The Urban Green

Central to the Reno Entertainment District (RED) is The Urban Green, a dynamic 2-acre public green space containing a variety of outdoor areas that facilitate community events. The park is designed to provide a strong sense of place, inspired by the natural forms and materials found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the nearby Truckee River. Sinuous paths featuring bridges and boulders elicit a sense of water and hiking trails, a central wood boardwalk connects the park to retail and residential buildings to the north and south while a promenade cuts east-west through the park connecting the cinema to a future market hall. Local trees and plants are arranged into three garden experiences (alpine, mountain meadow, and riparian) which introduce a variety of shade, scale and seasonal interest to the landscape.

At the center of the park, a sculptural pavilion clad in weathering steel provides a memorable and distinct shelter overlooking a meadow-like lawn with LED screen that provides a place for outdoor movies.

Along the north side of the site, a linear shade trellis provides a venue for outdoor dining, food trucks and a farmer’s market. We are partnering with iconic Burning Man artist Michael Christian to develop a play structure design that is both a highly interactive feature and a piece of environmental art.

The Urban Green is intended to be a beautiful and flexible space that represents the heart of the community, accommodating a diverse array of year-round activities; ranging from relaxing in the gardens or walking the dog, playing in the fog feature to movie nights on the lawn and seasonal events.