USA Students help shape new park
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Students at the University of South Alabama are having a hand in designing Mobile’s newest park. Students get real-world experience while city designers get an idea of what to do with a new site.
Every year graduating students in civil engineering do a project called senior capstone design–this year it’s a real project with a real impact.
Monday some of the senior civil engineering students showed me around a waterfront site around what will be a park near Shipyard Road and Cypress Shores Drive. They spent the semester working with the city of Mobile to create what could be a first draft of this new park.
You can see their slideshow presentation here.
It will have a boat ramp and a separate kayak launch. Students designed the parking lot, nature trail, boardwalk and other amenities. It’s a semester-long project that can also serve as a first step for this park
“It’s a pretty phenomenal opportunity because, number one, they get to work on a real project. But number two, they get to do something in and with their community. So that’s real-world experience for them as they prepare to become professional engineers,” said Professor Bret Webb. Students get a chance to work in a chosen specialty area.
“It allows us for students to be able to pick a concentration, choose what we want to work on, and actually fulfill that for a project,” said senior Katie Pruden.
Students get a chance to work with a real client and get feedback on their design choices and plans. The city of Mobile recently approved funding from GOMESA.
The park could be built in a year or longer. We don’t know how much of this preliminary design will be used when the final design is settled on.
Officially we don’t have a name. Cypress Shores is how it’s referred to in the city–the students preferred the name “Choo Choo Cove” because of the occasional train that blasts by.
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