A new case study from Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at John Hopkins University details inclusive placemaking strategies at Tom Lee Park.

The 3rd annual Tom Lee Poetry Contest Opens During Black History Month. For the first time, the contest invites adults to participate alongside a competition for Memphis high school students.

Join us at This is Memphis to be the first to see the exciting new documentary on Tom Lee Park and to support the future of the park at this Memphis-made evening.

Alex Bozikovic | Toronto Globe & Mail

On a recent sunny Sunday, the people of Memphis, Tenn., found common ground...That is just what the designers of the 31-acre park, architects Studio Gang and landscape architects SCAPE, had been hoping for: a group of people young and old, Black and white, enjoying a grand public space.

Ryan Waddoups | Surface Magazine

Studio Gang and Scape transform an underused section of the Memphis riverfront into a thriving public park replete with biodiversity that honors an overlooked hero.

In Memphis, SCAPE and Studio Gang complete a transformative riverfront destination

GRAMMY-winning hip hop poet J. Ivy’s new poem Tom Lee Park pays tribute to the new park and its namesake.

With Tom Lee Park, the Tennessee city paves (and plants) its way forward while acknowledging the Delta region’s complex past.

“In Memphis, Tennessee, a remarkable new public park has just opened. Filling 3O acres along the edge of the Mississippi River with active, social, ecological, and architectural spaces, it could reframe the city’s fading connection to the riverfront. It could also set a new standard for what waterfront parks can do.”

“At its core, the design aims to strengthen the connection between downtown Memphis and the river. It offers the first accessible access to the river, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), at the Cutbank Bluff. Additionally, it provides safer pedestrian crossings at Vance, Huling, and Butler Streets on Riverside Drive.”

“The reinvention transforms a barren swath of patchy grass into an environment animated by native plantings and trees.”

Located on about 30 riverfront acres, Tom Lee Park currently offers a sweeping panoramic view of the Mighty Mississippi and downtown Memphis’ skyline. With nicely kept walkways and a wide-open lawn, it’s a great place to walk, run, and bicycle, and it’s also home to Memphis in May celebrations.