Greater Grand Forks Greenway, Grand Forks, ND & East Grand Forks, MN

Award > 2002 Tri-State Chapters (NC, SC and GA), American Society of Landscape Architects, Honor Award, Planning and Analysis

Project Description > In the spring of 1997, the Red River of the North, which lies between the cities of Grand Forks, ND and East Grand Forks, MN, rose 54 feet above normal, flooding almost every home and business within five miles of the River. In order to help ensure that such a tragedy could not happen again, the Army Corps of Engineers proposed to build a levee system to contain the floodplain of the River in this area. The land between the levees, 2200 acres, is proposed to be transformed into the nation's first bi-state Greenways. The Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Grand Forks hired Greenways Incorporated to complete a master plan for the Greater Grand Forks Greenway.

Working with multiple public and private sector partners from the federal government, both cities and two states, Greenways Incorporated produced a plan of action, management structure, conceptual design, and an events plan for the Greenway. Greenways Incorporated worked closely with the cities and the Corps to ensure that the master plan incorporated design elements which complement the regional landscape and local communities, while promoting area tourism and recreational use.