Eight New York parks chosen for facelift after thousands of citizens vote in public outreach design scheme
Eight New York parks have been selected for reconstruction as part of the Parks Without Borders campaign to beautify the city’s public spaces.
The scheme launched in November 2015 with US$50m (€46.8m, £32.8m) in mayoral funding. The public were invited to vote for the parks they would most like to see improved, following the Parks Without Borders design principles – increasing accessibility, opening sight lines, beautifying edges, adding furnishings and amenities to under-utilised spaces and improving connection with communities.
The public had their say via an online survey, community meetings and votes held at public libraries. Over 6,000 nominations were received for 691 parks – over 30 per cent of the green spaces in the city.
Speaking after the launch of the vote, NYC Parks commissioner Mitchell Silver told CLAD that the initiative “flows from the idea that the public realm should be a unified space, promoting freedom of movement and making all parts of the public realm as seamless as possible”.
He said an open design approach “makes people feel a greater sense of belonging and ownership with their parks, as well as improving public safety by allowing better natural surveillance of public spaces.”
After the vote finished in February this year, NYC Parks began the process of selecting eight showcase parks to kickstart the redesign programme. The criteria including community support, park access and current physical conditions and context.
The eight parks selected are:
Staten Island
• Faber Park
Brooklyn
• Prospect Park
• Fort Greene Park
Bronx
• Van Cortlandt Park
• Hugh Grant Circle / Virginia Park and Playground
Manhattan
• Jackie Robinson Park
• Seward Park
Queens
• Flushing Meadows Corona Park
“Parks Without Borders represents a giant step forward in our vision for the role green spaces play in New York’s communities. This innovative approach to integrating our parks more seamlessly into the fabric of the city will help New Yorkers feel even more at home in their neighbourhood parks – or as we like to call them, NYC’s backyard,” said New York mayor Bill de Blasio.
Silver added: “Parks Without Borders has engaged thousands of New Yorkers, who shared ideas for park improvements online and in person. That’s proof of how excited they are to increase accessibility and openness in their favourite parks.”
The eight showcase parks will share a US$40m (€36m, £27.6m) cut of the funding to improve their current layout, condition and relationship to their surroundings.
The other US$10m (€9.3m, £6.5m) will be used to update 51 other sites, 32 of which were chosen through a City Parks Initiative.
The goal of NYC Parks is to have 85 per cent of New Yorkers living within walking distance of a park.
New York parks Parks Without Borders public outreach Mitchell Silver NYC Parks Bill de BlasioEXCLUSIVE: $50m green space scheme to give New York's parks a facelift
New York parks to become smoke-free zones
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
The Peninsula London unveils Peter Marino-designed spa inspired by London’s famous parks
First glimpses revealed of Mandarin Oriental, Mayfair's subterranean spa retreat
"Architecture is alive" says Ma Yansong, as Shenzhen art museum opens exhibition showcasing work of MAD Architects
Designing an eco hotel for the Galapagos Islands that allowed the stunning natural surroundings to take centre stage while minimising its impact on the land presented its own unique set of challenges, Ecuadorian architect Humberto Plaza tells Kathryn Hudson
Ben Channon has written Happy by Design, a new book about how architecture affects our mental health. He explains how we can all be happier at home