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Coker Park

Park Planning and Design | Fall 2007
Professor: Claude Thompson, ASLA
Individual Project: Wade A. Miller

Objective

Create three design concepts for a small (3-5 acres) park site. Perform a thorough inventory and analysis of the site and deliver: (1) a resource / ecological based design concept; (2) a population / social based design concept; and (3) a composite / balanced design concept.

The Site

Coker Park, in Southlake Texas, is an undeveloped park site slated for development in 2010.

Site Inventory and Analysis

Challenges presented by the site and surrounding area Current land uses of the surrounding area
Topography and drainage patterns Connections to surrounding area
Climate characteristics

Design Concepts


An ecological program for the site includes:

  • Connection to Southlake Trails System
  • Maximize “borrowed” landscape of Corp of Engineers property
  • Nature preserve with wildlife habitat and viewing
  • Native (or well adapted) grasses and trees with removal of invasive plants
  • Trails on site
  • No site grading
  • Limited on site parking

Creating a social program for Coker Park required evaluating the Southlake Recreational Standards and Needs to evaluate possible programming and uses for the site. A BMX Facility was chosen as a potential concept for the site. The Southlake standards call for one BMX facility in the city and would require approximately four acres. To appeal to a typically teenage user group that would be the primary user of such a site, BMX at The Coker was chosen as the facility name.

A balanced program for the site includes:

  • Connnection to Southlake Trails System
  • Maximize “borrowed” landscape of Corp of Engineers property
  • Nature preserve with wildlife habitat and viewing
  • Playground for children
  • Native (or well adapted) grasses and trees with removal of invasive plants
  • Trails on site
  • Limited site grading for trails, playground and parking
  • Limited on site parking