterfront Park Design Down To Three Finalists

Published

September 15, 2026 1:24 pm

In this article

(Portland, Oregon) -

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) announces the three teams which advance to the second stage of the open international design competition for Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park - a key step in delivering one of Mayor Keith Wilson's priority initiatives to support downtown revitalization.

Cracks of sunlight split the sky over Waterfront Park's cherry blossom trees in spring 2026.

The shortlisted teams were selected from 50 submissions comprising more than 150 firms from 15 countries across six continents. No design concepts were requested in the first stage; teams were evaluated on experience, relevant design skills, project approach, and team composition, including an architect or landscape architect registered in the State of Oregon. The three teams will now develop concepts for the park.

The competition is to develop a vision to transform Waterfront Park by enhancing river access, restoring ecological systems, and creating an inclusive public destination that reflects Portland's culture and landscape. The redeveloped park is expected to serve as a strengthened civic anchor contributing to housing, business vitality, and tourism in downtown Portland.

Each shortlisted team is led by an architect or landscape architect. The three finalists are:

• SWA -New York, NY
• Bjarke Ingels Group-Brooklyn, NY
• Studio Egret West Limited - London, UK

Full team details are provided in the Notes to Editors section below.

"Portland's waterfront is ready for a new chapter, and these three teams bring the bold ideas and creativity to help us shape it," says Portland Mayor Keith Wilson. "Their work will give Portlanders a glimpse of what's possible - a waterfront that's more connected, more welcoming, and more reflective of who we are and who we want to be. I can't wait to see their visions take shape and to hear from the community as we imagine this future together."

Competition jury

PP&R is pleased to announce the competition Jury, composed of community members, stakeholder organizations, and independent subject matter experts across architecture, landscape architecture, and economic development.

Jury co-chairs

• Prof. Maurice D. Cox, Emma Bloomberg Professor in Residence of Urban Planning and Design, Harvard GSD
• Carol Coletta, Bloomberg Public Innovation Fellow at the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation, Johns Hopkins University

Jury members

• Robin Ganser, Managing Partner, Coen+Partners
• Kimberly Branan, Chief Trade and Economic Development Officer, Port of Portland
• Gabe Sheoships, Executive Director, Friends of Columbia Gorge
• Amanda Lowthian, Senior Director of Destination, Industry & Public Affairs, Travel Portland
• Zari Santner, Former Director, Portland Parks & Recreation
• Willie Levenson, President, Ringleader Navigation and Founder, Human Access Project

The jury unanimously selected the shortlist following an open Request for Qualifications issued earlier this summer. At the conclusion of the design phase, the Jury will evaluate submissions and conduct interviews with the shortlisted teams in early 2027.

The sun shines in a cloudless blue sky over Portland's Waterfront Park bowl area. The competition over designing the area's future continues.

Next steps: concept design phase

During the second stage of the competition, the three teams will develop concept designs for the entire 30-acre park, with special emphasis on the bowl area. Teams have been instructed to create a vibrant, year-round public space that supports events, daily activity, and improved river access. Beloved existing elements - including the Japanese American Memorial Historical Plaza, mature cherry trees, and Salmon Street Springs Fountain - are to be honored and enhanced.

Each shortlisted team will receive a $50,000 competition fee upon completion of the second stage. A public exhibition of the concept designs will be presented in Portland and online in early 2027, offering community members the opportunity to review and comment. The winning team will be announced in spring 2027.

Public event on September 23, 2026

PP&R will host a public presentation on September 23, 2026, during which Interim Director Art Pearce will introduce the competition and project. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and City Administrator Raymond C. Lee III will also attend. Representatives from each shortlisted team will briefly discuss their design philosophy.

An engagement activity will precede the presentation, inviting community members to share priorities, hopes, and concerns for the future of the park.

Please note: this public event is not part of the procurement process.
For details, tickets, and access information, please visit the event page at portland.gov/parks.

Project background

Stretching along the west bank of the Willamette River, Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park serves as Downtown Portland's front yard - a vital corridor for recreation, civic events, environmental connection, and cultural expression.

