Mayer/Reed is designing a new 14-acre community park within the Vancouver Innovation Center mixed-use development. The large, wooded parcel was privately owned and fenced off from the public for decades, and now neighbors are helping shape its future. Together with our partner JLA Public Involvement, we hosted a series of multilingual in-person and virtual open houses that have garnered ideas from across the community. We asked participants: What do you want to see at the new park? How do you want to play and exercise? How do you want to experience and connect with nature?
The input shared so far is informing design options that will be presented to the community in October, with a master plan anticipated in December. We look forward to transforming this long-inaccessible landscape into a welcoming public park for east Vancouver.
Community service is an important Mayer/Reed value. We believe in giving back to our community and being stewards of our environment. During a recent outing, volunteers from Mayer/Reed got to work cleaning up the landscape at Lincoln High School.
As landscape architect for the school, we put great care into making sure the densely programmed urban campus included green spaces with heritage trees and native plantings. We were happy to revisit the space together and put in a little elbow grease to make sure the landscape is healthy and thriving for the upcoming school year.
We’re excited to be featured in a recent Portland Monthly article about the future of Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Portland’s relationship to the riverfront.
The article highlights our Central City Waterfront Urban Design Study which explores ways the waterfront district can evolve into a more active, inclusive and connected part of our city. Mayer/Reed Principal Shannon Simms, who led the study, continues to be a driving force for change, facilitating workshops with the local design community, city officials and interested citizens. Read the full article in Portland Monthly.
Mayer/Reed Principal Shannon Simms, ASLA, has been named a 2025 Women of Vision Honoree by the Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce (DJC). Each year, the DJC recognizes an esteemed roster of women who are shaping the built environment in Oregon and Southwest Washington with their leadership, mentorship, technical skill and community involvement.
“This award is a reflection of the incredible teams and communities I’ve had the privilege to work with,” says Shannon. “I’m honored to be recognized alongside others who are dedicated to designing spaces that foster connection, sustainability and a sense of belonging.”
As co-leader of Mayer/Reed’s urban design and landscape architecture disciplines, Shannon is known for her big-picture thinking and ability to bring clarity to complexity. She is a respected voice in public space design, inspiring clients, students and colleagues to view streets as vital landscapes that support a healthy, connected urban life. Her talent lies in reframing challenges and reimagining possibilities. Clients and design partners value her extraordinary ability to help them see their projects in a new light and her knowledge of the technical requirements necessary to bring these ambitious ideas to life.
Shannon’s work is guided by a deep commitment to community. Whether through leadership in professional organizations or volunteering locally, she brings people together with creativity, passion and purpose. Recently, she helped organize and facilitate Streets of Possibility II: Downtown to the River—a workshop that brought nearly 40 urban designers and civic leaders together to reimagine downtown Portland’s connections to the Willamette riverfront. Her efforts are changing the conversation about how our city reaches the long-term goal of transforming Portland’s urban core into a series of livable neighborhoods.
As a mentor and advocate, Shannon supports emerging designers within Mayer/Reed, across the profession and in academic programs. She uplifts colleagues, making time to mentor and creating space for quiet voices—especially supporting women navigating careers in the built environment. Outside of work, Shannon finds joy in giving back and fostering meaningful connections throughout the region. She has volunteered with the Portland Parks Foundation Paseo, Portland Winter Light Festival, Cycle Oregon Gravel Ride and Friends of Trees.
At the DJC’s Women of Vision celebration on October 23, Shannon shared the stage with an inspiring cohort. While the evening recognized individual achievements, it also served as a reminder of the collective progress happening across our industry and an inspiration for the next generation of leaders, many of whom were in the room that night—watching, learning and envisioning what comes next.
