Hassell’s Shenzhen river project wins at the 2026 ASLA Awards

Hassell’s Longgang River Blueway in Shenzhen has won an Honour Award in Urban Design at the 2026 ASLA Professional Awards — one of only 35 winners chosen from 468 entries. 

“From restoring waterways and coastal systems to creating healthier, more connected public spaces, these projects show how landscape architects are helping communities respond to some of our most pressing challenges,” said ASLA President Brad McCauley, FASLA, PLA. ​“The 2026 winners demonstrate the profession’s ability to bring design, science, and deep knowledge of place together to create landscapes that are beautiful and built to last.”

Hassell’s 23-kilometre river revitalisation project is transforming a former passive waterfront into a public destination — with wetlands, parks and community spaces replacing concrete banks along the water’s edge. 

Community shelters inspired by traditional Hakka woven bamboo hats offer a quiet nod to the area’s heritage, worked into the landscape rather than laid over the top of it.

In 2020, the Water Authority of Shenzhen ran an international design competition to reimagine the Longgang River. Hassell — together with the Urban Planning & Design Institute of Shenzhen (UPDIS) and ecological engineers E2Designlab — was selected ahead of a strong field of global contenders.

Phase One opened to the public in early 2023. Spanning 4.6 kilometres, it includes two major sections — U-Dream Valley and Dragon Waterfront — designed by Hassell in collaboration with UPDIS.

“It’s been heartwarming to see the local community, especially children, embrace this stretch of the river and the moments of joy it creates,” said Chong Wang, Hassell Principal.