Falls Park
Master Plan
RDG's entry for the 2021 Falls Park Master Plan competition, dubbed "Beautiful by Contrast," advanced a new vision for this aging and underdeveloped park in the heart of the city of Sioux Falls.
RDG's Falls Park Master Plan, dubbed "Beautiful by Contrast," advanced a new vision for this aging and underdeveloped park in the heart of the city of Sioux Falls. As we studied the existing park, we were struck by its contrasting elements: calm / chaos, wild / urban, past / future, visitors / locals, play / pause. Initial analysis was developed to ensure we maintained strong, contextual connections from the park to the community in both current and future states. In relation to other local plans, we aligned our research around wellness, parks & trails, transit and the business community. With these critical topics in mind, we worked through a series of design iterations that were both grounded in the reality of site-related challenges but forward-thinking enough to capture and inspire action! Our vision celebrated juxtapositions while focusing a spotlight on the natural beauty and national treasure that is the Falls. In balance with this focus on the heart of the park, we imagined a full and diverse slate of all-season programming throughout the park, to draw visitors and retain and attract workers for this vibrant city. The final deliverables for this effort were in print document and video formatting, aiming to support leadership in communicating the potential plan across a variety of platforms.