Instead of a Wall, a Binational Park To Be Built on Border of Texas & Mexico

Conceptual rendering of the Binational River Park along the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo between Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

Texas-Mexico Border Towns Are Working Together To Build A Binational Park

Only two years ago, the border town of Laredo, Texas, was bracing itself for the construction of the towering steel and concrete border wall that threatened to cut off the city, its people, and the environment from its main water source — the Rio Grande River.

Diligent grassroots efforts by No Border Wall Coalition (NBWC) — a coalition composed of veterans, clergy, teachers, students, Indigenous leaders, and landowners — paved the way for the cancellation of unconstructed border wall contracts. 

According to environmental nonprofit Earthjustice, this saved 71 miles of sensitive riverfront land and more than $1 billion in taxpayer funds

Conceptual rendering of the Binational River Park along the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo between Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
Conceptual rendering of the Binational River Park along the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo between Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. / Courtesy of Overland Partners

This victory allowed the City of Laredo to propose and unanimously green-light plans for a binational river park — which is set to be developed where the border wall was once proposed to stand. 

Ambassadors to the U.S. and Mexico, along with city officials from Laredo, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas — affectionately called the “Sister Cities” —  are working together to transform their shared river into an ecological restoration project.

This historic binational project will span approximately 6.3 miles and focus on strengthening the conservation of the Rio Grande River while creating a community recreation and education space that stands to represent the unique and interconnected relationship between these two border cities. 

As of February 2022, Laredo City Council and members of the Binational Working Group — a public-private consortium — formally announced that San Antonio-based architecture and urban design firm Overland Partners will be working alongside local partner Able City to create conceptual design plans for the first phase of the ecological restoration project.

“We are inspired by the Binational River Park and excited by the unique challenges an aspirational project of this magnitude presents – environmentally, socially, and culturally,” Rick Archer, senior principal and CEO at Overland Partners told The Architect's Newspaper.

“Together with our partners and stakeholders, we want to create an international cultural destination and model for cooperation, conservation, and community.” 

According to architecture, interiors, and design magazine Dezeen, the park will be made up of three areas: a 2.5-mile-long ecological restoration area northeast of the cities, a mile stretch in the urban cores along the river that will be framed by bridges and feature an amphitheater, and lastly, a recreation area that is proposed to stretch for three miles and lead pedestrians to the Nuevo Laredo Zoo. 

Although this project is currently in its early stages, its envisioned to be comparable to San Antonio’s famed River Walk.

A version of this article was originally published in The Intersectional Environmentalist Edition of the Goodnewspaper.

Become a subscriber today to get your own monthly print newspaper filled with good news.

Article Details

March 30, 2022 11:13 AM
March 30, 2022
A photo collage of a screenshot from the Hey Jane telehealth app, a lemur looking into the camera, a sign that says 'London Fashion Week Men's', a small crocodile hanging from a tree branch, and Benevity volunteers posing for the camera

Good News This Week: December 7, 2024 - Animals, Telehealth, & Giving Tuesday

Your weekly roundup of the best good news worth celebrating...
A large, pale orange snake coiled in the grass

World Wildlife Fund releases decade-long report on the Congo Basin, sharing discovery of 742 new species

The 80-page report compiled a treasure trove of animal discoveries from the last 10 years.
Intersectional Environmentalism abstract illustration

People & Planet: What Is Intersectional Environmentalism?

Intersectional environmentalism is the mainstream environmentalist movement demanding that our planet and its people are both cared for and seen as interconnected.
National Parks gifts: Puffy Blanket, Camp Chair, and Water Bottle

59 Best Gifts for National Park Lovers

We’ve compiled a list of all the best national park-related gifts on the internet so you can spoil your loved ones — all while promoting the protection of these public lands.

Want to stay up-to-date on positive news?

The best email in your inbox.
Filled with the day’s best good news.