How a small North Carolina city transformed its downtown into one of the country’s best parks

After more than 20 years of patient planning, Cary, North Carolina, has turned a 7-acre section of its downtown into one of the country’s most multifaceted public parks.

OJB Landscape Architecture designed a mix of active recreation areas, botanical gardens, pavilions, event spaces, cafés, bars, and cleverly camouflaged floodwater retention basins. Those basins—including several rain gardens and a central pond—play one of the park’s more important roles by holding back flooding that regularly ravaged neighborhoods to the south.

A creeklike children’s splash pad plays up this connection to water, and winding elevated walkways overhead highlight the site’s dramatic 37-foot elevation change. Hundreds of trees, including 600 new ones, provide lush respite in the city center.

Built for $65 million in bond funding, the park has created a gathering space for Cary’s 150,000 people. It’s also an investment in place. As OJB was designing the park, the firm worked with the city to strategize future development opportunities around its edges, including housing, retail space, and offices.

Now a development boom is underway. The local chamber of commerce estimates that the city saw nearly $300 million added to its tax base in the year after the park opened. “It becomes [like] oceanfront property,” says Cody Klein, a partner at OJB Landscape Architecture.

This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Innovation by Design Awards. Explore the full list of companies creating products, reimagining spaces, and working to design a better world. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.