Re-envisioning Hartford's Pope Park's

R E S TO R I N G A BALANCE Re-Envisioning Pope Park’s Lower Mea d an d t h e So uth B ra nc h o f the Pa rk River

C o n w ay S c h o o l o f L a n d s c ap e D e s i g n Winter 2009 The Friends of Pope Park, The Pope Hartford Designated Fund, and the City of Hartford, Connecticut

Re-Envisioning Pope Park’s Lower Mead and the South Branc h o f the Park River

Prepared for The Friends of Pope Park, The Pope Har tford Designated Fund, and the City of Har tford, Connecticut March 2009 Kate Benisek, Brian Markey, and Aran Wiener Conway School of Landscape Design

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The river. One can barely see it from the street. It is tucked down quietly underneath a bridge, a ribbon moving slowly, flat in its bed. What you hear is not immediately identifiable as the sound of water. There is no trickle or rush, only the faint sound of liquid movement, lumbering on.

Standing above, you watch it from behind a tall fence with your feet sinking into soft, wet ground. Immediately there is an urge to move forward, to be closer to the shallow, thin slip of dark water. Many things tell you not to, but you slowly push forward, quiet and still.

Slipping under a fence, feet flat against the concrete, you descend into the channel, twenty-five feet below. iv

When you reach the bottom, everything above is forgotten.

Below is new, solid ground. The highway has disappeared and you cannot hear any cars. Meadow plants grow here, finding a way into the cracks of thick concrete.

You have escaped the city for a brief, quiet moment.

Like the water, you are held and contained. Safe and calm. You do not want to walk away from this place. v

When you go back up, back at the level of the street, things that were easily forgotten come rushing back.

The noise of traffic. Garbage tossed at the side of the road. The worn curbs and discarded items, flashing billboards and old, broken buildings. There are fences throughout and visual cues that say, “Do not come here.�

Farther along you see something different below.

A

river, controlled

and

manipulated. A

journey

downstream swallowed up by a tunnel in the distance. vi

The hands of progress created this place, and then left it behind. What remains is both fascinating and troubling.

Wildlife pushes forward, any way that it can. The people that go here now pass through quietly, anonymously.

Every living thing leaves a mark, an imprint, a reminder.

Branches stripped of their bark. Graffiti splashed across the concrete conduit. Nests made high in old sycamore trees. A makeshift shelter covered with a plastic tarp.

Bags of trash ripped open and strewn across the grass.

In the scars, something beautiful has emerged. The river submits, but the landscape persists—a piece of wild nature in the middle of the city—remains vital. v vii

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A RY

Hartford’s Pope Park stands at a busy crossroads in time and place. The landscape around the park is due to change at a tremendous pace in the coming years. Private and public investment is taking place all around the park. New developments will alter the setting of the park.

The Friends of Pope Park are creating a master plan for the Lower Mead portion of Pope Park. FOPP is a group of concerned citizens who actively work “to improve the quality of life for area and city residents through the use of Pope Park and its facilities.” The recommendations here for the Lower Mead seek to provide solutions that address the needs of both the community and landscape.

FOPP, as well as concerned neighbors, interested business owners, and the City of Hartford each have a stake in the future of the park. This document addresses many needs and it analyzes many relationships. The Lower Mead is part of a cultural, ecological, and historical landscape that cannot be understood in isolation. In order to provide viable options for the Lower Mead one must understand the context of the site in both time and place. The Lower Mead is an underused resource. It is uninviting and, in places, unattractive. Furthermore, the Lower Mead is physically and historically connected to the south branch of the Park River. The river is unseen, unused, undervalued and

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polluted. These two great features, the Park River and the Lower Mead, are intimately connected and recommendations are made for both.

The contrast between the original conception of Pope Park and its current state is jarring. Pope Park was created as a great amenity for the laborers who toiled in factories lining the Park River. The park celebrated the very river that fueled Hartford’s industrial progress. Pope Park was designed to highlight the beauty of the Park River and invited users to see, touch, and hear the waters that flanked the borders of the park and gave it its identity. The river’s name derived from its presence downstream within Bushnell Park. The river physically linked these two jewels of Hartford’s park system.

Restoring the health of the Park River upstream, encouraging wildlife habitat, native plant communities and improving water quality have a direct, positive effect on the health of the Lower Mead. The incorporation of stormwater management and lowmaintenance green protocols throughout the river course can be implemented in conjunction with large-scale public works projects that are currently underway in Hartford.

Numerous changes to the built environment have dramatically altered the landscape of Hartford since the creation of Pope

A Vision for the Lower Mead and the South Branch of the Park River Improve river health Encourage wildlife habitat, a clean river, and native plant communities.

Incorporate stormwater management and low-maintenance green protocols.

Park over one hundred years ago. None is more significant to the life of the park than the channelizing of the Park River. This act pushed the river to the backs of houses, building lots, and derelict developments, and also to the back of people’s minds.

The fate of the river is echoed by the lack of use and poor treatment of the Lower Mead.

Today, people of all backgrounds are working toward community involvement and action with a sharp focus on making the neighborhoods surrounding Pope Park better for people. Plans exist for improving pedestrian access, enhancing streetscapes and developing new economic and social opportunities. By offering a safe, outdoor social and recreational space, the Lower Mead of Pope Park will promote community involvement while providing an important connection to a natural resource—the Park River.

By capitalizing on the educational resources of Pope Park and the nearby greenway projects environmental education can be a part of every child’s life, just beyond their own backyards. Open spaces have the opportunity to serve as both a place to play and a place to learn. An interconnected trail system on any greenway educates an entire population to the importance of being physically connected to one’s own community and a heightened awareness of the environmental resources and wildlife corridors within an urban setting.

The Lower Mead will be a destination, connected to the greater park and the greater neighborhood, and a place that reunites people to their river. By removing physical barriers that inhibit access and providing a reason to visit the Lower Mead, it will become a popular gathering place. By providing connections, the Lower Mead will be a landmark within the park and within the community. By promoting natural functions, the Lower Mead will become, and help sustain, a healthy environment.

Advance environmental education Capitalize on educational resources of the park.

Provide a community connection to the river Promote community involvement and a safe outdoor recreation space.

Offer an interconnected trail system Integrate a network of trails and paths, alternative commuting options, and wildlife corridors.

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Ac k n owl e dg em e n t s

A sincere thank you to Nancy Macy, the Pope Hartford Designated Fund, and all of the Friends of Pope Park. Thank you to Jack Hale and the Knox Parks Foundation. Thank you to Mary Rickel-Pelletier, for her intimate knowledge of the Park River watershed, her guidance and enthusiasm. Thank you to the Park River Watershed Revitalization Initiative. Thank you to Pam Shadley of Shadley Associates for her input, encouragement and design expertise. Thank you to Joan Morrison of Trinity College for information on wildlife and the Park River Watershed. Thank you to Colin Coggins of the Metropolitan District Commission for his assistance with GIS data. The Connecticut Historical Society provided research assistance and materials. Thank you to Fernando Rincon for sharing information about ongoing South Branch Greenway plans. Thank you to Tony Matta for discussing upcoming plans for Pope Park West.

We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the students, staff, and faculty of the Conway School of Landscape Design.

THANK YOU.

