Design firm Sasaki has been chosen to lead the transformation of Santa Monica Airport (SMO) into a dynamic “Great Park.”
The City of Santa Monica granted the request for proposal (RFP) to Sasaki, citing the firm’s expertise in reimagining airports as parks and collaborative work with communities. The 91.9-ha (227-acre) airport, currently occupying nearly five percent of the city’s total land area, will undergo a comprehensive redevelopment, integrating nature, recreation, and community spaces.
The city plans to initiate the Airport Conversion Planning Project in spring 2024, signaling the beginning of this ambitious redevelopment effort. Sasaki’s role will encompass a five-phase approach, slated for completion by the end of 2025.
These phases include project kick-off, existing conditions analysis, scenario testing and plans, potential implementation planning, and a preferred scenario plan vision book. Each phase will involve public engagement, research, and strategic planning to shape the future of the airport land, with an emphasis on parks and recreational areas.
The airport, set to cease aviation activities after December 31, 2028, as per a 2017 Consent Decree and a subsequent resolution, gained approval from 60 percent of Santa Monica voters in 2014 via Measure LC. This measure permits the development of parks, public open spaces, and recreational facilities, along with the maintenance and replacement of cultural, arts, and educational uses on airport property.
