Connecting Community and Landscape
Discovery Park at WindlerAurora, CO—USA
Windler is a new 830-acre community guided by a vision to reinterpret life on the prairie for a modern American lifestyle, prioritizing connectivity, sustainability, and access to nature—organized around a fibrous network of parks and green corridors that link five distinct neighborhoods.
Year
In Implementation
Client
Windler
Services
Vision Planning, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture
Project type/category
Community Planning & Development, Parks & Recreation, Public Realm
Discovery Park, a 23-acre park at the center of the community, was conceived as both a destination and a unifying element. The challenge was to create a park that could serve multiple neighborhoods, support diverse uses, and reflect the ecological realities of Colorado’s Front Range, while remaining fully integrated into everyday life.
Civitas’ design is rooted in the site’s natural topography and the broader framework of connected open space. The park slopes from east to west, organizing program and experience. A wide promenade along the higher eastern edge establishes a social spine with seating, planting, and informal gathering spaces, while the western portion accommodates more active uses, including play fields, sport courts, dog parks—with spaces for both high- and low-energy dogs—and flexible event space.
A curving parterre provides structure through the center of the park, linking amenities and guiding movement. Trails and adjacent swales are integrated to manage stormwater while enhancing the pedestrian experience.
Three distinct play environments are woven throughout the park to support a wide range of ages, abilities, and types of play. Adventure Play integrates swings and slides into the landscape, while the Canyon play area features climbing walls, boulders, and a tower that encourage exploration and physical challenge. A third fully accessible play space ensures inclusive experiences for users of all abilities, reinforcing the dynamic community’s activity and social interaction.
The landscape strategy draws from the surrounding prairie. A xeric palette of native grasses, shrubs, and trees minimizes water use and maintenance while creating a resilient and seasonally dynamic environment. Large swaths of native planting reinforce a strong sense of place and support long-term ecological performance.
Discovery Park is also the hub of Windler’s open space network. Linear parks and trails extend outward as green connections, linking surrounding neighborhoods and smaller parks. This system ensures that residents can access the park on foot from across the community through a continuous, landscape-rich experience.
Currently in the final stages of construction and landscape establishment, Discovery Park’s mix of amenities supports daily use and community gatherings, bringing together residents from across multiple neighborhoods. At the same time, its water-conscious design, native planting, and integrated stormwater strategies advance the project’s sustainability goals.
By anchoring a connected network of open space, the park reinforces walkability, accessibility, and a shared sense of place—demonstrating how thoughtful design can support both community life and ecological resilience in a growing suburban context.
