September 19, 2025
Parklane Park Wins ENR Northwest 2025 Best Projects Award for Landscape/Urban Development
Parklane Park in Portland, Oregon has been recognized by Engineering News-Record (ENR) Northwest as part of the 2025 Regional Best Projects competition, earning the award for Best Landscape/Urban Development.
The award celebrates projects that demonstrate excellence in design, construction, community impact, and innovation. Parklane Park’s transformation of a 5-acre site into a 25-acre community hub represents these qualities, providing recreational opportunities, green space, and inclusive amenities for the Centennial neighborhood and surrounding East Portland communities.
Parklane Park is now the largest park in the Portland Parks and Recreation system east of I-205 where this signature park features a wide range of amenities, including an expanded community garden, paved and soft surface walking paths, off-leash dog areas, a pavilion, soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, a skatepark, restrooms, three playgrounds, a splash pad, and a covered picnic area. The park is also fully ADA accessible, with playground features designed to welcome children of all abilities.
The new park serves over 2,800 nearby residential units, including 828 that previously lacked access to a public park and is adjacent to Parklane Elementary and Oliver Middle School, providing nearly 900 students with safe, accessible spaces for outdoor recreation and learning.
Safety
The Project’s Site-Specific Health and Safety Plan guided the project from day one, fostering a proactive culture of care on site. Comprehensive safety orientations, Go/No-Go meetings, biweekly Safety Assessment Walks, and daily Toolbox Talks kept crews aligned on best practices. When minor incidents occurred, no-blame investigations turned into learning opportunities, strengthening both safety and collaboration across trades.
"We partnered closely with Portland Parks & Recreation to turn a community vision into a lasting, accessible park. Every step of construction from playground sequencing to precise surfacing installation—was guided by safety, quality, and equity. The result is a durable, functional space built to serve the neighborhood for years to come."
Brent Allison, Project Manager | Stacy Witbeck
Equity, Innovation, and Sustainability
Parklane Park was a pilot for Portland’s Regional Workforce Equity Agreement (RWEA) and Construction Diversity Inclusion Policy (CDIP), increasing participation by women, minorities, apprentices, and disadvantaged business enterprises. Community input guided all stages of the project, ensuring the park reflects local needs and aspirations.
Technological innovation played a major role: drones were used for aerial mapping, volumetric analysis, and progress tracking, while GPS-guided grading equipment enabled precise and efficient earthwork.
Materials for the project were sourced by importing 50,000 cubic yards of non-spec soil from other Portland projects at no cost and amending it with compost. Taking this approach allowed the team to save over $1 million in material and hauling costs while preparing the site for development.
Sustainability was central. All site clearing and excavated materials were managed on-site. Demo steel, concrete, and asphalt materials were recycled. Found boulders were incorporated into project design elements and placed throughout the park. All construction equipment was registered with the City of Portland Yard Program and met new clean-air requirements.
Community
From the earliest design phases through final construction, community engagement guided every decision to ensure the park reflected local needs and priorities. Built between spring 2023 and spring 2025, the result is a 25-acre space with lasting community impact, serving as a year-round hub for recreation, education, and engagement. Parklane Park embodies the Centennial neighborhood’s vision while supporting Portland’s broader goals for accessible, sustainable, and inclusive public spaces.
About the Awards Program
The ENR Northwest Best Projects competition celebrates the most impactful construction efforts across Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. This year, 49 submissions were reviewed by an independent panel of AEC experts, with projects evaluated on innovation, community contribution, design and construction quality, safety performance, and the ability to overcome unique challenges.
Read ENR’s full coverage of the 2025 Northwest Best Projects winners
