Inside/Out: Portland

Welcome to the seventh season of "Inside/Out" -- landscape architecture site tours across our region. Prioritizing issues of climate and health, equity and resilience, each tour discusses ideas and implementation as we explore these landscapes together.

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at 2pm

The afternoon begins at First Light Commons, a new 3.5-acre public park transforming Portland’s eastern waterfront from a parking lot into a vibrant, welcoming green space. Developed through a partnership between the City of Portland and Portland Parks Conservancy, the new park will reconnect the city to its working waterfront with an expanded multi-use trail, waterside promenade, flexible gathering spaces, open lawns, native and salt-tolerant plantings, and new trees. The name "First Light Commons" honors the region’s Wabanaki heritage as well as connections to the Underground Railroad. This new park is part of the City's waterfront master plan to develop an interconnected linear open space resiliency system along the waterfront, expanding storm mitigation strategies.

First Light Commons officially opens later this fall. Join us to preview the design, learn about the community-driven process and phased implementation, and see how this once utilitarian stretch of waterfront is being transformed.

First Light Commons site tour will be led by

Margo Barajas, Sebago Technics

Nathan Frazee, City of Portland Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department

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at 3:45pm

The afternoon continues at the newly renovated Reiche School Playground, one of Portland's most heavily used neighborhood play spaces. The renovation transforms a 23-year-old playground into a renewed public landscape serving both Reiche Community School and the surrounding West End neighborhood. Shaped by a community engagement process that included design charrettes, public meetings, and input from students, school staff, and neighbors, the new playground incorporates nature-based play features, including logs, boulders, timber elements, and boardwalks, alongside traditional play equipment, new plantings, and gathering spaces,.

Reiche Playground officially reopens with a ribbon cutting November 2. Later that week, we will exlopre how thoughtful design and community collaboration can create engaging, multifunctional play environments to serve children, families, and the broader neighborhood.

Reiche Playground site tour will be led by

Tatyana Vashchenko, PLA, City of Portland Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department

Addy Smith-Reiman, PTO Playground Committee Chair and director of the Spatial Design Academy programs

We will meet at 2pm at Ocean Gateway, in front of the Visit Portland, Maine Information Center. Here's the GPS link for First Light meetup

We will meet at 3:45pm at Reiche Playground, outside of the Reiche Community School. after school pickup. Here's the GPS link for Reiche.

Travel between sites is on your own. We imagine that some of you will walk or bike; others may choose to drive.

At the very end, we will migrate to a nearby restaurant for drinks + light bites. The first round is on BSLA.

Members and non-members, coworkers + students, friends + families + kids. Tickets are FREE, tour size limited, registration appreciated. Please come dressed for the weather, prepared to walk outside.

We aim to go in most weather. We will email all ticket holders and post any changes here.

We look forward to exploring with you!

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

First Light Commons is designed by

Reiche Playground is designed by

IMAGES

Above, from top:

(slide show) First Light Commons construction site photos, courtesy Nate Frazee / City of Portland and Margo Barajas / Sebago Techics, including a 'before' photo - the parking lot.

Tour by Portland Parks Conservancy, summer 2026

Site Plan, Sebago Technics and City of Portland

Below

Reiche Playground Renovation Site Plan, Sashie Misner Landscape Architecture and City of Portland

Concept model of new playground, as designed by elementary school students. From an after-school enrichment program by Laura Newman, 2023.

DIG DEEPER

project pages

City of Portland

Construction of First Light Commons (formerly known as Portland Harbor Common)

Naming of First Light Commons

Reiche Playground Renovation

press coverage

"First Light Common nearly ready to open," Interview with Ethan Hipple, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Portland, CBS 13, September 16, 2026 (video)

"Portland readies waterfront park to capture city's 'magic,'" by Tina Fischer, Mainebiz, September 23, 2026

social media

Coming Soon! First Light Commons by City of Portland

First Light Commons is taking shape by Portland Parks Conservancy

Organized by the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, "Inside/Out" is an ongoing series of small group, outdoor, on-site walking tours of landscape architecture throughout our region. Prioritizing issues of climate and health, equity and resilience, tour discusses ideas and implementation as we explore these landscapes together.

View a short video of Inside/Out highlights.

Is there a landscape you'd like to visit -- or one you'd like to share? Let us know!

Join us outside.

Event venue & nearby stays

Ocean Gateway Pier, Ocean Gateway Pier, Portland, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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