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08-04-26 | Feature
RRM Design Group
6 California Locations & Washington
Mia's Dream Come True Playground at Tennyson Park; Hayward, CA
Tennyson Park is a 10-acre, community-centered renovation designed to serve a diverse and historically underserved neighborhood. At its heart is Mia's Dream Come True Playground, an all-abilities play space inspired by a local girl with cerebral palsy and realized through community advocacy and partnership with the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District. Sparked by Mia's father's vision to address a regional need, RRM transformed a simple napkin sketch into a vibrant, inclusive destination. This playground redefines play, intertwining accessible features and sensory experiences within a landscape that pays homage to Mia's favorite places around Hayward, like the Bay Bridge and the "Hayward-Loop."
Tennyson Park is a 10-acre, community-centered renovation designed to serve a diverse and historically underserved neighborhood. At its heart is Mia's Dream Come True Playground, an all-abilities play space inspired by a local girl with cerebral palsy and realized through community advocacy and partnership with the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District. Sparked by Mia's father's vision to address a regional need, RRM transformed a simple napkin sketch into a vibrant, inclusive destination. This playground redefines play, intertwining accessible features and sensory experiences within a landscape that pays homage to Mia's favorite places around Hayward, like the Bay Bridge and the "Hayward-Loop."
Venice Beach Oceanfront Walk & Skate Park; Venice Beach, CA
RRM provided design and project management services for the award-winning renovation of the 1.7-mile Venice Beach Oceanfront Walk - Los Angeles' busiest public park. While maintaining the unique flair of Venice Beach, the design proved vandal-resistant, safe, low-maintenance, and artistic across its plazas, performance areas, basketball courts, multi-use paths, art installations, children's play areas, and restrooms. The final phase featured Venice Skate Park, a 16,000-square-foot beachside facility designed in partnership with legacy skate park designer Zach Wormhoudt. In addition to serving as a core gathering place for L.A. skaters, the skate park caps an abandoned oil well. The Venice Beach plans were unanimously adopted by the city of Los Angeles and the California Coastal Commission.
RRM provided design and project management services for the award-winning renovation of the 1.7-mile Venice Beach Oceanfront Walk - Los Angeles' busiest public park. While maintaining the unique flair of Venice Beach, the design proved vandal-resistant, safe, low-maintenance, and artistic across its plazas, performance areas, basketball courts, multi-use paths, art installations, children's play areas, and restrooms. The final phase featured Venice Skate Park, a 16,000-square-foot beachside facility designed in partnership with legacy skate park designer Zach Wormhoudt. In addition to serving as a core gathering place for L.A. skaters, the skate park caps an abandoned oil well. The Venice Beach plans were unanimously adopted by the city of Los Angeles and the California Coastal Commission.
Whittier Greenway; Whittier, CA
RRM Design Group and Kimley-Horn prepared the master plan and construction documents for Whittier Greenway, a 5.8-mile, Class I multiuse trail within a former Union Pacific corridor. The project created a key alternative transportation route connecting schools, neighborhoods, and commercial areas, and includes paved and natural surface trails, lighting, signage, staging areas, historic bridge rehabilitation, and landscape enhancements within a linear park. Building on its success, RRM led the eastern extension to deliver an additional 2.5 miles of trail and seven at-grade crossings along an active rail line. Improvements include prefabricated creek crossings, stormwater systems, and innovative crossing designs - now a regional standard - developed through robust community engagement.
RRM Design Group and Kimley-Horn prepared the master plan and construction documents for Whittier Greenway, a 5.8-mile, Class I multiuse trail within a former Union Pacific corridor. The project created a key alternative transportation route connecting schools, neighborhoods, and commercial areas, and includes paved and natural surface trails, lighting, signage, staging areas, historic bridge rehabilitation, and landscape enhancements within a linear park. Building on its success, RRM led the eastern extension to deliver an additional 2.5 miles of trail and seven at-grade crossings along an active rail line. Improvements include prefabricated creek crossings, stormwater systems, and innovative crossing designs - now a regional standard - developed through robust community engagement.
Kennedy Park; Hayward, CA
The Hayward Area Recreation and Park District embarked on a major renovation of this cherished park, aiming to enhance its functionality for all visitors while generating new revenue streams. RRM's landscape architecture team guided the project from concept to construction, resulting in a vibrant space that embraces the park's historic charm. Highlights of the new design include a snack shack, a festival lawn/ community green, two new amusement rides, a rentable party pavilion, and enhanced picnic areas. This destination park continues to offer beloved attractions like the carousel, petting zoo, the historic McConaghy House, and fully electric train ride that circles the perimeter of the park.
The Hayward Area Recreation and Park District embarked on a major renovation of this cherished park, aiming to enhance its functionality for all visitors while generating new revenue streams. RRM's landscape architecture team guided the project from concept to construction, resulting in a vibrant space that embraces the park's historic charm. Highlights of the new design include a snack shack, a festival lawn/ community green, two new amusement rides, a rentable party pavilion, and enhanced picnic areas. This destination park continues to offer beloved attractions like the carousel, petting zoo, the historic McConaghy House, and fully electric train ride that circles the perimeter of the park.
Las Positas Multiuse Pathway; Santa Barbara, CA
RRM provided planning, environmental, and design services for the Las Positas Multi-Use Pathway, a 2.6-mile, ATP Grant Funded, Class I trail along Las Positas and Modoc Roads and adjacent to Las Positas and Arroyo Burrow Creek corridors. What was once an unsafe, high-speed corridor has been transformed to incorporate a lively, safe, and accessible pathway. This trail connection serves as a vital link to Santa Barbara's regional trail network connecting the California Coastal Trail and the city's Cross-town Route to downtown. The design includes midblock crossings on Modoc Road, cycle track facilities, Class II bike lanes, new signalized crossings, creek restoration, and connection to Arroyo Burrow State Beach.