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C on t e n t s E xe c u t i ve S u mma r y

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H i s t o ri c al C o n t e x t :

Har tford’s Industr ial Histor y; Freder ick Law Olmsted; Alber t Pope and the Pope Manufactur ing Co.; The Histor y of Har tford’s Public Par k System; The Or iginal Design of Pope Par k; Flooding Along Har tford’s River s; The Constr uction of Inter state 84; (Case Study) The Olmsted Par ks System; The Carol R. Johnson Associa tes Master Plan

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E nv i ron me n t a l C o nt ext : The Par k River Water shed; Combined Sewer Ov erflows; Nonpoint Source Pollution; (Case Study) Back Bay Fens; Par k River Tour ; Residential Backyards; Behind Commercial Lots; River Buffer s/Greenway ; Channelized River ; The Ecological Health of the River ; (Case Study) L.A. River Restoration

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T h e B u i l t E nv i ro n ment :

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T h e S oc i a l E nv i ro n ment :

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N at u ral S y s t e ms of t he Lower Mead : The

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D e s i gn : C o n c e p t s a nd S chem at i cs :

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Appendix:

Neighborhood Context; Par kville Revitalization and MDP; Existing Neighborhood Context; Bar tholomew Avenue; Pope Par k Highway No. 4; Olive and Wellington Streets; Abandoned, Contaminated Lots; Developing Neighborhood Context; Examples of Change in the Neighborhood; Par k River Greenway South Branch Trail

Neighborhood Demographics; Educational Oppor tunities; Environmental Justice; Open Space and recreation in Har tford; Har tford’s Fragmented Public Par ks System; The Fr iends of Pope Par k; Engaging the Community; Access and Circulation W ithin the Lower Mead Lower Mead, An Introduction to the Site; Site Inventor y: Topography, Slopes , and Drainage; Section Elevation: The Lower Mead; Existing Vegetation; The Wet, East Meadow; The Dr y, West Meadow; The Hillside Ramble; W ildlife; Scenic Resources: The Meadows , Hillside Ramble , Nor th Meadow/Atop the Tunnel, River Cor r idor Alter native A, Outdoor Education; Alter native B, A River Par k; Alter native C , The Commons; Schematic Design Compar ison; Conclusion; References; Image Credits

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Implementation and Management

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The Park River is clearly featured in this1864 painting by John Bachmann, courtesy of the Connecticut Historical Society.

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SECTION ONE

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HISTORIC AL CONTEXT

To envision and repurpose Pope Park’s Lower Mead, it is essential to understand the changes over time that have shaped the City of Hartford, the Park River, and Pope Park.

Looking to the past, examining and understanding the way that land-use patterns have changed, informs the design process. Many infrastructural changes have altered the park and its surroundings.These massive projects cannot be easily undone, but people can be connected back to the park and the river.This section will explain how and why Pope Park was created, how it fits into the Hartford park system and the major changes that have occurred in and around the park.The historic idea, that public parks are a place for democratic social interaction, inspired the creation of Hartford’s Public Parks System and can inspire the redesign of the Lower Mead.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Ha r t ford’s Industri a l H isto r y

The Inf l u enc e of t he Pa r k Rive r

Above: Early city streets were built around the Park River, as shown in this map from 1824.

Right: Street map from 1892 of Hartford, showing the original course of the north and south branches of the Park River.

Far Right: The Mill River was host to many factories which employed a large percentage of the population.

Working conditions were generally poor.

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In order to understand spatial and cultural aspects of Hartford today, we must understand the past. Hartford’s settlement and industrial past is tied to the Park River. Hartford was established at the confluence of the Park and Connecticut Rivers. The rich landscape caught the eye of the early explorers from Rev. Thomas Hooker’s parish in Newtown, Massachusetts. In July 1635, English settlers first set camp along what was then known as the Little River during an expedition to explore new frontiers for settlement. Other Europeans had settled further north and south, in present-day Windsor and Wethersfield. The first Hartfordians braved a difficult winter and paved the way for future generations. Five years later the first mill was built, and the Little River, then called the Mill River, was dammed in various places in the first of many of efforts to control the flow of water. Industry powered by the river fueled the growth of the city.

Throughout the nineteenth century, industry continued to expand along the banks of the Mill River. Major businesses included tanneries, dye houses, pigsties, slaughterhouses, and brickyards. There were tenements to house the growing population. Given the lack of urban sanitation infrastructure, the river itself became a sewer for all industrial, farming, and residential waste. During periods of low water flow, the stench was unbearable and the spread of disease from water contact was a serious problem. By this time, the river had earned another name: Hog River.

The combination of easy access to water power, transport along the river, and the eventual lifeline of the railroad built in 1839, made Hartford a powerhouse of industry throughout the nineteenth century. By the 1860s, Jewel Belting Co., manufacturer of belts used

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

by most machinery, and Sharp’s Rifle Manufacturing, a major supplier to the Union army, established themselves as major industries of the region.

The western border of the city used to be the western headwaters of these rivers. As the city grew it occupied more land, eventually annexing all the land bordering both branches of the Park River. In the nineteenth century, Hartford was prized for its network of urban parks and designated open spaces. The natural beauty of the parks and rivers attracted several notable historic figures. Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain built houses in the same neighborhood overlooking the north branch of the Park River in the 1860s and 1870s respectively. Nestled above a curve of the river, it afforded great views of the Park River and no doubt inspired Twain’s writings.

Early park visionaries and business tycoons recognized the need to provide clean open spaces for the workers toiling in poorly ventilated factories and living alongside the polluted Hog River. Bushnell Park, one of the first urban American public parks, was intended to uplift the quality of life of city dwellers. In1865, Bushnell Park opened its gates for the purpose of providing free open space for all. (Bushnell Park is the country’s second oldest urban park; built between 1857 and 1865.)To mark the event, creation of one of the nation’s first urban public parks, the river was given its current name, the Park River.

As problems with sanitation and smell of the river continued, various efforts were organized to correct the problems. A committee was formed in 1880 to deal with “ The Park River Nuisance.” These early efforts galvanized community interest in cleaning the river.

Top: Idealized painting of pastoral Park River landscape.

Above: Bustling factories and textile mills employing numerous sprung up along the south branch of the Park River.

The Park River in 1900 flanked by both factories and park land.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

F re de ri ck L aw Olmste d T h e Am er i c a n Pa r k s Move me nt

“We want a ground to which people may easily go after the day’s work is done… Practically, what we want most is a simple, broad open space of clean

With help from one of her native sons, the City of Hartford’s park system developed into one of the best in the nation. Born in Hartford in 1822, the son of a dry goods merchant, Frederick Law Olmsted grew to become the “father” of the American Parks Movement. Olmsted’s contributions to landscape architecture and the American Parks Movement were widespread and long-lasting. His profound influence on American public and private landscape design is evident throughout the country, from college campuses and lavish estates to the urban park plans that he developed for many major cities in the United States.

greensward, with sufficient play of surface and a sufficient number of trees about it to supply a variety of light and shade, this we want as a central feature.We want depth of wood enough about it not only for comfort in hot weather, but to completely shut out the city from our landscapes.”

- Frederick L.aw Olmsted

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A trip to England, where landscape design was more developed, had a profound impact on Olmsted. He visited Liverpool’s Birkenhead Park, the first public park developed specifically for the average citizen. Birkenhead Park was designed in the English Natural Style made popular decades earlier by notable landscape gardeners like William Kent, Lancelot “Capability” Brown, and Humphrey Repton.

This style integrated a variety of landscape features: waterbodies for visual interest; broad lawns defined by groves of trees, with some trees standing apart as specimens; long vistas to create an illusion of great distance; plantings at middle-distance; varied topography and undulations in ground form and meandering paths and drives peripherally located to give a sense of breadth.

Olmsted later adapted and reinterpreted many of these elements in his own work in American cities. He strongly believed that people socializing on common ground would nurture democracy and have a profound affect on the manners and civility of citizens.

According to Calvert Vaux, a partner of F.L. Olmsted, “the great charm in the forms of natural landscape lies in well-balanced irregularity.” Designs were meant to transport people to the country.

The noises and smells of the city may remain, but the views of urbanity were blocked by plantings. Lawns were not only turf, but often meadows defined by groves of trees. A sense of “naturalness” was most important. Existing natural features and topography was preserved, highlighted or improved. High ground afforded panoramic views of the park below. Pedestrian pathways were kept separate from roads wherever possible. Olmsted’s designs are noted for bringing a bit of nature into the city.

Important Olmsted projects: Central Park, New York

Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Emerald Necklace, Boston

Franklin Park, Boston

Olmsted Parks System, Buffalo

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Al be r t Po p e a n d the Po pe M a nufa cturing C o.

A V i s i on for a Wor ker s ’ Pa r k

The namesake of Pope Park, Col. Albert Pope bequeathed his land to the city of Hartford. Col. Pope was a successful business owner in late 19th-century Hartford. The Pope Manufacturing Company manufactured the Columbia bicycle, a model based on the English high-wheeled bicycle prototype. Finding quick success, Pope soon acquired other companies in the city of Hartford, such as the Weed Sewing Company and the Hartford Rubber Works. Pope Manufacturing Company became the largest company manufacturing bikes and early automobiles in the world during its time.

