Dig Studio was selected as a finalist as part of a design competition team led by AECOM for the Rio Salado river ecosystem restoration. The plan braids ecological, social, and physical layers to restore resiliency, create public amenities, catalyze development, and protect and enhance neighborhoods and ecosystems.
Several themes were combined for the winning entry. Destinations are created by leveraging opportunities to reclaim landfills and mines. A restored river follows its natural course and takes advantage of the high-water table. Undevelopable areas are repurposed as Sponge Parks to combine flood mitigation, water treatment, and heat abatement.