With the expansion of Kissimmee City Hall’s Development Services facility, the City of Kissimmee sought to create a new civic open space that would serve as both a landscape showpiece and a reflection of the city’s identity, values, and relationship to its natural environment. Located in the heart of downtown, the City Hall Gardens were envisioned as a public courtyard that blends urban development with ecological expression, offering residents, staff, and visitors a meaningful place to pause, gather, and connect with nature. This project aligns with the City’s broader downtown revitalization goals and contributes to making downtown more inviting, dynamic, and distinctive.

Inspire Placemaking Collective approached the project as an opportunity to tell a place-based story through landscape architecture. Drawing inspiration from Lake Tohopekaliga, a defining natural feature of the region, the design abstracts the forms, movement, and systems of water into a contemporary civic courtyard. Flowing paths, integral-color concrete embedded with blue glass, natural stone edging, and a central “Spring” element guide visitors through the space like a meandering stream, reinforcing water as both a physical and symbolic foundation of the region.

Rain gardens are integrated throughout to capture stormwater and promote groundwater recharge, embedding ecological function directly into the user experience. Seating boulders, terraced flagstone paving, and integrated art elements serve both functional and storytelling roles, ensuring that every component balances form, function, and narrative intent.

The Gardens were recognized with the 2025 Downtown Beautification & Innovation Award, presented by the Downtown Kissimmee Council. The award highlighted the project's contribution to beauty, innovation, and community engagement. A commemorative sign will be displayed at the Rain Garden and in the City Hall lobby, reflecting the City’s commitment to thoughtful design.