Commerce Station is a 150-acre mixed-use development, for which a five-acre urban plaza/park site was envisioned. Named Commerce Station Plaza Park, it is conceived as a passive space that will be a central gathering place and focal point. Providing refuge from the intense summer heat in an urban plaza dominated by hardscape was the primary challenge. To address this, a dense copse of broad crowned trees in tree wells and shade/trellis structures were carefully located. In addition, minimized turf, low water use plantings, heat islands reduction, and maximization of clear site visibility for public safety were goals that were addressed in the design.