Pope shared a vision with Olmsted, and a fellow Hartford-based business owner Samuel Colt (owner of Colt’s Firearms Company), They believed that people needed access to the restorative powers of nature. Pope was especially interested in the welfare of his employees; his factories pioneered the importance of workplace quality of life. His factories were designed to provide good lighting, employees were well paid, and factory grounds were well-landscaped

to enhance the experience of the employees. Pope built housing for his executives and provided bathing facilities for factory workers.

Pope was a champion of unions.

As it was planned, Pope Park was to be an amenity for the surrounding community. Pope wanted to give the City of Hartford a park in which people could leisurely stroll, play games and enjoy being outdoors on the land adjacent to his factories. The gift of the land was made with the best intentions in the tradition of nineteenth century urban reform.

The legacy of Pope’s interest in preserving people’s access to open space is the 93-acre park itself. He gave the land to the city in 1894 and provided an endowment which lasts to this day. Pope Park is a valued open space in Hartford.

Whimsical advertisement for the popular Columbia bicycle manufactured in Hartford, by the Pope Manufacturing company.

“I believe that a large part of the success of any manufacturing business depends on the health, happiness and orderly life of its employees, and that in a like manner the city thrives best by caring and providing for the wellbeing of its citizens.Your city is in need of open-breathing places and pleasure grounds, which should be scattered in different regions, and so laid out and arranged as to afford the means of recreation and pleasure to all

Albert Pope strove to provide attractive, well-lit, landscaped workplaces for his employees at his Pope Manufacturing Company.

classes of law-abiding citizens.”

- Albert Pope

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

When planning for Hartford’s Parks System, Olmsted advised all parties that the Park River should be preserved as an important natural feature. Keeping it in a natural state would allow people to experience its beauty. Furthermore, Olmsted warned, the cost of altering it would be too great.

T h e H isto r y o f H a r tfo rd’s Public Parks S yst em Pa r k s D es i g n ed for the Pe o ple

Col. Albert Pope’s gift of land contributed greatly to the development of a parks system in Hartford. During the later half of the nineteenth century many cities across America began establishing significant parks centrally located in dense, urban cores. This was in response to growing urban areas, an influx of wealth from private donors, and precedent for public parks that had been set previously in Europe.

Many of these parks were known as “country parks.” Their broad lawns and groves of trees planted informally contrasted with the rigidity of the city.

The Hartford city map of 1900 shows a balanced distribution of parks circling the city.

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Hartford is home to the second oldest public park in the country.

Jacob Weidenmann’s plan for Bushnell Park was completed in the mid 1860s. The “Rain of Parks” a time in which the Hartford public parks system was developed, added 1,200 acres of parkland. It was a city-wide vision that began in 1870 with Olmsted’s own vision of a system of interconnecting parkways. As industry and manufacturing in Hartford increased so did populations of citizens who could benefit from exposure to fresh air and recreation. The Hartford parks system was created with the guiding principles of centrality and public access.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Historically, building and population density was concentrated within two miles of Hartford’s city center. The ring of seven parks created a wide perimeter of green space orbiting the centrally located Bushnell Park, radiating outward three miles from the bank of the Connecticut River (see Key Map from 1900, p. 6). Olmsted and his firm wanted each park sited so that there was equal distribution of open space throughout the city with several types of native scenery and natural resources available to draw from. A unified, connected system was important to Olmsted, who had already planned an elaborate park system for the City of Buffalo, New York. It was his plan to implement a similar system in his own hometown. An integrated park system was important to Olmsted, who believed that all citizens deserved ready access to fresh air and a respite from urban life.

In 1895 the firm of Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot was hired by a group of interested citizens. Soon, plans were developed for what would become Goodwin Park, Keney Park, Riverside Park, Colt Park and Pope Park. These parks, created over one hundred years ago, are still the primary open spaces in Hartford. The city has grown around these parks and the environment surrounding the parks has drastically changed. A redesigned Lower Mead could respond to those changes while still honoring the democratic ideals that inspired the system.

Bridges over the Park River on Hamilton Street (top) and Park Street (bottom) as they appeared before stream channelization. The Park River is in plain view and near pedestrian walkways in both pictures.

(Below Left) Panoramic view of the Park River running through Bushnell Park in Hartford, CT.

Panoramic view of the Park River running through Bushnell Park.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Th e Orig i na l De sig n o f Po pe Park O l m s t ed B r ot her s Fi r m, 1 903

The future site of Pope Park was in close proximity to a thickly settled residential neighborhood and manufacturing district. The site offered extensive views of the city alongside the Mill River which would soon become known as the Park River.

Pope Park was built in 1903, the year of Frederick Law Olmsted’s death. Olmsted’s son and nephew carried on his legacy in their own firm, Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot. In the original plan Pope Park’s boundaries were defined by the meandering, winding southern branch of the Park River to the west, the curved roadways of Park Terrace to the east and Parkside Road to the south. Heavily trafficked Park Street running from east to west essentially divided the park into northern and southern parts.

Top: Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. of Olmsted Brothers Firm.

Above: Charles Elliot worked for the firm, then known as Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot, while Pope Park was being designed.

To the south, the seventy-three-acre Hollowmead reflected the Olmstedian style of a broad lawn surrounded by a peripheral wooded area. This space was named appropriately for its naturally bowl-shaped topography and planned meadow cover. The densely planted border was typical of Olmsted’s designs, though Pope Park’s perimeter was more sparse to allow for views through the trees and into the park from the brick row houses on Park Terrace.

The High Mall, located on the highest elevated point within the park had expansive views of the broad meadow below. The Park River, the Lower Mead and the distant countryside could be seen from the top. A semi-circular pergola and sunken garden in front of a stand of trees added an element of formal geometry to the space. Next to

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this formal garden was an expanse of open space known as the Little Folks Lawn—an area specifically designed for children’s play.

Important planted features bordered the Park River. The Hillside Ramble, a steeply sloped grove had many understory shrubs to prevent erosion and add interest to a meandering path system.

Two small open lawns, named Nethermead and Tithermead, were designed to be secluded and intimate. There were boat landings and steps in both places leading to the water’s edge.

North of Hollowmead was a section of the park known as Bankside Grove, which resembled the Hillside Ramble, though it was steeper.

A densely planted pathway led from Hithermead to Cathedral View, an overlook oriented north towards St. Joseph’s Cathedral one mile away. The northeastern part of the park had tennis courts and play equipment for the residents of the nearby row houses.

Despite the impacts of the relocation of the Park River and the construction of I-84, the original design of the park is still evident.

Mature trees buffer the perimeter of the park from surrounding streets. Steep, wooded “Rambles” of hillside contrast the open space of Hollowmead, which is now programmed by various recreational venues and ball fields. Wide, panoramic views from the High Mall to the west face the Parkville neighborhood. Looking east across the vast lawn one can see Hollowmead Pond below and the dense, urban neighborhood of Frog Hollow in the distance.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Or ig in a l Pl an of Pop e P a rk , 1 898

Allee of sugar maple trees

The Park River

Albert Pope Memorial fountain sits prominently above the Hillside Ramble and honors the donor of the land on which Pope Park was built.

The Lower Mead Hillside Ramble

Many elements of the original park have survived the years. An allee of sugar maples is aging but intact. The wooded hillside Ramble is still present. The south branch of the Park River originally flanked Pope Park’s western side. But the park lost its river in the 1940s as the river was straightened and put underground.

Planting the Hillside Ramble, a wooded slope with overstory trees and an understory of shrubs.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

F l o o di ng A lo ng H a r tfo rd’s Rivers

M u n i c i p a l E f for t s t o Improve F lo o d Co ntro l

Above: The flood of 1955 when the Connecticut River jumped its banks and inundated the city.

Below, right:: When the south branch of the Park River flooded in 1936 the federal government was called in to control the river.

