From California to New York, advancing landscape ecology through public park design

Background/Question/Methods

The spatial scale of the local urban park has opportunities for ecological improvement and societal integration. These lands are often damaged by past land use activities, with soil, biota, and physical conditions different from nearby rural settings. All these ecological parameters may lead to landscape structure and function different from historic conditions, before urbanization occurred. Also, urban areas are under continual threat from new forces, such as climate change, sea level rise, introduction of invasive species of plants and animals, and increasing densification of urban centers. What ecological goals are possible in urban parks? What are pragmatic targets when the relatively small scale must be shared with other programmatic needs? As we work with landscape architects who lead park projects, how can we integrate our skills into their designs? These questions were tested in three different landscape settings.In southern California, the Orange County Great Park changed a military airbase into a 550-hectare public park.In New York City, the Brooklyn Bridge Park, a 2km stretch along the saltwater East River, is a former commercial port zone that became derelict.In Buffalo, New York, a 2km elevated train corridor in a dense residential zone will become the Riverline Park.

Results/Conclusions

These case studies explore the interplay of ecologists with design professionals. The California plan included a wildlife corridor, daylighted stream, and newly excavated channel, each with different ecological and social goals. The ecological components had to be modified by political, financial, and programmatic complexities. In Brooklyn, the ecologists and landscape architects together created a coastal landscape of community ecology complexity from saltwater marsh through dry meadow and forest uplands, including bioretention basins for urban stormwater. This site is now heavily used by the urban populations who had poor access to nature experiences in the past. An extensive educational program meshes with landscape diversity to improve understanding and stewardship. The Riverline Park design will increase local biodiversity, and new species here can spread out to adjacent parklands. Also, the ecological design is a platform to significantly increase social integration between city populations now separated by the former railroad berms and past urban housing policies. < !1. Ecologists must be involved at the beginning of the design process.< ]2. Urban constraints limit reiteration of historic biodiversity.< ]3. Societal programming can work together with ecological improvements.< !4. Different professional skills must make an intellectual commons before they create a landscape.