The Wilmington Waterfront Promenade has transformed a once inaccessible industrial port into a vibrant 9-acre waterfront park, reconnecting the community to the Pacific Ocean. Located in Wilmington, Los Angeles, this new park addresses a multi-generational disconnect between the primarily Hispanic neighborhood to their coastal heritage caused by the expansion of North America’s busiest port. Facing challenges of industrial contamination, visual blight, and lack of public access, the design team collaborated with the port and community to ingeniously craft a park that represents the spirit of Wilmington.

A sculpted landform buffers the busy day-to-day port operations while framing and positioning visitors towards the stunning harbor views. Planting wraps the park, acting as a protective frame for smaller, human-scaled spaces with shade-dappled seating areas and play features nestled within. The Promenade is the central connector of the park, integrating active and passive experiences along 1,300 feet of oceanfront. The highlight along the waters edge are the ‘Tidal Steps’, a 270-foot-wide shoreline made from Arizona onyx that step down into the water. Warm, textured stone offers a bold contrast to the cool greys of the industrial setting. Designed to create a deeper connection with the natural rhythms of the waterfront, the steps showcase the temporal nature of the tide and create a series of ecological pockets and tidal pools that change throughout the day.

Expanding unique experiences along the water’s edge, the pier brings people out into the harbor. An integrated net playfully suspends visitors above the water. These playful moments continue throughout the park. A playground with a sculptural tower takes inspiration from the industrial backdrop, framed by the “Funky Forest” planting that brings a whimsical feeling to the space.

The community was at the heart of the design process, and collaborative workshops shaped key features like the event lawn, children’s playground, art, and tactile elements like the Arizona onyx stone, seating, and material choices. Sustainable and ecological practices are woven throughout the park. Stormwater is directed to infiltration zones, reducing outflow to the storm sewer system, while demolition materials were repurposed as sub-base. Ecologically adapted, indigenous, salt-tolerant plants were chosen throughout different character zones, from the Upland Wilds, through The Bluff, and into the Funky Forest, each with its own unique qualities.

The Wilmington Waterfront Promenade demonstrates the power of landscape architecture to heal post-industrial sites. By balancing the needs of an active port through careful design choices, the design team collaboratively created a beloved community gathering space that celebrates Wilmington’s waterfront heritage. From the promenade to the picnic areas, main lawn to the play pier and tidal steps, this transformative project offers a model for port communities worldwide, showing how to restore ecological and cultural connections to our waterfronts.