Roswell River Parks Fitness Loop Trail

Starr Whitehouse has been engaged to lead the creation of a ten-acre park on a former industrial site in Roswell, GA. This site is part of a new system of riverfront open spaces that Starr Whitehouse is designing for the City of Roswell, Georgia. Consisting of four parks whose separate ecologies, geologies and histories of use shape site-specific programs, the new system aims to increase access to the Chattahoochee for local families while also protecting and expanding native riverine habitats. Built entirely in the floodplain, the Ace Sands site combines floodable landscapes with elevated assets and experiential green infrastructure to reconnect the Atlanta region with the cultural and ecological history of the Chattahoochee River. With Phase I of construction recently completed, families are now able to enjoy the fitness loop trail and woodland adventure trail, with stormwater systems integrated directly into the recreational space. A palimpsest of historic land uses and native ecosystems, the final design features salvaged materials that echo the site’s industrial past, side by side with extensive habitat creation to restore a piece of the Chattahoochee’s riverine ecology. Invasive trees have been turned into seating opportunities, and their trunks reimagined as paving slats. Rocks from the surrounding landscape are repositioned to allow for a waterfront outlook area, whilst smaller stones make up the bioswale running under the meandering path.