The Park River was central to Olmsted’s design for Pope Park, and to the history of Hartford. Historically, the Park and Connecticut Rivers provided Hartford with power sources for its mills and direct access to transportation routes. The Park River supplied the energy source for Hartford’s 18th and 19th century industry, while the Connecticut River linked the city with the rest of the country and Europe. But, the same waters that gave life to the city have also crippled it repeatedly throughout its history.

Notable floods of the 20th century include the floods of 1936, 1938, and 1955. These floods devastated the city, killed hundreds of people, displaced thousands more, and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. It became clear to city and national leaders that something needed to change.

A flood control commission formed by Mayor Spellacy after the flood of 1936 was the first official step to control the river.

President Franklin Roosevelt visited Hartford after this flood and promised federal aid, in large part because Hartford was a vital producer of military weapons. As World War II loomed in Europe, the government could not take a chance that the Park River might devastate important arms or other industries along its banks. The decision was made to erect an enormous concrete culvert to channel the river and drive it underground.

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The effort to channelize the river involved planning for dikes and massive tunnels of concrete. Construction began in the fall of 1940, and was completed in the fall of 1943. The first phase of the Army Corps of Engineers efforts produced two thirty-foot-wide by eighteen-foot-high culverts extending from the Park River for one mile downstream to the Connecticut River A second major project commenced after the flood of 1955, and extended the culvert from Pope Park to Farmington Ave. In the early 1960s additional sections were buried under roadways in culverts to make way for the construction of Interstate-84, which began in the late 1960s. Today, sections of the Park Rivers run under Commerce, Front, Prospect and Main Streets.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Beginning in the 1940s, the Army Corps of Engineers began multidecade public works projects. Their focus was on facilitating the movement of water away from the built environment and barricading sensitive infrastructure from the river. In piecemeal fashion the river was straightened, channelized, and sent underground. Concrete levees and dikes were built along the Connecticut River to keep floodwaters out of the city. The enduring legacy of the Army Corps projects has been to drastically limit the frequency and impact of floods.

The Army Corps measures created a physical barrier between people, buildings and water. This had the long-term impact of distorting the relationship between people and their rivers. For much of their paths today both branches of the Park River and the Connecticut river are inaccessible and out of sight. Hartford has lost connection to a valuable cultural and recreational resource.

In response to seasonal flooding of Hartford, the Army Corps of Engineers began a major campaign to straighten, channelize, bury and otherwise control the Park River. Here a new tunnel is being constructed to carry the water silently and unseen underneath the city.

“There is no clear understanding of just what adequate flood control means. To some it means a dam such as proposed at [Thomaston, Conn.] - to others it means restriction on the use of land subject to periodic flooding�

Report of the Connecticut Flood Recovery Committee to Governor Abraham Ribicoff.

Traversing the city streets by canoe after the flood of 1936.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Th e C o nstructi o n o f Inte rstat e- 84 A Hi g h wa y B i s ec t s Pop e Pa r k

Milwaukee mayor John Norquist, who oversaw the razing of that city’s East Park Freeway, has said, “Highways don’t belong in cities. Period.”

One of the major changes to Pope Park over the last 100 years was the introduction of I-84 and other surface roads. I-84, running from north to south across the western half of Pope Park, lies atop an earthen berm. Many U.S. cities have begun the process of dismantling old highway systems. The Big Dig in Boston and the burying of I-5 through Seattle have changed the face of their cities by opening up space for neighborhoods to redevelop. It has been estimated that as much as seventeen percent of the total park land of Pope Park has been lost to road construction. In order to create a welcoming relaxing environment many people recognize that vehicular traffic through parks needs to be limited.

Lower Mead Park River Interstate 84 Pope Park West 12

Looking east into the Lower Mead.

Channelizing the Park River separated Pope Park from one of its greatest resources. The construction of I-84 divided Pope Park, cutting off an area now known as Pope Park West from the Lower Mead.

When I-84 was first constructed it was hailed as urban renewal that would modernize the city and ease transportation issues. The new highway was first proposed by Connecticut officials in 1944. The last section of I-84 to be constructed, containing the route through Hartford, was opened on Dec. 14, 1969.

The Interstate Highway System, the transportation network that spreads over the United States, was developed in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower proposed an improved transportation and national defense system to move troops and materials quickly and effectively across the country. This project greatly modernized transportation in America.

The new highway, while making commuting into and out of the Hartford much easier, also had negative effects on the city. Historic buildings were demolished, neighborhoods broken, and communities displaced. Italian and African-American communities were negatively impacted. Highways in Hartford block transportation and hinder pedestrians. Running on the flat land bordering the Connecticut and Park River, highways prevent foot traffic from reaching amenities.

CASE STUDY

The Olmsted Parks System Buffalo, New York

A Re s p o n s e t o t h e Fra g m ent a t i on of a n Hi s t o r ic Parks Sys tem Buffalo, New York, has a similar industrial history to Hartford, Connecticut; it also has a park system, envisioned and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Lessons learned from Buffalo about the challenges of re-integrating a fragmented historic parks system into the fabric of the modern city can be applied to the Hartford Parks system today.

In 2003, the mayor of Buffalo declared the City to be “the Olmsted City,” referencing the unique network of urban parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted throughout the later half of the nineteenth century. It was the first park system of its kind in America. In addition to the six large “Great parks are an excellent parks, the Olmsted firm designed a system of parkways, investment, a true asset, avenues, rotaries and small green spaces including not a luxury. The parks and neighborhood and pocket parks. Today, the restoration parkways are an important and redevelopment of this park network works within element of what makes a modern framework, adapting to patterns of current this city so livable, adding use and changes in infrastructure with the stated incalculable value to the purpose of preserving Olmsted’s original design. quality of life, and economy of the Buffalo-Niagara region and

The proposed solutions offered by the 2008 Parks System Master Plan, seek to regain or reclaim land that has been lost or divided by automobile traffic, similar to Pope Park. In many cases this includes integrating humanscale path systems and larger greenways connecting each patch of parkland.

Paths provide access to the parks from throughout the City. Travel between destination parks, downtown and the waterfront takes place between parkway and avenue routes that recall the original plan. New corridors that correspond with current traffic and use patterns are also created.

Considered the “hallmark” of Buffalo’s urban all of Western New York.” landscape, the parks have been dramatically altered by the construction of major expressways and the introduction of new buildings and hardscaped features. Disinvestment in the urban landscape and a decline in use over time are both primary reasons why the parks fell The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy recognizes that the parks system envisioned into disrepair. In 1978 a group of concerned citizens organized the Friends of Olmsted and constructed by F.L. Olmsted needs to be protected, enhanced, and also adaptable Parks, which grew into the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, the organization to contemporary use. Despite the fact that the parks have been altered and fractured currently responsible for park management and development. Today, the OPC is as a result of the modernizing city there is still hope for historical park systems in both directing the preparation of a 20-year management and restoration plan.

Hartford and Buffalo.

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

T h e C arol R. Johnson Associates Master Plan D es i g ni ng for t he N eed s of a New Ce ntur y In 2002, the Master Plan for Pope Park, commissioned by The Friends of Pope Park, recommended improvements for the physical infrastructure of the park. Site conditions, historical intent, and community input helped formulate the goals of the project and guided the design recommendations. As of 2009, four of the five major phases of design improvements have been completed or started.

Stone benches bearing the name of Pope Park are located at the main park entrance on the corner of Park Street and Park Terrace.

On the opening day of phase one completion of the Carol R. Johnson plan, old-fashioned bicycles reminiscent of Albert Pope’s Pope Manufacturing Company product, were displayed.

The CRJ master plan emphasized how to improve existing site conditions. Most notably, the plan recommended removal or redesign of several intrusive roads. Working toward that goal, Pope Park Drive, which had bisected Hollowmead, was removed and a redesign of the Russ and Sigourney Street intersection completed. Pathways inside the park were noted to be of varying quality, design and material.

Since the plan’s implementation, several paths have been resurfaced

and new paths connecting the exterior of the park to the interior and the recreation center have been designed and constructed.

Access and circulation did not specifically address the Lower Mead.

