HOW WE DO IT

Community Engagement. We embrace community participation in all our projects and empower the end users to help develop the final product. For example, team trail designers and consultants led a robust community engagement program at Golden Gate National Parks that resulted in the Bayview-Presidio Park Shuttle program, transporting residents of a historically underserved San Francisco neighborhood to their national parks. At the same time the “Roving Ranger” was created as a fun mobile trailhead, bringing the park message directly to previously hard to reach constituents.

Communication. We believe good communication is what makes our goals achievable, whether internally or with the greater public. All team members consider professional, timely communication to be critical to success. In communicating publicly, the team uses a broad range of innovative techniques, from strategically conceived and well-designed printed materials to electronic media and online content to “Art in the Parks” installations and happenings. Through these means, we are adept at telling park stories and reaching diverse and underserved communities.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We are committed to creating places that are accessible and relevant to all audiences, including those communities who have felt excluded from a park experience. For example, at the Crissy Field Center we engaged youth from underserved communities to become a new generation of park leaders. We are also committed to honoring diverse legacies through our interpretive programs, as we did partnering with members of native communities to bring histories to life at Crissy Field, the Presidio, Lands End and Boston Harbor Islands.

Partnerships & Constituency building. Red Bridge is actively involved with public and private partnership groups that support parks, natural areas, historic sites, regional trail systems, greenway networks and river corridors. We believe that partnerships and constituency building across communities and cultures is an essential part of the planning process. An example from our current portfolio is The Aquatic Park and Piers Project, which attracts and builds on partnerships with neighboring nonprofit groups including the Fort Mason Center for Arts + Culture.

Collaboration. We believe open space preservation and development is successful when planners, designers, builders, managers and community members work together. Red Bridge team members employ a collaborative approach in all projects and, when appropriate, make targeted use of newsletters, workshops, social media and public presentations to include all constituents and enable decisions based on a common body of knowledge.

Agility & Resilience. We value adaptability in all our practices and strive to respond as the needs of places and communities shift in today’s complex world. For example, to ensure safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed policies and procedures to protect the health of staff and visitors, organized on-line meetings and workshops and revisioned public spaces so that they can be enjoyed while maintaining safe physical distance.

Design. Underlying our core values is constant attention to quality design. No matter what the assignment, design excellence is foremost in our minds as we work to create welcoming and enjoyable places. Team members have won numerous design awards from AIA, ASLA, National Trust for Historic Preservation as well as many local, state and national organizations.

Getting Things Done. We are creative, innovative and analytical. Our team is dedicated to excellence in planning and design for land conservation and public land use in natural and culturally sensitive areas. We are experienced in working with community-led projects in a diverse range of settings, from rural to highly urban. Team members have worked for or with the National Park Service, the Trust for Public Land, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, State Parks and nonprofit partners throughout the country. Two current projects include a Vision Study for Aquatic Park in San Francisco and a Vision Plan for Yosemite Village.