Tree Urban Design Studio

Recent landscape improvements at Parham Bridges Park are beginning to establish a new green perimeter around the park’s entryways.

Native prairie grasses, black-eyed susans, purple coneflower, swamp milkweed, yarrow, oakleaf hydrangea, adam’s needle yucca, and dwarf palmettos create a landscape that reduces lawn, supports pollinators, and improves stormwater performance.

Previously defined by traditional lawn, the park’s new landscape introduces greater biodiversity around its perimeter, while new corten steel signage strengthens the arrival experience and helps establish a clearer identity for Parham Bridges.

We have already spotted monarch caterpillars on the newly planted swamp milkweed as the fall migration season gets underway.

Landscape installation and maintenance by Southern Horticulture Landscaping, Green Oak Nursery, with support from the LeFleur East Foundation and the Garden Club of Jackson.

Many American cities have an abundance of vacant lots, excessively wide roadways, and paved surfaces. At TREE, we see these spaces as opportunities to cool our cities while creating new places to gather.

Our approach begins with subtraction. By removing unnecessary asphalt and concrete, we can reduce heat absorbing surfaces, allow the ground to absorb water again, and make room for native trees and vegetation that manage stormwater, establish habitat, and support more comfortable public spaces.

Farish Street Green is an example of this idea in practice: transforming a former paved site into green infrastructure and public space. As cities reconsider the future of vacant land, sometimes the most transformative thing we can do is remove pavement and give the ground back to the city. treeurbandesign.com

Today we joined the community at the newly opened Farish Street Green, an urban forest and public park along historic Farish Street in Downtown Jackson.

The project transforms a previously abandoned site into a new urban forest with native trees, grasses, and wildflowers designed to provide shade, manage stormwater, restore habitat, and create new space for people within the city.

Farish Street Green demonstrates how removing pavement and reintroducing natural systems can contribute to a cooler, healthier environment. The landscape will continue to change as the prairie establishes and the tree canopy grows, adding another layer to the future of Farish Street.

We enjoyed working with local contractors at Southern Horticulture Landscaping and Master Masons Construction on the implementation on this project.

Farish Street Green was made possible through the collaboration and support of:
2C Mississippi · U.S. Forest Service · City of Jackson · Robert Wood Johnson Foundation · Jackson Redevelopment Authority · Mississippi State University School of Architecture · Jackson Community Design Collaborative · Jackson State University Urban and Regional Planning · Farish Street Community Ministry of Shalom · Friends of Farish Street · TREE Urban Design + Landscape Architecture Studio · Master Masons Construction · Southern Horticulture Landscaping · CDFL Architects + Engineers · Schoggenscapes

Farish Street Green Marks Resolve to Revitalize Historic Jackson Neighborhood The Farish Street Green opens on Monday, Oct. 5, bringing green infrastructure and cooling to Jackson’s historic Black district.

Join us for the opening day of Farish Street Green at 207 North Farish Street on Monday October 5th at 10am.

This urban forest project began through the work of 2°C Mississippi, Jackson Redevelopment Authority, City of Jackson, Jackson Community Design Center, and Farish Street Community of Shalom following research into urban heat conditions in Jackson and a long period of community engagement around the future of the site.

A landfill that shut down more than 50 years ago could soon be transformed into a 30-acre riverfront park, giving Jackson residents a new place to enjoy concerts, festivals, outdoor recreation and community events along the Pearl River.

The proposed Riverfront Park, located near South Jefferson Street and Old Brandon Road, would feature an amphitheater, scenic overlook, walking trails and a boat ramp, providing residents with greater public access to the Pearl River. 

The project is being developed through a partnership between the City of Jackson and the Jackson River District Partnership, with plans to turn the long-vacant property into what supporters are calling the city's new "front porch."
Urban designer Travis Crabtree says the project could finally reconnect Jackson residents with the river that runs through their city.

“Right now, the Pearl River runs 22 miles through the whole city of Jackson, and Jacksonians don’t have any free public access points that they can come to,” Crabtree said.

The first phase of the project is expected to cost between $1 million and $2 million, with approximately $500,000 already raised. Construction could begin as early as late 2027, depending on funding and required permits.

Because the property previously served as a landfill, plans also include installing a protective clay layer over contaminated soil to help make the site suitable for public use.