March 6, 2026
Shaped by input from thousands of Houstonians, a panel of scientists and various stakeholders, the guiding principles of the Master Plan & Ten-Year Plan include restoring ecological systems, reconnecting land and people, and enhancing the overall Park experience.
In 2018, the Ten-Year Plan for Memorial Park was created thanks to a catalyst gift from Kinder Foundation and support from other generous donors, enabling the Conservancy to accelerate significant components of the Master Plan.
The 2011 drought catalyzed what was to become a renewed future for Memorial Park. In close collaboration, Memorial Park Conservancy, Houston Parks and Recreation Department and Uptown Development Authority developed a bold, visionary Master Plan for Memorial Park that includes capital improvements, long-term conservation, and an operations and maintenance plan for the Park. Nelson Byrd Woltz served as the lead designer for the Master Plan, which was informed by an extensive public engagement process. The input of over 3,000 Houstonians informed the Master Plan process, including 25 ecological scientists, and 50 additional informants ranging from storm water management experts to historians to Park stakeholder groups.
This Master Plan was unanimously approved by Houston City Council in 2015. Guiding principles of the Memorial Park Master Plan include:
In 2018, the Ten-Year Plan for Memorial Park was created thanks to a catalyst gift from the Kinder Foundation and support from other generous donors, enabling the Conservancy to accelerate significant components of the Memorial Park Master Plan.
Accelerating the Master Plan, 2018-2028
In 2018, the largest private donation in the history of the Houston Park system at that time catalyzed the Ten-Year Plan for Memorial Park, allowing Memorial Park Conservancy to design and construct significant components of the 2015 Memorial Park Master Plan. The Ten-Year plan was made possible by a $70 million catalyst gift from Kinder Foundation—which leveraged public funding through the Uptown Development Authority—and by the generosity of other donors. Execution of the Ten-Year Plan is overseen by the Memorial Park Standards Committee, a partnership comprised of Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Memorial Park Conservancy, Kinder Foundation, and Uptown Development Authority.
A series of trails and bridges will increase connectivity within and beyond Memorial Park, converting the Park from an isolated urban greenspace into a key connector along Houston’s greenways and hike-and-bike paths, encouraging access and welcoming multi-modal forms of transportation to and through the Park.
Projects Include:
This multi-modal trail will traverse the Bayou Wilds, connecting users of all abilities with the Park’s distinctive urban wilderness. The Southern Arc Trail connects to the extensive network of natural surface hike-and-bike trails, providing points of access while offering an immersive nature experience all its own, with views of Buffalo Bayou and the riparian forest and savanna that characterize this area of the Park.
Stormwater management improvements include ravine and bank stabilization and other erosion analysis and mitigation efforts. Subsequent ecological resiliency will help retain stormwater onsite and reduce erosion and help improve the water quality in Buffalo Bayou.
About Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects
Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBW) is an internationally recognized design practice with studios in New York City and Charlottesville VA. Dedicated to aesthetic and environmental excellence, social commitment, and innovation, NBW has significantly expanded the traditional role of landscape architecture to include aspects of restoration ecology, urban planning, civil engineering, and conservation agriculture. The firm uses design to reveal stories embedded in the land and facilitate the restoration of damaged ecosystems in public parks, urban landscapes, and farmland. These design narratives, rooted in the cultural and ecological history of place, engender stewardship and forge deep connections between people and place.
The firm places a special emphasis on the symbolic, ecological, and practical potential of plants, water, and natural processes in the sustainable landscape. The design team carefully responds to each site’s environmental considerations, including stormwater retention, biodiversity, and resilience. These landscapes inform the observer about the environment they occupy and the greater world around them.
Visit the Memorial Park map to explore all the Park has to offer: trails, recreation facilities, historic sites, and more!
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March 6, 2026
February 27, 2026