Revitalizing Park Infrastructure: Part 1
Deciding what stays and what goes is a vital first step
By Chad Atterbury and Brandon Sobiech
Photos: Dig Studio & Robb Williamson
For those people who work in parks, there are few things sadder than to see a run-down, forgotten park—especially knowing what a great one can do for a community. Thankfully, as cities expand and mature communities begin to reinvest in older neighborhoods, there is increasing interest in reviving aging park infrastructure.
That dynamic has only been exaggerated by the pandemic. Outdoor recreational usage increased from 30 percent to 165 percent nationwide since March 2020, according to a recent report from The Trust for Public Land.
But what people discovered is that many older parks are inadequate to support the recreational needs and interests of today’s residents. A park built in 1980 is now over 40 years old and likely in need of a serious tune-up.
To create successful, authentic community spaces, it’s vital to understand how to overcome the challenges inherent with older parks and figure out how to capitalize on opportunities these parks provide.
Over the course of this series of articles, the team at landscape architecture, urban planning and design firm Dig Studio will examine three key ways of undertaking a successful revamp of park infrastructure:
The physical
The natural
The social.
Evaluating The Physical Infrastructure Of An Aging Park
From a public-agency perspective, park revitalizations are often driven from the standpoint of physical infrastructure. In assessing this, several questions should be asked:
Is it safe?
Does it work?
Is it accessible?
Does it provide educational or historic benefit?
What is its life cycle?
How has it been maintained?
These questions help the design team understand the cost-benefit and decision-making process for renovating, demolishing, or preserving physical park elements.
Perhaps the most important question to ask, however, is how might the park space better fit the needs of the community? The answer is not always conveyed within infrastructure budget line items, like “electrical upgrades, ADA improvements, and playground replacements” or even in program additions like “splash pads, pickleball courts, and skate parks.” While these are important pieces of the puzzle, the answer to the question involves not only an understanding of physical and programmatic upgrades, but a holistic approach to renovation.
Look Back Before Looking Forward
An important first step in evaluating the physical infrastructure of a park is understanding the context in which the renovation is occurring. What is the change agent driving the need for revitalization? It might be changing demographics, increases in density of the surrounding area, lack of relevant programming due to shifting recreational trends, or any number of factors.
The next step is equally important and involves examining the history of and the original intent of the park design. This approach will influence the decision-making through the design process.
At Pioneer Park in Mesa, Ariz., the once-cherished center of the community had fallen into misuse. A major update was due to serve a new generation of users and to reflect its importance as the centerpiece of the revitalized downtown.
To begin the design process, the team met with the community to learn the importance of several historical and beloved features throughout the park. At first glance, these elements were showing signs of neglect and wear, including worn-down horseshoe pits, a train that was housing hundreds of feral cats, and a series of crumbling monuments. But, as stories of their use and the meaning of their presence became apparent, these pieces of infrastructure—which initially seemed disposable—became priorities to preserve, refurbish, and reinvigorate.
Concentrated in the south end of the park, the historical markers and monuments were scattered around an overgrown and inactive area. The primary feature was a large stone wall with symbolic elements from the city’s early settlers. By making the feature more compact and more accessible on all sides, and by integrating smaller monuments around its sides, the feature became a new focal point and activated space. This also opened up views into the park and linked the existing monuments with the new focal shade and water features created to the north.
Achieving The Right Balance
The decision to remove older features, add programming elements, or repair physical infrastructure is never black and white; it requires sophisticated thinking within a design process.
A thoughtful park redesign approach begins with preserving functional and historic spaces and then weaves in layers of new programming and activation to get the most value from the budget investment. When these aspects are preserved, there are opportunities to focus the funding in areas that no longer provide community benefit, maximizing the impact of the transformation.
The Scottsdale Civic Center in Arizona is a great example of revitalization that looks through the lenses of preservation, enhancement, and transformation.
Currently in progress, multiple areas of historic value and current program functionality are being preserved. Each existing physical element was analyzed for its historical importance, its service to the community, its response to the shifting community values surrounding water use, and finally, its maintenance. This layered analytic approach allows the team to weigh investment toward park area transformations that will provide the greatest impact. For example, the existing west lawn, surrounded by large, mature trees, will be preserved. Outdated water features that were difficult to maintain have been removed. Turf lawn has been limited to targeted program areas to allow for native desert plantings. Connections to surrounding institutions, like the new Children’s Garden that is adjacent to the Scottsdale Public Library, have facilitated opportunities for more community-focused program spaces.
Maintaining Authenticity During Times Of Change
When new programs are the driver of park revitalization, an added layer of understanding the infrastructure can integrate seamlessly within existing conditions. What elements are easy to move? What facilities support shared uses? These questions must be evaluated against the community’s sentimental attachment to existing park assets. Certain parts may be easy to relocate but may also be some of the most highly treasured amenities. In order to determine which park features are to be considered, a strong degree of community involvement is essential.
At Clark Park in Tempe, Ariz., the addition of an aquatic facility required relocating a community garden. Residents were extremely attached to the garden, but by involving them in the conversation early on and sharing the reasons behind the decision-making for the location of the aquatic facility, they supported the decision.
Park infrastructure updates may be small or transformational, but regardless of size or budget, updates should respond to the change agents driving the revitalization, while also respecting what is still functional and valued by the community.
Chad Atterbury is Principal Landscape Architect (PLA, LEED AP) and Partner with Dig Studio’s Phoenix studio. He is passionate about creating spaces that resonate with people and enhance their experiences, integrating multi-generational programming within new play experiences, and creating dynamic park spaces that become iconic community social hubs.
Brandon Sobiech is Principal Landscape Architect (ASLA, PLA) in Dig Studio’s downtown Phoenix studio and has served in that role for over six years. His passion for design, commitment to client service, and open communication style have led to the construction of many successful, award-winning parks projects.