The ball fields were noted to be very well-used and popular. Other areas of concern were drainage, furnishings, and lighting.

Some historic design elements of the park were preserved in the CRJ recommendations. However, use of the park has changed since Olmsted’s day. Active recreation is much more prominent today.

Many features of the original design have been destroyed. The CRJ plan worked to balance modern needs with historic ideals. The firm recommend reintroducing lost elements, such as reestablishing the Little Folks Lawn, replanting an allee of street trees along Park Street, and moving a basketball court in order to replace historic gardens in the High Mall. New lighting, benches and trash receptacles were chosen to be consistent with the historic character of the park.

Rendering courtesy of Shadley Associates.

Newly implemented entrance to the recreation center.

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Constructing new paths in the Hollowmead of Pope Park.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The community was engaged in the design process.

Noting that any successful plans will have to respond to community needs, three separate public meetings were held. The goal of the meetings was to understand current uses for the park, any problem areas in the park, and ideas for future uses and amenities. The public response was broken into three areas of potential improvement. Recreational improvement included more child play areas and upgrading existing facilities. Park furnishings such as lighting, better paths to and from the area, and more seating will be better maintained. Restoring the historic nature of the park was also discussed, by recreating certain specific areas within the park.

While CRJ did involve the community, much of the response was limited to improving amenities and recreation. Recommendations for the Lower Mead did not address ecological functions or divergent community needs.

Celebrating park improvement after the completion of a new entrance.

The Carol R. Johnson Master Plan established a phased implementation plan.

Phase one included improving entryway and pedestrian experiences.

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Phase two included removal of Pope Park Drive that formerly bisected the park.

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Phase three includes improvements to drainage and layout of Hollowmead.

Phase four includes improvements in access, circulation and rerouting vehicles in the Bankside Grove area.

Master plan rendering courtesy of Carol R. Johnson Associates.

Phase five includes improvements to Pope Park North.

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SECTION TWO THE SOUTH BRANCH OF T H E PARK RIVER

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Neglected and maligned, the South Branch of the Park River has been largely ignored since flood control measures confined, channelized, and in some cases buried it.The same waters that flow through the Lower Mead are part of a river that runs through neighboring towns.There are various land-use patterns bordering the river that directly impact riparian buffers, human and wildlife access, and water quality. By repurposing and reinvigorating the Lower Mead, and highlighting the presence of the Park River, there will be a positive ripple effect, reaching upstream, drawing people back to the river and to each other. Connections between people and the river corridor will help link the community to the river and aid in river restoration.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

The P ark R i ve r Wa te rshe d Over the course of millions of years the rivers and the land of present day Hartford helped to form and reform each other. Hills rose up around the river just as the river wore gullies into the land. The north to south orientation of hills in Hartford are evidence of glaciation, floods, and river channels that have affected the landscape for millennia. Today the effects of erosion can be seen on the land. One of the most impressive features of Pope Park, the Hillside Ramble, is an ancient river formation.

Connecticut River N o Pa rth rk B Ri ran ve ch r

Pope Park

So u Pa th Br rk an Ri ch ve r

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Topographic map of Pope Park (highlighted in green) shows hillsides of Hartford cradling the north and south branches of the Park River.

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ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT: THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE PARK RIVER

Hartford’s impervious surfaces shown in dark gray.

Hartford’s open spaces (green) in relation to river floodplains.

The Park River watershed drains seventy-seven square miles of land within Bloomfield, Hartford, Newington, West Hartford, and Wethersfield. The pattern of the watershed reflects the existing topography, which drains all water to points near Pope Park. The landscape becomes increasingly urbanized. There is an increase in impervious surfaces surrounding Pope Park.

North branch Park River

The Park River has two major tributaries, the north branch and the south branch, which flows through Pope Park. The south branch drains a slightly larger area. Both watersheds drain urban land and large amounts of impervious surface. These cause great amounts of runoff and pollution to degrade the waterways. The watershed is also negatively impacted by a legacy of pollution and an ongoing crisis of outdated sewer systems.

South branch Park River

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Because the watershed drains an urban area, flooding is a concern. In response to a history of flooding, portions of these branches are artificially straightened and have been forced underground. The north and south branches combine underground and flow together underneath downtown Hartford for three miles before joining the Connecticut River.

Bloomfield

The south branch of the Park River has a larger floodplain, more impervious surface, and more

Windsor

urban development than the north branch.

West Hartford

The 77-square mile watershed of the Park River, shown in blue, drains urban runoff from five towns and cities.The South Branch of the Park River drains about 40 square miles of land.

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Newington Wethersfield 2 3 4

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Co mbine d S ewer O verflows One major effect of poor management of stormwater is the phenomena known as combined sewer overflow (CSO). Hartford’s sewer system dates to the 1850s. It is one of 772 American municipalities serviced by a combined sewer system. These systems utilize a single pipeline to channel household sanitary waste and stormwater from roads to a wastewater treatment facility. During storm events these systems surge, and discharge untreated wastewater through overflows. More than one billion gallons of untreated wastewater overflow to Hartford’s streams and waterways annually. These discharges impact the Connecticut River water quality over a 30-mile distance up to fifty times per year. A rain event of as little as a quarter inch can set off a CSO event.

Conn. River Pope Park

Park River

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The proposed $1 billion Hartford Metropolitan District (MDC) Clean Water Project initiative will replace outdated Combined Sewer Overflows with separate stormwater and sanitary sewer lines. This effort may replace one problem with another. The new system is designed to separate the two lines and allow stormwater to bypass the treatment facility and flow directly into the Park River without any chemical treatment.

Furthermore, the pulses of water resulting from rain events will direct massive volumes of water traveling at great velocity into the river. The river water will be inundated with stormwater carrying the soluble pollutants of the city. Unknown quantities of chemicals will saturate the river during these events and degrade the health of this already unstable ecosystem.

Points in the system where stormwater can overwhelm sanitary sewers, causing raw sewage to exit untreated into the watershed.

• • • •

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Hartford’s Combined Sewer System (CSO) directs untreated sewage into the river systems.

Hartford’s 46 CSOs annually dump over 1 billion gallons of sewage into the Connecticut River.

A $1 Billion project seeks to eliminate these systems from Hartford by 2020.

Development of alternative strategies for capturing stormwater would greatly improve water quality and could reduce cost.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT: THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE PARK RIVER

Any strategies that decrease the volume or toxicity of stormwater before it enters the waterways will greatly improve the quality of the Park River. Best management practices (BMP) are recommended ways to sustainable deal with the CSO problem. Solutions include vegetated riparian buffers, bioswales, rain barrels, rain gardens, and manufactured wetlands with biological waste treatment capabilities.

Stormwater BMPs aim to increase permeable ground surfaces to reduce sheet runoff entering waterways. Other strategies include reducing peak water volume by slowing or retaining water before it enters stormwater systems. Additionally, innovative systems are engineered to mitigate the toxicity of NPS pollution through evapotranspiration, infiltration, detention, filtration, or biological and chemical actions.

Part of the MDC Clean Water project involves evaluating the way that landscapes can be designed to improve and assist with stormwater management. Funds are available for the construction of new sewers. A portion of this fund can go towards the improvement of injured park lands. By promoting the positive benefits of landscape design strategies that increase the cleansing and absorption of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces, this public improvement project can increase water quality and river health while reducing economic costs.

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Red lines indicate storm sewers around Pope Park which empty into the river.

Far left: Sanitary sewer carrying waste from a home to a treatment plant functioning well in dry weather.

Left: A rain event will overwhelm the storm sewers causing sanitary waste to flow untreated into the river.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

No n p oi n t S o u rc e Po l lutio n Since the 1972 Clean Water Act, the State of Connecticut has monitored and regulated the mitigation of point source pollution. This policy has greatly reduced the quantity of noxious runoff from specific polluters such as factories, refineries, and power plants.

However, nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is less known and harder to regulate. An amendment to the Clean Water Act offers aid to cities to help mitigate NPS. Eduction, monitoring and enforcement of NPS pollutants is carried out at the local level.

