Bayou Greenway Day

As early as 1912, citizens of Houston envisioned its bayou system to thread together an equitable, accessible park system throughout the city. One hundred years later, with the grassroots campaign Parks By You, in partnership with Houston Parks Board, a network of Bayou Greenways connects 1.7 million people within 1.5 miles of hike and bike trails adjacent to ten major bayous that weave through Houston. These 160 miles of trails connect parks and neighborhoods, providing a healthy alternative mode of transportation to a car-dependent city, while providing greenspaces for all to enjoy. This vision was brought to life thanks to a 2012 bond election and has been growing ever since.

To celebrate this initiative come-to-life, Houston Parks Board hosted an annual Bayou Greenway Day, a free family-friendly event inviting Houstonians to “meet their Bayou Greenway,” where they can explore features of the trails and the parks they connect. The location moved around each year, allowing visitors to explore a new and different fragment of the 150-mile long Bayou Greenway system. The event used bright, playful, colorful graphics on a variety of assets—yard signs, social media graphics, posters, flyers, banners, signage, flags, and more—with iconography indicating offerings of the event and of the Bayou Greenways. Because trails connect parks, guests were given lanyard programs that act as passports to be stamped at each park for a prize. Guests also received t-shirts to commemorate the event. The logo evolved over the years to showcase the highlights of the host Bayou and the special features of that year’s Bayou Greenway Day. The event became a beloved yearly event, continually introducing many to a unique interconnecting green feature of the City of Houston.

Houston Parks Board, Client
Minor Design, Agency
Photography by F. Carter Smith