For over a century, the 75-hectares site at the edge of the Tennessee River was closed to the public—a fortified state mental health campus, isolating by design. Lakeshore Park reclaims it as Knoxville’s most visited public green space. Welcoming more than one million visitors annually, the park today is dedicated to civic, ecological, and physical health.

This transformation began over 35 years ago, when a small group of local parents petitioned the East Tennessee Hospital for the Insane for access to a small portion of its largely unused campus to build youth baseball fields. This grassroots effort gradually expanded as community advocates reclaimed more land and reimagined its future. Stewardship ultimately transitioned to the Lakeshore Park Conservancy, in partnership with the City of Knoxville, culminating in public stewardship of the full 185-hectare site. Today, the park welcomes more than one million visitors annually and stands as the city’s most visited public green space.

In 2019, the Landscape Architect led a comprehensive landscape plan that honored the site’s layered cultural and ecological history while reshaping it for contemporary public use. Extensive site investigation examined Indigenous histories, institutional legacies, topography, hydrology, and native ecologies of the Tennessee River Valley. The resulting design framework organized the park into three interconnected, but distinct zones—Natural, Athletic, and Civic—each defined by existing topographic and ecological conditions, circulation needs, and programmatic goals.

At the heart of the Civic Zone, the Overlook Plaza and Esplanade align with the historic Administration Building, opening panoramic views to the Tennessee River and the Great Smoky Mountains beyond. Framed by arcing allées of native black gum trees, the plaza serves as a civic-scale gathering space for daily use, performances, and community events. A monumental earthwork, the Mound, anchors the opposite end of the Civic Zone. Constructed using on-site fill generated during demolition and grading, the Mound transforms what was unused park space into a flexible event lawn and overlook.
Subsequent phases expanded opportunities for physical wellness and ecological restoration. New ballfields we relocated to the Athletic Zone to improve safety and circulation, while new sports courts, fitness stations, universally accessible playgrounds, and a Little League Challenger Field broadened access for users of all ages and abilities. More than 700 trees were planted to increase canopy cover, mitigate heat, and enhance biodiversity. A 2.8-hectare warm-season grass meadow provides pollinator habitat, improves stormwater infiltration, and significantly reduces long-term mowing and maintenance demands.

Throughout the project, materials including stone, earth, and boulders were salvaged and reused on site, reinforcing a site-specific identity while reducing costs and environmental impact. Stormwater-sensitive grading and native planting strategies address flooding and climate resilience, while the phased implementation approach allowed the client to align construction with funding and evolving needs.

Developed through close collaboration with the client group, community stakeholders, and specialist consultants, Lakeshore Park demonstrates how landscape architecture can reclaim complex institutional land, mitigate environmental hazards, and replace isolation with openness—reframing a landscape of trauma as a resilient civic commons rooted in health, equity, and community.

Lakeshore Park Conservancy
City of Knoxville
Sanders Pace Architecture
Civil and Environmental Consultants,Inc
Facility Systems Consultants
Haines Structural Group
Tillett Lighting Design
LWLA
Lindsay & Maples Architects
Andy Pulte, Arborist
Denark Construction

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