Starr Whitehouse Transforms Hoboken Parking Lot into Flood-Resilient Southwest Park
Hoboken Southwest Park, designed by Starr Whitehouse, has transformed a one-acre parking lot in Hoboken, New Jersey, into a resilient community space aimed at addressing flooding issues. Principal Stephen Whitehouse highlighted that the community desired a park to mitigate local flooding while offering various experiences. The design incorporates green infrastructure for stormwater management, featuring two sizable rain gardens, bioswales with vegetation, and permeable pavers. Stormwater is channeled into three detention basins, capable of managing 200,000 gallons, surpassing the requirements for a ten-year storm event. Unilock provided permeable pavers with spacer bars for quick rainwater absorption, arranged in a herringbone layout with custom colors that harmonize with nearby structures, ensuring both durability and slip resistance.
Key facts
- Starr Whitehouse transformed a one-acre parking lot in Hoboken, New Jersey into Hoboken Southwest Park.
- The park is designed to mitigate stormwater runoff in a flood-prone neighborhood.
- Three systems—rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavers—manage stormwater.
- Two large rain gardens and a grassy lawn filter water through sandy soils and plants.
- Vegetated bioswales channel water from adjacent streets and sidewalks.
- Permeable pavers supported by hollow tree cells allow infiltration through paved areas.
- Three detention basins provide delayed release into the combined sewer.
- The park can handle 200,000 gallons of water, exceeding its ten-year storm design event.
- Unilock supplied permeable pavers with spacer bars creating joint gaps for rapid rainwater penetration.
- The herringbone paving used 4 x 12 inch permeable pavers with Series finish in three special-order colors.
Entities
Artists
- Stephen Whitehouse
Institutions
- Starr Whitehouse
- Unilock
- City of Hoboken
Locations
- Hoboken
- New Jersey
- United States