In recent decades, as Portland has faced economic, political, social, and environmental challenges, the park has not fully lived up to its potential. Although it remains a beloved walking and cycling route, it lacks the amenities, accessibility, infrastructure, and river connections needed to support everyday public life.

Redevelopment of the Waterfront Park Bowl area carries an estimated capital cost of approximately $40 million. The design competition is funded by a Metro 2040 Grant awarded in 2025. Additional public and private funding will be pursued to support design development and phased construction.

PP&R has conducted extensive engagement with community members and stakeholders and convened a project advisory committee to help shape the project's vision. More information is available at portland.gov/parks/waterfront

For ongoing updates, visit the competition website: https://competitions.malcolmreading.com/portlandwaterfront

SWA Group (US) with PLACE (US) and Thomas Phifer and Partners (US)

Led by SWA, with Portland-based PLACE and Thomas Phifer and Partners, our team unites waterfront expertise, local knowledge, and architectural craft around one ambition: a waterfront that could exist only in Portland.

For 69 years, SWA's employee-owned, independent-studio model has driven landscape innovation worldwide. We pair the reach of a global practice with the candor and creative friction of a design collective, restlessly pursuing public spaces that serve more purposes, welcome more people, and reject generic answers.

Across our practices, we have transformed post-industrial edges, flood infrastructure, and dormant green spaces into waterfronts people seek out and proudly claim. We believe the best parks don't need to choose: they can host major gatherings while anchoring daily routines, restore habitat while immersing people in the river's ecology, and offer bold energy alongside quiet retreat. Working openly with Portlanders, we will balance these inherent tensions and shape a park that feels unmistakably Portland.

The team includes Landscape Architect and Delivery / Contractual Lead PLACE, Architect Thomas Phifer and Partners, Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineer KPFF, Ecology and Sustainability consultants Great Ecology, and Electrical Engineer PAE.

swagroup.com /place.la /thomasphifer.com

Notes to Editors

About the shortlisted teams (in alphabetical order)

BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group (US) with Jennifer Bonner / MALL (US)

BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group is a Copenhagen, New York, London, Barcelona, Shanghai, and Los Angeles-based group of architects, designers, urbanists, landscape professionals, interior and product designers, researchers, and inventors. Led by Bjarke Ingels, BIG is currently involved in projects throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. BIG's architecture emerges out of a careful analysis of how contemporary life constantly evolves and changes. The studio believes that by hitting the fertile overlap between pragmatic and utopia, architects can find the freedom to change the surface of our planet to better fit contemporary life forms.

Jennifer Bonner / MALL is a female-owned boutique practice based in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2009, MALL's interest in material innovation, including mass timber and precast concrete applied to ordinary construction logics allow for unexpected new forms, as seen in award-winning Haus Gables. Bonner was awarded the 2021 United States Artist Fellowship and 2026 Wallpaper* US400.

The team includes Structural Engineer Jacobs, Landscape Architect and Delivery / Contractual Lead PLACE, Civil Engineer Sherwood Design Engineers, Electrical Engineer PAE, Sustainability Consultant Atelier Ten, Exhibition and Experience Designers Plus And Greater Than, and Amen, Amen. Studio for Brand Identity.

big.dk /jenniferbonner.com

Studio Egret West (UK) with West of West (US)

Studio Egret West and West of West lead a transdisciplinary, locally grounded team bringing international design ambition, Portland knowledge and proven delivery experience to Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Employee-owned Studio Egret West integrates urban design, architecture and landscape architecture, with award-winning work including Mayfield Park, Earls Court and Bratislava Southbank. Portland-based West of West contributes architectural design, waterfront activation, adaptive reuse and deep understanding of the city's culture, agencies and built environment. Together, they are supported by Knot Studio, Sherwood Design Engineers, PAE, KPFF and Broadwick, combining landscape architecture, environmental justice, ecological systems, sustainability, electrical, civil and structural engineering, and cultural venue strategy. The team's shared approach is landscape-led, context-specific and collaborative, uniting ecology,infrastructure, public life and long-term economic value. Its work demonstrates how parks, waterfronts, culture and mixed-use regeneration can reinforce one another to create inclusive, resilient and memorable civic places for Portlanders today and future generations.

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