Brown’s Island Improvement Project Featured on the Cover of Landscape Architecture Magazine’s April Issue, “The View from the Front Porch”

Brown’s Island Improvement Project Featured in Landscape Architecture Magazine

The Brown’s Island Improvement Project is featured on the cover of the April issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine, with a full story titled “The View from the Front Porch.”

Located along the James River in downtown Richmond, Brown’s Island has long served as a central gathering space—hosting festivals, events, and everyday moments for the city. This next phase reimagines the island as both a dynamic event venue and a more intentional public park, strengthening its connection to the river and the city beyond.

The design focuses on improving accessibility, enhancing ecological resilience, and creating a more adaptable landscape. New circulation paths, restored native plantings, and a series of riverfront terraces open up views to the James River—shifting the experience from one where the river was once hidden to one where it becomes central.

As Andrea Almond, PLA, ASLA, Director at 3North, shares:
“Better connectivity to the river, more usability, and more ways for people to experience the island.”

The project builds on years of planning for Richmond’s riverfront and introduces a series of distinct zones—from the Great Lawn and River Terraces to Haxall Gardens and new gathering spaces—designed to support both everyday use and large-scale events.

We’re proud to see this work recognized in Landscape Architecture Magazine and to be part of shaping a place that continues to serve as what many call the “front porch” of the city.

Project Team
Venture Richmond
City of Richmond
Timmons Group
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Ruppert Landscape

Read the full feature below:
https://landscapearchitecturemagazine.org/brown-s-island