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UT-Austin-led design proposes native ecology, sports fields and phased build for Jones Box Park in Pharr
Summary
University of Texas at Austin designer Maggie Hanson presented a community-informed plan for 28-acre Jones Box Park that separates an eastern sports zone from a western ecological zone, emphasizes stormwater management and recommends phased construction and a local nursery to propagate native trees.
Maggie Hanson, an assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Texas at Austin, presented a community-led master plan for Jones Box Park during the Keep Pharr Beautiful Advisory Committee meeting on Aug. 19, 2025. The plan calls for a mostly sports-focused east side and a heavily vegetated ecological west side joined by a hybrid central gathering space; Hanson said the park covers about 28 acres.
The plan, Hanson said, grew from five years of local engagement and a semester-long studio in which UT-Austin students worked directly with South Pharr youth and community groups. "I bring those experiences to teaching my students to work with communities and to value the voice of residents in thinking about public space," Hanson said.
The proposed design preserves existing active recreation — soccer, baseball, basketball and the splash pad — while adding pedestrian…
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