The riparian corridor surrounding the Jordan River, which runs from the Wasatch Range to Salt Lake, is a patchwork of back yards, industrial lands and encampments. To unify the landscape, On the River competition organizers invited teams to submit unifying proposals that respond to the challenges presented along the Jordan River and across the West: increased urbanization, drier summers, climate disruption, homelessness, and habitat fragmentation.

MxM team member Brice Maryman helped led the team to balance conservation with development; link residents and visitors to a diverse, ecologically-supportive corridor; create year-round recreational opportunities; and foster social gathering places.

In the proposal, the scheme moved beyond the immediate confines of the river to propose green street retrofits which extend out into the surrounding Salt Lake Valley landscape to improve water quality before it is discharged into the Jordan River. Rising above the river, a new community-supported, hot-air balloon floats above the braided channels of the river. Intensified land uses, and a diagonal of the grid, visually connects water to the mountains, and, economically, provides the financial underpinnings to bring the multi-year vision to life.

Project completed by Brice Maryman while at MIG