Types of NPS pollution include road salts, gasoline and oil residues, pesticides, fertilizers, and animal feces. The quantitative effects of these pollutants are magnified by large areas of impervious surfaces which funnel water towards storm drains and waterways. Large concentrations of impervious surfaces accumulate water flows and prevent absorption or seepage into groundwater. Local municipalities, planning and zoning boards, and inland wetland commissions are now charged with the difficult task of educating the public about the cumulative impact of NPS pollution.

The Lower Mead is a landscape where NPS pollution could be mitigated before it enters the Park River. Explaining NPS and some common mitigation processes that take place at the improved Lower Mead would be interesting and educational for the public.

Stormwater from roadway being directed, untreated, into the south branch of the Park River.

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is caused by rainfall or snow melt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, eventually depositing them into water bodies. Types of NPS pollution include fertilizers, pesticides, sediments, salt, oils, bacteria and litter.

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This water carries nonpoint source pollution.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT: THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE PARK RIVER

CASE STUDY

Back Bay Fens Boston, Massachusetts

Na t u ra lize d La n d s c a p e C l ea n s S t or m wa t e r Runo ff Frederick Law Olmsted’s Back Bay of Boston was built along wet areas and functioned to control and cleanse stormwater

The story of the Back Bay Fens was a tragedy resulting from the volatile mixture of commissioned Frederick Law Olmsted to design a functional landscape for the Back mismanaged land use combined with population and industrial growth, resulting in Bay. Olmsted’s genius is expressed in the plan for the fens that functionally treats a literal cesspool. Fixing mistakes of the past required intense efforts. In many ways stormwater, human waste, and tidal flooding within the matrix of an urban wild park.

Hartford has stumbled into a similar predicament as the young Boston. Industrialization, This master plan dealt with the dual problems of tidal incursions through the Back Bay poor planning, flooding and pollution are common challenges which flooded the growing city, and the serious problem of stormwater that shared by Boston and Hartford. carried both human and industrial waste drained into the back bay from the The design of the Fens Stony Brook and Muddy River. included wild drifts of During the first three hundred years of settlement the plants that recreated shoreline of Boston was dramatically altered as it expanded Olmsted’s plan meticulously regraded the entire Fen to ensure effective the look and feel of a into the bay and brackish waters of the Charles River. What drainage. The plan also put into motion a massive civil engineering feat involving natural salt marsh. was once an expansive tidal salt-water marsh is now part of dredging of the bay, the building of dikes, and the addition of enormous East Cambridge and the South End. As Boston’s population volumes of gravel base in the channels. The design of the fens called for drifts and industrial base grew, land scarcity forced development towards the Charles River of plants that recreated the look and feel of a natural salt marsh. Walking paths were and the Back Bay. Levees and dams were built along the watercourses draining through placed throughout the park, but Olmsted intentionally left out gathering places, implying the bay, effectively eliminating the natural ability of the marsh to cleanse itself through that people should use the park as a conduit, not unlike the water running through the tidal fluctuations. Additionally, haphazard filling of the bay increased the footprint of the constructed wetland, pipes, and channels. city, enabling more building lots but in so doing disrupted the natural ecology of the tidal flats.

Olmsted’s plan was successful, providing the structure to the Fens that still exists to this day. The park was effective at managing stormwater and tidal floods while still appearing The development of the Back Bay Fens suffered from a lack of municipal oversight or as untamed nature. Similar opportunities are available to control but also clean and the vision of a skilled landscape architect. This trajectory changed for the better in 1877 beautify the Lower Mead and the south branch of the Park River. when the city of Boston acquired the building rights to the Back Bay and eventually

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

CHANNELIZED RIVER

Hamilton Street

4 RIVER BUFFERS/ GREENWAY

Flatbush Avenue

3 Newfield Avenue

COMMERCIAL LOTS

A Tour of t he South Branch of t he Park River

2 New Britain Avenue

RESIDENTIAL BACKYARDS

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To invigorate and repurpose the Park River and support a healthy ecosystem upstream conditions need to be considered.Varied patterns of human use, vegetation, visual and physical accessibility and the degree to which the watershed has been manipulated help determine ways to improve the entire river course as it flows through Pope Park’s Lower Mead.

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As the South Branch of the Park River flows downstream, towards Pope Park, it passes through four distinct areas, each with a different riparian landscape that has been influenced by land use patterns. The following pages provide a conceptual description of each of these four areas, and conceptual sectional schemes of potential improvements.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT: THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE PARK RIVER

Resident ial B ackyards S o uth o f New Br ita in Ave nue From its headwaters in Newington to its intersection with the Trout Brook behind New Britain Ave, the Park River flows past residential developments. Manicured lawns are the dominant vegetation, and a few scattered specimen trees give the area a park-like setting. The pesticides and fertilizers used on residential lawns eventually funnel into the waterway and increase nutrient loads and other pollution. Through this stretch the river is wide, shallow, and meandering. Natural features such as pools, riffles, shoals, and islands add visual interest to the river and provide ecological diversity. The slow moving water is home to many birds, mammals and amphibians. The cool and slow moving water would be ideal for recreation by humans except for the real and imagined contamination.

R ESI D ENT IAL B AC K YAR D R E C OMME NDAT IONS • • • • •

Educate homeowners about the value of riparian buffers and the ecological cost of traditional lawn maintenance.

Increase plant diversity and shade trees.

Maintain a meandering course.

Consider constructing public parks, picnic area and access points along river.

Create bike trail.

Diverse Vegetation No Fertilizer Used on Lawn

Recreation Space Shade on River

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Be hind C ommerc ial Lot s N ew B r i t a i n Av enue no r th to Newfie ld Ave nue Between the New Britain Avenue Bridge and Newfield Avenue the river is behind buildings and out of sight. The Park River combines with the flow of the Trout Brook just behind a strip mall on New Britain Avenue. Buildings and parking lots are close to the river. Impervious surface runoff degrades water quality. Dense but narrow stands of invasive species serve as the main buffer between the parking lots and the river.

Although people shop, drive and work just feet away, access to the river is blocked by fences and dense invasive vegetation, and only small glimpses of the river are possible.

BEHI ND C O M M E R C IAL L OT S IMP ROV E ME NT S • • • • •

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Buffer buildings from river.

Reorient storefronts to face river.

Provide tax credits for mitigating and cleansing stormwater on site.

Place parking away from river to limit polluted runoff.

Remove invasive species and plant native riparian species to control erosion on steep banks.

Green Roof Eyes on The River

Cars Kept Away Bioswale

Riparian Area

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT: THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE PARK RIVER

R i ve r B uffers / Greenway N ew f i el d Av en ue no r th to F la tbus h Ave nue Here the river has a natural character, running through an undeveloped floodplain between Flatbush and Newfield Avenues. The flood zone has prevented development along its banks. In some cases the buffer is two hundred yards wide. The lack of maintenance leads to a dense vegetative cover which include invasive species. The tree canopy casts shade on the river, lowering temperature of the water, which improves conditions for some native species. The vegetation also provides ideal habitat for wildlife on land. Deer, fox, raccoon, possum and red-tailed hawk have been observed by the EPA and local biologists.

The only existing off-street bike path along the river travels through this stretch.

Another part of the bike path has been proposed to run north, along the river, to Pope Park. The-off street bike path offers a safe way to travel and excellent recreation. In this area it is possible for one to experience the river: see it, walk up to it, touch and feel it.

R I VER BUF F E R S / G R E E N WAY IMP ROV E ME NT S • • • • • • •

Create more paths for both pedestrian and cyclists along river.

Officially designate open space.

Provide access to river.

Install fishing, boating docks, re-introduce fish to the river.

Install bike racks at gathering areas.

Make path entrances more visible, formal and enticing.

Provide limited off-street parking to increase use of area.

