Maintaining our Riverfront — Q&A
Memphis River Parks Partnership is a nonprofit with a mission to “work with and for the people of Memphis to unlock the transformative power of our river”. That means making a riverfront that works for all, all year round.
The Partnership is committed to creating the best waterfront park experience in the United States. That means that the riverfront must:
- Be clean, safe, well-maintained and welcoming
- Offer a memorable experience every day
- Model “equity in action”
- Exemplify inclusivity
- Become a symbol of an ambitious Memphis
- Connect seamlessly and add value to downtown and surrounding neighborhoods
- Be a regional and national model for public space
The Partnership’s new director of brand experience, Ruby Zielinski, is working closely with Art Davis, controller, on creating a great visitor experience through field operations.
Here, Ruby shares answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
What does “brand experience” mean and what does it have to do with maintenance and operations?
Every touch point between a visitor and the riverfront parks is part of our brand experience. That means what you see when you’re in the parks, how our rangers interact with you, your experience at an event, what you see on social media and on and on. The way the grass is cut, landscape pruned and shaped and buildings and facilities maintained are just as important as the vibrancy of our online presence. The Partnership’s focus is on making sure that every one of those experiences is joyful and that our brand leaves a lasting and fun impression with visitors.
How do you set your maintenance priorities on the riverfront?
We place visitor experience above all else. That means we prioritize the work we do based on how it affects the experience our guests have when they’re at the river. We’ll look to address highly used and most visible areas of the parks first. Of course, safety is very important as well, and we immediately address any issues that could be a safety hazard for our guests.
How does working with land alongside the Mississippi River affect your schedules?
While the river is and should always remain the star of the riverfront, it’s constantly rising and falling — sometimes on an unpredictable schedule — which creates its own maintenance challenges. The river rises and falls up to 50 ft each year. Every time the river falls, it leaves behind a new collection of driftwood, debris and trash on our banks that we must collect. While we monitor the river stages each day, it remains somewhat unpredictable, meaning that our crews must always be flexible to respond when the river falls.
Are there any parks that are more or less susceptible to the rise and fall of the river?
Greenbelt Park floods annually. There are two distinct sections of the park — upper and lower. The lower part of the park is underwater when the river is at 25 ft or more. When the river stays above 30 ft for more than a quarter of the year — as it did this year — it leads to a number of issues. Driftwood collects on the lower portion of the park, much of it at the seam where the park rises up to a higher level. After the water recedes, we must wait for the ground to dry out sufficiently to support the heavy equipment necessary to remove the large pieces of driftwood and debris. Only then can mowers safely cut the grass running along that seam.
What is the biggest opportunity you see with structuring field operations under brand experience?
Today, much of the riverfront represents a dated approach to parks and public spaces: manicured lawns, ornamental planting beds, etc. But we are working with a wild and natural landscape. It’s a different kind of beauty. I’m really excited about using more native plantings and natural grasses along the riverfront. It can be beautiful, more sustainable, and it provides an important natural habitat. You can see this approach in our newest park — River Garden — and you’ll see it in the new Tom Lee Park as well.
How can we stay up to date with the work you’re doing?
The Partnership is testing two new tools designed to offer a window into our maintenance activities. Every day, we’ll update this maintenance tracker with major projects completed that day. We’ll place some additional photos (categorized by day) in this Dropbox folder. Bookmark these links and drop in to see what our maintenance and operation crews are working on each day.
