Flowscape

Flowscape imagines the transformation of downtown Tampa through the introduction of water into its urban core. Instead of just reaching out into the river with piers and walkways, the river is invited into the city. By excavating a canal underneath the expressway, the mouth of the Hillsborough River is connected to Ybor Channel, letting the brackish waters circulate through the city.

What was once a district of forgotten spaces is now a lush urban wetland. Secondary canals stretch out into the surrounding downtown districts, creating a connective blue network. Tampa’s already vibrant boating culture is now integrated into the urban and ecological networks of the city. A new pedestrian grid overlay the shifting shoals of the bayou to allow for the flow of walkers, joggers, and cyclists while water and wildlife pass freely below.

During hurricane season, the landscape mitigates the effects of storm surge force and flooding with a productive park network and tidal salt marshes. This continuous layered ecosystem attenuates waves, manages the urban watershed, filters interior surface runoff, enhances biodiversity, and introduces a new system of public green space. Riverine islands treat urban runoff and are strategically constructed at the mouths of existing storm water culverts to locally filter out pollutants.

Restitch Tampa Competition | Winning entry

Team: Yi Choe, Michael Chaveriat