community & city parks

Public parks are the most dynamic spaces in the city. They serve different roles in different environments to different people at different times. A park can be a creative expression, public gathering space, wildlife preserve, stormwater management, and recreational site separately or all at once.

Bender Wells Clark Design designs comprehensively for versatility: form and function work together to meet multiple goals. Whether site conditions call for stormwater mitigation or sensitivity to a capped landfill on site, the design strategy must breathe life into past conditions.

Memorial parks, playscapes, natural areas, city parks, and historic icons all have very different identities and purposes, but in the end, they all exist for their communities.

dog parks

Over 73 million dogs are claimed as pets in America and 75% of those are considered a significant part of the family. While the ASPCA and dog specialists agree that off-leash socialization is beneficial for not only pet and guardian, but for entire communities as well, leaving the confines of a yard or leash has not been an option for most of San Antonio’s family dogs...until recently.

Bender Wells Clark Design brought San Antonio its first Dog Park in 2004 as a part of a 200 acre park Master Plan for Pearsall Park. This unique park was an immediate success with people and dogs from around the region and spurred the construction of several new dog parks throughout the city. From specialized training equipment, entry and exit portals, and no-climb fencing to unconventional drinking fountains and “canine relief stations,” the designs of these dog parks reflect the great deal of research and understanding necessary for such an avant-garde endeavor.

trails & greenways

Trails and greenways provide a variety of benefits that ultimately affect the sustainability of a region’s economic, environmental, and social health. Studies show that they can create value, generate economic activity, improve pedestrian and bicycle transportation, improve health through active living, preserve wildlife and waterways, protect communities from flood damage, and enhance cultural awareness and community identity.

Bender Wells Clark Design, partnering with a local civil engineering firm, was awarded funding from the Federal ISTEA program to design and develop an 11-mile multi-modal system linking San Antonio’s five Spanish Colonial Missions and related historical sites along the San Antonio River. This comprehensive system, known as San Antonio’s Mission Trails, is becoming one of the city’s great assets.

Leon Creek Greenway is another city-wide system that provides recreational, economic, and environmental benefits. These large-scale networks along with education and fitness trails at other city parks and academic campuses across the city reflect our commitment to the health and prosperity of San Antonio.