At a Glance
-
200
Acres
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Offices
-
-
Client
-
-
State of New Mexico
-
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Offices
- Client
-
- State of New Mexico
Share
New Mexico Fairgrounds Master Plan
From rodeos and concerts to community gatherings, more than 500 events fill the 230‑acre (93-hectare) New Mexico State Fairgrounds each year. While the fairgrounds have remained a vital civic anchor, the surrounding area has faced growing challenges including economic decline, homelessness, and public safety concerns.
Recognizing both the site’s cultural significance and its untapped potential, the State of New Mexico set out to reinvest in one of their most important public assets while also addressing some of Albuquerque’s most pressing challenges. The State engaged our team to lead the master planning process for the fairgrounds.
Through extensive data and site analysis, paired with an iterative community engagement process, our team of planners, landscape architects, and engineers examined how people move through the fairgrounds, how fair operations could evolve over time, and how new uses might be introduced. We evaluated three design concepts that highlighted opportunities to modernize the site, expand year‑round use, and introduce housing, parks, and economic activity.
The resulting three‑phase master plan reimagines the fairgrounds as a walkable, mixed‑use destination. The first phase reorganizes the site, tying it together with a new soccer stadium, an eight-acre (three-hectare) urban park, more than 430 units of mixed-income housing, and major public safety improvements.
Approved by the State Fairgrounds District Board and supported by $92 million in bonding capacity and $114 million in funding from the state’s general fund, this ambitious plan sets the stage for future development and a stronger economy.
At a Glance
-
200
Acres
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Offices
-
-
Client
-
-
State of New Mexico
-
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Offices
- Client
-
- State of New Mexico
Share
Nancy Locke, Senior Principal, Community Development Discipline Leader, Landscape Architecture
As we struggle with growing inequality, one of the most important things to do is work toward equity—in other words, design for everyone.
Jordan Block, Principal, Urban Places Sector Leader (Canada)
Our work has the potential to impact our built environment and the people within it for generations—we have a responsibility to do it right.
Bridget Rice, Designer
I am determined to engage with unique communities and seek new pathways and intersections for design thinking.
Colleen Ruiz, Senior Principal, Community Development Practice Leader
My goal is to collaborate with clients to achieve their development goals on schedule with minimal design changes for the best value.
Ralph DeNisco, Senior Principal
I put my training and experience to work to show people how smart transportation planning creates exciting places that work for everyone.
Stephanie Wood, Facilities Planner
My goal? To create ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable environments where current and future generations can thrive.
We’re better together
-
Become a client
Partner with us today to change how tomorrow looks. You’re exactly what’s needed to help us make it happen in your community.
-
Design your career
Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.