The Fabric of the City. Designing Parks & Open Spaces that are Flexible and Equitable

Episode 014 • 46 min

Many of us are putting on our masks and heading to public parks to get some sun and fresh air — on this episode; we explore how landscape architects create these outdoor spaces and experiences.

Parks and open spaces are always a joy to have in our lives. Particularly now, during the pandemic, outdoor public space feels essential to living our lives to the most of our ability while also keeping our distance to help stop the spread of the virus. We welcome two landscape architects who are experts at developing dynamic, flexible, and equitable spaces: Cheri Ruane is Vice President and Landscape Architecture Practice Leader at Weston & Sampson; and Chris Reed is the Founding Director of Stoss. We discuss the unique moment in Boston where three major parks are being imagined or reimagined at the same time — in Cheri’s words: it’s an opportunity to impact the fabric of the city. It may prove to be a model for improving the urban experience for all residents in cities across the country. Plus, we have our weekly dose of good design.

Weekly Dose of Good Design

• Liz: Doll house
• Sam: Analog by Jeff Sheldon
• Cheri: Carolyn Friedlander Fabric

Links

• Article: Parks are essential — especially during the coronavirus pandemic
• Site: Boston Common Master Plan
• Project: Harvard Science Center Plaza