The $9.3 million redesign, funded through a combination of public money and private donations to the Trust for Public Land (TPL), represents a complete rethinking of the amenity. WRNS Studio and TPL collaborated on the master plan, moving the park entrance so that all comings and goings are in view of the at-grade clubhouse. In addition to providing full transparency to the activity outside—“It’s like a porch overlooking the street,” says Shiles— the building’s window walls face the full-size basketball court, playground, and large lawn. The architects also removed the internal fences and switched out the wrought iron perimeter enclosure to a visually porous wire mesh. The clubhouse is one of the first city-operated properties to use geothermal wells for radiant heating.

Since opening at the end of 2014, park usage has increased threefold, with a large leap in numbers of children, teens, and seniors. For the latter group, there are now amenities designed just for them, including a walking path that encircles the park, and a community garden.

Back to Design for the Public Realm