Wildlife Off-Street Biking

Trails to River Buffer From Road

Access to River

Stocked Fish

Diverse Vegetation

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

C hannelized River Fl a t b us h Av en u e no r th to H a milto n S tre e t a nd the L owe r Me a d The river is in its most unhealthy state between Flatbush Avenue and Hamilton Street directly south of the Lower Mead. The river enters a channel three-hundred yards downstream from Flatbush Avenue. At this point the water velocity increases because of the smooth bottom and sides of the culvert. For the first six-hundred yards the sides of the channel are angled at approximately 45 degrees. As the river passes under a pedestrian bridge at Wilson Street, the walls become vertical, reverting back to angled sides again as the river passes under Hamilton Street and enters the Lower Mead. The channelized river bisects the Lower Mead for approximately four hundred yards before entering an underground tunnel. The various channel styles demonstrate the different phases of construction, which occurred over a course of several years.

The river is largely hidden from view and difficult to access in this stretch. Despite plans for a bike path on Brookfield Street, users will hardly see the river since it is about twenty feet below street level. The straightened river is out of sight and separated from the road by guardrails and fences, making access nearly impossible.

CH A N N E L I Z E D R I V E R I M P ROV EMENTS • • • • • • •

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Add baffles, riffles and pools to slow water if these won’t add to flooding.

Plant a buffer and shade trees between road and channel.

Move bike trail off road and closer to river.

Make use of an existing pedestrian bridge.

Add cues to care: benches, plantings, and regular maintenance.

Remove old rusted fences, add continuous, clean, high-quality, attractive fence.

Protect the area adjacent to the highway as designated open space.

Clear sight-line

Formal Plantings

over fence Off Street Biking

Buffer from Road Riffles and Pools

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT: THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE PARK RIVER

T he H e a lth o f the Park River Past alterations to the Park River and current land-use practices significantly impact the ecological health of the river corridor. The Connecticut Environmental Response Team (ERT), a state funded “program to assist municipalities in environmentally sound decision-making” notes negative aspects of the channelized Park River, including bankside vegetation removal, channelization, floodplain filling, culverting, piping, invasive plant establishment, poor water quality resulting from CSO overflow, urban runoff, littering, and household pets. Some recommendations for improved conditions would start with preserving existing bands of greenways and open spaces bordering the river.

Appropriating and connecting existing densely vegetated areas on land bordering the river. In this way, areas of the river that have been stripped of their natural riparian buffers can “borrow” vegetated patches from nearby lands, thereby approximating a continuous vegetated corridor.

The 2000 ERT report notes that the ecological conditions of the Park River south of the Lower Mead, between Hamilton Street and Flatbush Avenues, are significantly worse than in the park. The ERT describes the stretch of river to the south of the park along Brookfield Street as the most degraded portion of the river. Two tiers of vertical concrete walls 10-15 feet tall line the river and the flood channel directly above it. There is no access to the river for mammals and little vegetated cover for any wildlife. Portions of the river further to the south abut open undeveloped areas of state and city land which include wide vegetated banks of trees, shrubs, and perennials. The Charter Oaks field east of Walmart (in section 3 of the river tour) is vital habitat to several species of wildlife and should be preserved with a management plan including mowing every 2-3 years to keep woody plants from taking over. The ERT notes the presence of goldenrods and milkweed, two forage species for Monarch butterflies.

Top:The Lower Mead is the last place where the south branch of the Park River sees daylight before it is forced underground.

Above:The park river is again exposed to day-light when it exits the tunnel and enters the Connecticut River.

The Lower Mead represents the last chance to positively effect the water of the south branch of the Park River occurs in the Lower Mead. Just as upstream conditions affect the Lower Mead, conditions within the Lower Mead affects the Connecticut River and eventually the Long Island Sound. Though it is hard to see, it is all connected.

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CASE STUDY

L. A. River Restoration Los Angeles, California R e t u r n in g t he R i v er t o t h e N e i g h b or h ood The City of Los Angeles has completed a master plan for the revitalization of the entire 32-mile length of the Los Angeles River. This twenty-year plan envisions an uninterrupted greenway linking the river to wildlife habitat, urban parks, and myriad urban residential and commercial communities. The vision of this ambitious project is to unite sections of the city along the river into a living spline connecting nature and human communities.

The L.A. River

The river restoration project will unite urban parks, residential neighborhoods and commercial retail zones along the river corridor. Important nodes of more concentrated human use will be enhanced with more intensive modifications to account for a variety of needs and functions. All design modifications must address zoning regulations, assess economic analyses, and environmental impacts of the design.

Project integrates The plan involves a complex partnership between municipal The plan includes a variety of strategies to work with existing an ecologically agencies such as the Department of Public Works and the neighborhoods along the river. A variety of paths, parks and expanded sensitive area, diverse Bureau of Engineering and national agencies including the Army greenways line the river and integrate both residential and retail spaces with communities and Corps of Engineering. The plan is unique not only in its scope the redesign of the river. Special attention is afforded to provide bird habitat economic incentives but also in its diversity of goals. The Master Plan agenda can and bird-watching stations. Their are many similarities in the visions and be broken down into goals for the river, humans, and wildlife: existing conditions between this project and that of the south branch of Revitalize the river, green the neighborhoods, capture community opportunities and the Park river. The successes and difficulties of the Los Angeles River project will help create value along the river corridor. move any vision for the south branch forward.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

In both downtown Los Angeles and the suburb of Reseda, recommendations are made to improve the Los Angeles River corridor.

Idealized renderings shown here create an architectural river channel that has been planted with riparian vegetation.

“ The way w e t re a t r i v e r s re f l e c t s t h e wa y w e treat eac h o ther”

Ald o L eop old

SECTION THREE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

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Within the dense built environment surrounding Pope Park there is a need for access, connectivity and open space.The neighborhood surrounding Pope Park is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Current plans involve retrofitting under-used or abandoned buildings and open spaces to the north and west of Pope Park.There is an opportunity to link the design of the Lower Mead to this wave of development. Connectivity between neighborhoods and the park must be safe and accessible for pedestrians and bikers. By offering access routes through the neighborhood that are integrated with the Lower Mead, this portion of Pope Park will become an important part of the built environment.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

PARKVILLE

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BEHIND THE ROCKS Prominent streets surrounding Pope Park and the Lower Mead.

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THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

N e i ghb o r h o o d C o nte xt The neighborhood surrounding Pope Park is changing rapidly. Private and public investments seek to capitalize on the diversity of this area. Pope Park is located near downtown and between four distinct residential neighborhoods. Street improvements, new retail spaces, warehouse-style lofts and revamped industrial buildings are being planned. New opportunities and optimism are alive in an area that for decades was in decline and disrepair.

Over the past ten years the historic brownstones facing Pope Park along Park Terrace have been refurbished and structurally updated, adding visual charm to the neighborhood. These units are now multi-family dwellings, many of which are rented as low-income housing.

The Park Street and New Park Street business and service districts are within walking distance of Pope Park. To the south and west, larger commercial developments have been built along Flatbush and New Park Avenues, where a Crown Theaters Cinema, Walmart, and Stop and Shop anchor regional-scale retail areas.

The industrial zone to the south west of the Lower Mead is centered along Wellington and Bartholomew Streets. Some of these paved dumping grounds are abandoned and possibly contaminated. A recently published municipal development plan (MDP) for the Parkville neighborhood seeks to revitalize this industrial stretch, re-marketing it as a business park with competitively priced office space.

The neighborhoods surrounding Pope Park are in the early stages of redevelopment. Improvements will make the area a more attractive place for people. The re-designed Lower Mead will be integrated into the new neighborhood context.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Exi s ti n g N e i g h b o r ho o d Co nte xt The park is divided into distinct sections by local roads and I-84.

Large shopping area and apartment building to the north of the park.

Some defunct industrial lots flank the highway and are adjacent to the Lower Mead.

Dense residential neighborhoods border much of the park.

Pope Park is an island of green within a dense, urban residential and commercial neighborhood.

The neighborhoods surrounding Pope Park have distinct identities and differing needs for park space. Pope Park is an island of green within a dense urban context.

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THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

One of many large warehouses that stand, under-used, in Parkville.

