Portland Waterfront Park Design Competition, Portland / Vereinigte Staaten

Portland Waterfront Park Design Competition

Organizer
Portland Parks & Recreation

Competition contact
Malcolm Reading Consultants

About the Competition
The Portland Waterfront Park Design Competition is an open search for an architect-led or landscape architect-led design team to revitalize Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

The project focuses on one of Portland’s most iconic public spaces and is expected to reaffirm Portland’s identity as a river city. One of the most consequential civic projects for Portland this decade, it will activate the river’s edge and foster a ​‘toes in the water’ human connection as well as create new and inspiring views to the Park and the Willamette River. Improved physical connections to neighboring Downtown are expected along with advancing the Willamette’s ecological recovery and biodiversity.

The Park will be re-envisioned as a premier destination that welcomes residents, families, workers and visitors, a place that celebrates the city’s diverse cultural and Indigenous heritage. New infrastructure will better support major events, civic celebrations and everyday memory making – boosting the local economy and re-energizing the Central City core.

The design competition, which has been keenly anticipated by the local community and potential competitors, is open to all local, regional, national, and international firms. No design work is required at the first stage; at the second stage, shortlisted teams will be given a further briefing and asked to create concept designs for the whole 30-acre Park with a focus on the Bowl area.

Competition Type
Two-stage open design competition

Eligibility
Portland Parks & Recreation is seeking an integrated multidisciplinary design team (led by an architect or landscape architect) capable of providing the full range of professional input and services for the project, and including:

- Lead Designer (Architect or Landscape Architect)
- Delivery / Contractual Lead (licensed to practice in State of Oregon)
- Landscape Architect / Architect (depending on Lead Designer)
- Engineering disciplines, including structural, civil, electrical, and sustainability

Teams may include additional consultants deemed necessary to the design approach if required.

Delivery/​Contractual Lead must include a practitioner licensed in either Architecture or Landscape Architecture in the State of Oregon.

Schedule
Stage One Launch (RFQ): Wednesday July 8 2026
Stage One Deadline: 16:00 PDT (UTC‑7) Thursday July 30 2026
Stage Two Launch (RFP): mid-September 2026
Site Visit: late September 2026
Stage Two Deadline: early December 2026
Public Exhibition: early 2027
Final Interviews: early 2027
Winner Announcement: Spring 2027

More information
https://competitions.malcolmreading.com/portlandwaterfront