HR Green’s Taylor Risien has received a Special Recognition Award from the Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy for his contributions to a series of accessibility and infrastructure improvements at the Willow Waterhole Greenway in southwest Houston. Taylor served as lead engineer/project manager on projects that added approximately five miles of ADA trails, four parking lots, five safer street crossings, a boardwalk through native coastal prairie, signage, benches, security enhancements, and tree plantings, helping deliver roughly $9 million in new park assets.
“Receiving this recognition is truly meaningful, especially because of the years of collaboration that went into these improvements,” said Taylor Risien, HR Green Project Manager. “It was rewarding to help carry the Willow Waterhole Greenway projects from early planning through design, permitting, and construction, and to see that work create lasting benefits for the community. I’m grateful to the Conservancy and everyone who helped bring this vision to life.”
The work required close coordination from early planning through design, permitting, and construction. A major focus was integrating new public amenities within a functioning flood resilience landscape while coordinating with the City of Houston and the Harris County Flood Control District. One of the most environmentally sensitive components was a boardwalk and trail segment through a native prairie preserve, where the design team worked carefully to limit impacts to habitat, existing trees, and surrounding natural features while still improving access and connectivity.
“For the last four years, Taylor and I worked side by side to deliver transformational accessibility improvements at the Willow Waterhole Greenway. While we faced numerous challenges along the way, we persevered and ultimately succeeded. What began as a strong business partnership grew into a friendship and deep appreciation for each other’s work,” said Bill Burhans, former Conservancy President. “It is rewarding to see the results today, as the community enjoys the new amenities and visitation to the park has increased tenfold. Muhammad was instrumental in guiding us through contractual matters and consistently keeping the right team in place, and Robert and Bashir brought their expertise to the inspection process, helping ensure that construction contractors completed their work correctly.”
The result is a more accessible and connected greenspace that supports recreation, environmental stewardship, and community use. According to the Conservancy, visitation to the Greenway increased tenfold during the improvement period, reflecting the impact of thoughtful engineering and long-term collaboration in helping transform this unique urban greenspace.
“Congratulations, Taylor, on this well-deserved recognition! Your leadership in enhancing accessibility and connectivity at Willow Waterhole Greenway has made a meaningful, lasting impact on the community, ” said Muhammad Ali, HR Green’s Transportation Practice Leader. “Grateful as well to the Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy and project partners for their collaboration in bringing this vision to life. Outstanding work!”
