Sasaki Selected to Help Rebuild Asheville Parks and Greenways after Helene
Sasaki will help rebuild parks and greenways along five miles of the French Broad River in Asheville, NC. Photo credit: Ken Lane / CC BY-NC-SA
Asheville, NC, September 23, 2025 – The City of Asheville, North Carolina, has selected design practice Sasaki to help rebuild its public parks and greenways along five miles of the French Broad River following the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024.
Asheville has always had a dynamic relationship with nature, shifting over time from manufacturing and extraction to embracing the natural environment as a defining reason people choose to live in the city. Working alongside the City and community, Sasaki will reimagine the riverfront to restore beloved park amenities while designing a resilient landscape that works with water and the changing climate.
The French Broad River in Asheville, NC. Photo credit: Ricky Beron
Anna Cawrse, Sasaki Principal and Landscape Architect, touched on the importance of the project and its impact for the city. “Asheville’s natural beauty is one of its greatest public assets, and the community’s passion for the French Broad River is tangible. We are honored to partner with the city and its residents to rebuild the park system, creating resilient public spaces that celebrate both recovery and connection.”
The team will focus on bringing back the programs most loved by the community while creating a more resilient system that works with water and adapts to future floods. The project will be primarily funded by the FEMA Public Assistance Program, the HUD-sponsored Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery, and other local grants and capital funding sources.
The French Broad River in Asheville, NC. Photo credit: Ricky Beron
Sasaki is beginning with a detailed assessment of current conditions and robust community engagement to shape the design plan. Construction will proceed in phases, allowing select outdoor spaces to remain open to the public during the process.
This work builds on Sasaki’s experience with post-disaster reconstruction and resilience planning in waterfront communities across the United States, including recent efforts along the Ohio River in Evansville, Indiana; the Lake Monona waterfront in Madison, Wisconsin; and the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa.
Learn More About Sasaki
Sasaki has been a leader in the design industry for 70 years. The firm is known for blending disciplines, engaging with clients and communities, drawing on history and context, and using data and emerging technologies to shape the built environment. With offices in Boston, Denver, New York, Shanghai, and Los Angeles, Sasaki’s 300 professionals partner with education, civic, institutional, and commercial clients around the world. Sasaki’s integrated services span architecture, interior design, planning and urban design, space planning, landscape architecture, and civil engineering.
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