The urban design studio took Saturday morning to do a walking tour of parks in lower Manhattan. We began at the Union Square farmer’s market and continued to Stuyvesant Square Park, Gramercy Park and Madison Square park. Following are observations and impressions of Stuyvesant park in addition to an analysis of related skillsets relevant to the current practice of urban design.
Stuyvesant park exists within a typology of urban green space which relies heavily on planting plan and vegetation. Variety, vertical structure and color palette contribute heavily to how the space feels. Ground cover, tree canopy and diversity of plant typologies both in height and texture work to create a sense of enclosure within the park. At the same time the plants work in congruence with site lines, lighting needs, and seating, allowing the urban and the natural to exist in the same space. The comparatively small scale urban park (more of a neighborhood sanctuary than a place for public gathering) facilitates the analysis of an increasing need for environmental expertise.
Whether it is a trend spurred by recent activist responses to climate change, a movement in ecological justice, or a realization of the tangible impacts of living in and around nature, there is an increasing demand in our culture for urban resilience. Sea level rise and flooding are key topics when speaking about resiliency, however plants cannot be left out of the picture. The knowledge of biotic processes allows us to create a vegetation infrastructure which, like lighting, seating, view points, and connectivity, shapes and creates the programs, uses and ambiance of space. This will undoubtedly necessitate both the capacity and technical expertise to work and design with plants. Fluency of environmental conditions both at the regional and biome scale, as well as the urban scale, will become more and more a precursor and determining factor in successful design. Plant hardiness, compatibility and lifecycle in addition to soil conditions, permeability, drainage and other hydrological conditions is becoming an increasingly relevant component in urban design discussions. The re-naturation of the built environment, especially dense urban spaces is long overdue, and the demand for resiliency is making biotic driven design more relevant. Though Stuyvesant Park is aged and may not be in line with current trends in planting with natives, the park provides and excellent case study for the creation or urban ecosystems which are shaping New York City’s emerging infrastructure.