RRM provided planning, environmental, and design services for the Las Positas Multi-Use Pathway, a 2.6-mile, ATP Grant Funded, Class I trail along Las Positas and Modoc Roads and adjacent to Las Positas and Arroyo Burrow Creek corridors. What was once an unsafe, high-speed corridor has been transformed to incorporate a lively, safe, and accessible pathway. This trail connection serves as a vital link to Santa Barbara's regional trail network connecting the California Coastal Trail and the city's Cross-town Route to downtown. The design includes midblock crossings on Modoc Road, cycle track facilities, Class II bike lanes, new signalized crossings, creek restoration, and connection to Arroyo Burrow State Beach.
Olympus Park; Encinitas, CA
Commissioned by the city of Encinitas, Olympus Park transforms a once-blank, 3.1-acre site into a vibrant neighborhood destination shaped by community input. Residents were invited to define the park's character, resulting in spaces for fitness, play, skating, biking, and gathering, alongside gardens developed with the San Diego Botanic Garden. Guided by this shared vision, RRM carried the project from concept through construction, working closely with city staff and maintenance teams to ensure long-term success. The result is a dynamic, award-winning park that balances recreation, creativity, and connection - an inclusive space that reflects the community it serves and continues to draw visitors from across the region.
Commissioned by the city of Encinitas, Olympus Park transforms a once-blank, 3.1-acre site into a vibrant neighborhood destination shaped by community input. Residents were invited to define the park's character, resulting in spaces for fitness, play, skating, biking, and gathering, alongside gardens developed with the San Diego Botanic Garden. Guided by this shared vision, RRM carried the project from concept through construction, working closely with city staff and maintenance teams to ensure long-term success. The result is a dynamic, award-winning park that balances recreation, creativity, and connection - an inclusive space that reflects the community it serves and continues to draw visitors from across the region.
San Lorenzo Park; San Lorenzo, CA
Over the past decade, RRM has led a complete renovation for San Lorenzo Park with natural and synthetic sports fields, a basketball court, two playgrounds, a dog park, walking loops, and a community center designed by Dahlin Architecture. It also includes a 1-acre pond, designed as its own ecosystem complete with a boardwalk and a stormwater filtration system that irrigates the park's sports fields. Exciting play features - such as a zipline, an embankment slide, and an eight-foot-tall climbing rock shaped like a mama bear and her cub - draw visitors. From the top of the rock, you can enjoy stunning views of the adjacent bay and the sprawling 32-acre park.
Over the past decade, RRM has led a complete renovation for San Lorenzo Park with natural and synthetic sports fields, a basketball court, two playgrounds, a dog park, walking loops, and a community center designed by Dahlin Architecture. It also includes a 1-acre pond, designed as its own ecosystem complete with a boardwalk and a stormwater filtration system that irrigates the park's sports fields. Exciting play features - such as a zipline, an embankment slide, and an eight-foot-tall climbing rock shaped like a mama bear and her cub - draw visitors. From the top of the rock, you can enjoy stunning views of the adjacent bay and the sprawling 32-acre park.
Santa Cruz Rail Trail Master Plan; Santa Cruz County, CA
RRM led the master plan for the Santa Cruz Rail Trail, a multiphase bikeway and pedestrian corridor extending from Davenport to Watsonville along the Union Pacific right-of-way, with coastal access and viewing opportunities. The corridor includes a Class I multiuse trail with ADA-compliant Class II and IV facilities along with prefabricated bridges, viaducts, retaining walls, and stormwater improvements. RRM led the implementation of segment 7, which was completed in late 2025, and segments 8-11, which are in various stages of design and construction. As anticipated, this project expands access to parks, schools, and coastal destinations, creating a safer, connected, and sustainable transportation and recreation corridor for the region.
RRM led the master plan for the Santa Cruz Rail Trail, a multiphase bikeway and pedestrian corridor extending from Davenport to Watsonville along the Union Pacific right-of-way, with coastal access and viewing opportunities. The corridor includes a Class I multiuse trail with ADA-compliant Class II and IV facilities along with prefabricated bridges, viaducts, retaining walls, and stormwater improvements. RRM led the implementation of segment 7, which was completed in late 2025, and segments 8-11, which are in various stages of design and construction. As anticipated, this project expands access to parks, schools, and coastal destinations, creating a safer, connected, and sustainable transportation and recreation corridor for the region.
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Founded in 1974, RRM Design Group has grown from a small partnership of Cal Poly classmates into a multidisciplinary, employee-owned firm serving communities up and down the West Coast. The practice brings together nearly 200 landscape architects, engineers, planners, and architects to deliver integrated solutions from concept through construction across seven offices throughout California and Washington. Guided by our mission, "Creating Environments People Enjoy," RRM emphasizes sustainable, collaborative design that leaves a lasting positive impact. Landscape architecture has been a core discipline of RRM since the late 1980s, blending art and science to shape parks, trails, civic spaces, and residential environments. Working closely with in-house teams, our landscape architecture practice focuses on creating functional, environmentally responsive places that connect communities to the natural and built environment. The result: surroundings that inspire, refresh, and unify.
Employees: PLAs (31), Principals (19); Total (190)
Software used: AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Suite, Lumion
As seen in LASN magazine, August 2026.
