Field Operations, an acclaimed landscape architecture and urban design firm, has been selected to lead the Jordan River activation and restoration within Salt Lake City’s Power District. Their appointment brings not just design expertise, but a proven history of turning urban edges into some of the most celebrated public spaces in the country. Field Operations is renowned for strong contemporary design across a variety of project types and scales, from large urban districts, master plans and complex planning sites to small well-crafted, detailed design projects. Regardless of scale, there is a special commitment to the design of a vibrant and dynamic public realm, informed by the ecology of both people and nature, rooted in place and context. Signature projects include New York’s High Line, San Francisco’s Presidio Tunnel Tops, Seattle’s Waterfront Park, and Chicago’s Navy Pier.
A Firm Defined by Catalytic Projects
Few landscape architecture firms have reshaped the public imagination quite like Field Operations. Their work has consistently demonstrated how thoughtful design can revive infrastructure, reconnect communities, and spark economic energy.
The High Line — New York City, New York
As the project lead for the High Line, Field Operations led the design and construction of this elevated railway reclaimed as an extraordinary public space in the heart of Manhattan’s West Side. Since its opening in 2009, the High Line is lauded as an icon for innovative design, a defining feature in its neighborhood, a powerful catalyst for investment, and an inspiration to cities worldwide. The High Line is widely recognized as a huge success and demonstrates the value in creating new and fresh public spaces in the city.
Seattle’s Waterfront Park — Seattle, Washington
Seattle’s Waterfront Park extends 26 blocks, heralding an amazing transformation of what used to be an elevated viaduct highway into a new public promenade, with bike lanes, event piers, gardens, beaches and new connections from downtown to the magnificent waterfront of Elliott Bay. The waterfront is now Seattle’s new “Front Porch,” supporting public access, civic programs and events, health and wellbeing, biodiverse habitat and new experiences – all set within the context of breath-taking vistas and prospects across the Bay and back to the city.
Presidio Tunnel Tops — San Francisco, California
Presidio Tunnel Tops reimagines a once-elevated highway into a vibrant, ecologically rich 14 acres of public space. Built atop 7 lanes of Presidio Parkway tunnels, the new landscape stitches together historic parklands with the San Francisco Bay and transforms infrastructure into an immersive experience that choreographs movement, topography, and ecology to create an open, accessible pedestrian connection across 40 feet of grade change. The park balances essential community spaces with open space inspired by the sites natural and cultural history.
Domino Park — Brooklyn, New York
Domino Park is the first phase of the transformation of the former Domino Sugar Factory site into an ambitious mixed-use development, reconnecting Williamsburg to the East River for the first time in 160 years. The 5-acre park integrates over 30 large-scale salvaged relics, including 21 original columns from the Raw Sugar Warehouse, gantry cranes, screw conveyors, bucket conveyors and syrup tanks into an interpretive and educational “Artifact Walk.” The park is raised above FEMA flood elevations with many native plant species that reduce stormwater runoff and function as an absorbent sponge and first line of defense against sea level rise.
A Proven Approach Comes to the Jordan River
Across these projects, a clear pattern emerges: Field Operations excels at taking landscapes once seen as barriers—rail lines, bridges, industrial sites—and turning them into civic anchors. Their work blends ecological sensitivity with social energy, creating places that are both environmentally resilient and deeply loved.
That legacy is precisely what they bring to the Jordan River.
As the lead landscape architect for the Power District riverfront, Field Operations will help transform a half‑mile stretch of the Jordan River and will focus on activating the Jordan River corridor through improved access, dynamic public spaces and strong community engagement—ensuring the river becomes a place where people gather, explore and stay connected.
A New Chapter for Utah’s Great Urban River
“Our approach begins with listening to the community and working closely with partners, while grounding the design in the realities of the river’s ecology and infrastructure,” said Richard Kennedy, Partner at Field Operations. “Field Operations has a long history of helping cities transform overlooked natural corridors into meaningful public spaces, and we’re excited to bring that perspective to the Jordan River. It’s a privilege to support a project that reflects the region’s values and elevates the Jordan as Utah’s great urban river.”
*Photos are used by permission of Field Operations.