Pa rk vil le R evi talizat ion and MDP

The Parkville neighborhood, located on the western edge of Hartford and immediately to the west of the Lower Mead, is a former industrial and manufacturing center that has changed dramatically in the past fifty years. The construction of I-84 and the exodus of manufacturers from the state during the 1960s and 70s heavily impacted the workingclass community. Today, Parkville is an eclectic and diverse neighborhood that includes Brazilian, Thai, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Hispanic populations. There is an active industrial-business sector along parts of the Bartholomew Avenue corridor and a vibrant, commercial strip on New Park Street that includes many ethnic restaurants and a variety of services. New development includes the addition of a major supermarket and a large movie theater. The New Britain-Hartford busway has three proposed bus stop locations slated for Parkville, which will increase accessibility and, many hope, spur transit-oriented development.

The broad goals of neighborhood revitalization and expanded opportunities for economic growth are central to the Parkville Municipal Development Plan (MDP).

Made possible through a state planning grant, the final draft of the MDP was completed in September 2008. The report includes a thorough existing conditions analysis that details recommendations for accomplishing three major goals: support existing businesses, attract additional private investment, and provide necessary infrastructure.

These recommendations are based on extensive communication with a citizen Advisory Committee that includes members of the Parkville Revitalization Association, neighborhood residents, local businesses and property owners. The Project Plan was prepared through cooperation between the City of Hartford and the Citizen Advisory Committee.

There is opportunity to link the Lower Mead, the closest and largest open space in the neighborhood, to the scheduled changes for Parkville. The support and financial backing of these upcoming projects may leverage interest and funds for redeveloping the Lower Mead.

The unofficial entrance to the Parkville neighborhood.

37

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Ba r thol o m ew Avenue

Bartholomew Avenue is noted to be a high-priority focus area in the Parkville MDP. The project report states that “the physical appearance of the street and public right-ofway remain gritty, fueling a perception of an unsafe and disenfranchised area.” There are several abandoned industrial buildings slated for demolition which will be replaced by parking lots and “pocket parks.” Improving the state of existing roadways and increasing roadway connectivity are high priorities. Streetscape improvements that work towards visual and structural continuity have been suggested in anticipation of the street becoming a pedestrian corridor after the construction of the planned busway. Similarly, visual and physical connectivity between nearby businesses and other neighborhood destinations, such as Pope Park, is cited as a top priority that can help add cohesion to an area that is scattered and disjointed. Improved landscaping is recommended for existing parking lots to act as “gateways” to the proposed Bartholomew Avenue Business Park.

The former

Streetscape improvements along the Bartholomew Avenue corridor are aimed

Spaghetti Warehouse.

at pedestrian safety and will have a positive effect on the entire neighborhood.

The Lower Mead could see an increase in foot traffic as Parkville becomes more accessible. Connectivity within the district and between neighborhoods will be strengthened.

38

One of many derelict buildings of Bartholomew Ave.

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Po pe Pa r k Highway No. 4 Pope Park

The Parkville MDP suggests improvements along Pope Park Highway No. 4. This oddly named street runs alongside Pope Park West and is thought to have followed the original contours of the Park River before channelization. Pope Park Highway No.4 is located at the back ends of multi-use buildings. The road has recently been re-paved.

The catch basins are not functioning properly, and there is no defined shoulder or curb. A crosswalk of Pope Park Highway No. 4 is called for in the MDP, in hopes of connecting pedestrians to surrounding businesses.

West

Pope Park West, detached from the rest of Pope Park by I-84 and accessed by underpasses on both Park and Hamilton Streets, has become a place where excavated materials have been dumped by the City of Hartford. This section of the park is bordered by a tall fence. It lacks a park-like atmosphere, and the space has been recognized as ripe for a re-design. Currently, plans for Pope Park West include the removal of disposed materials and some preliminary plantings, seating, and a pathway.

The clean-up and improvements are pending state and city funding.

Pope Park Highway no. 4 divides Pope Park

Improvements to Pope Park Highway No. 4 will set the stage for new construction

West from brick warehouses.

within Pope Park West. Though small in comparison to Pope Park and the Lower Mead, this “pocket” sized park will act as a magnet, bringing people to space that was once part of greater Pope Park. The Lower Mead, just across the highway from Pope Park West, will connect the larger park and its orphaned western parcel.

Club Divi Divi’s faces the soon to be rehabilitated Pope Park West.

39

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Ol i ve an d Wel l i n g t o n Stre e ts

The dead-end Wellington Street was once connected to Bartholomew Avenue by Olive Street. An unmaintained parcel of open space lies between Wellington Street and the river. Olive Street has been closed west of Interstate 84 in an attempt to curb illegal dumping, which still continues on Wellington Street. The MDP calls for Olive Street to be repaved with the addition of sidewalks and pedestrian-scale lighting in an effort to connect Olive and Wellington Streets to the businesses and greenspaces that are proposed along Bartholomew Avenue. The report suggests that if the area is made more visible it will be more “defensible.� Currently, the dead-end at Wellington is covered by phragmities and illegally dumped garbage. Southeast from the intersection of Olive Street and Wellington Street is a pedestrian bridge that traverses the Park River to Brookfield Street. Covered in graffiti and flanked with rusted chain-link fencing it is accessible but uninviting.

The pedestrian bridge that crosses the river is a fascinating asset that should be repaired, refurbished and utilized. In order for this pathway to serve as a connection to Wellington Avenue, and potentially the Lower Mead, the entire area must be cleaned up and made safe. Trash removal, increasing sightlines on Wellington, Hamilton, and Olive Streets would help create a healthy, safe streetscape.

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Ramp leading through Olive Street passes under I-84

unofficial dumping grounds

and is closed to traffic.

to pedestrian bridge.

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Ham

St

A ba ndo ne d, Co ntaminat ed Lot s

nS t

Br oo

kfi eld

St

W ell ing to

Int

er st

ate

84

ilton

The lots on Wellington Street are a combination of industrial and automotive shops at the south end of the street and abandoned wild areas abutting Hamilton Street that have become overrun with tall, dense invasive plants. These plants block views into the street and river. Wellington Street is adjacent to Interstate 84; the western side of the street is essentially a concrete retaining wall. Illicit activities, like dumping, happen here in part because there are no eyes on the street. The Lower Mead is located just across Hamilton Street from these abandoned and blighted areas.

If the Lower Mead is to thrive as a healthy outdoor space that is both safe and ecologically sound, something should be done to improve Wellington Street. These lots have the potential to become a functioning community space that will enhance the entire neighborhood. There is federal funding available for analysis and clean up of contaminated brownfields. By securing this funding through the Environmental Protection Agency and taking steps towards improvements along this industrial corner of Parkville, should it qualify for funding, the space, and the park, will thrive.

The lots south of the Lower Mead are not maintained and visually jarring. Currently they present the message that the Lower Mead is not cared for and is not a special place. Litter removal and treatment of any contaminated soil is the first step to creating a more attractive entry experience into the Lower Mead.

Illegal dumping along edge of

Illegal dumping just south of

secluded abandoned lots.

Lower Mead.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

D eve l op i n g N e i g h bo rho o d Co nte xt Proposed Park Street renovation will invigorate the neighborhood

2 Re-design of the under-used shopping center will bring new life to the local economy and increase pedestrian traffic

3

1 Expanding artistic communities in A proposed Park Parkville

Street streetscape renovation will invigorate the neighborhood

Pope Park West is being redesigned

A bike path along a greenway will link downtown Hartford with satellite communities.

Parkville MDP seeks improvements to the abandoned lots 0 Many physical changes are due to occur in the areas bordering Pope Park.These changes will improve the image of the park and its accessibility. Safe and easy access is needed to unite the Lower Mead to its larger context.

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1/8

1/4 mi

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

E x am p l e s o f C h a ng e a nd Innova tio n i n t he Neighborhood

1a The Design Center, located on the corner of Bartholomew Avenue and Park Street, has become a one-stop shop for home furnishing and interior design consulting. In addition to the various wholesale businesses based in the building.

The Design Center is an example of successful development on Bartholomew Avenue. It is a model for many of the proposals made in the Parkville Municipal Development Plan. Bringing visitors and foot traffic to the area is a primary goal and the basis for many scheduled improvements.

1b There are renovated loft-style apartments located within the Design Center. These living spaces have been renovated from old industrial spaces. Their central location has made them popular.

These lofts recall the industrial past of the neighborhood, and have become desirable for a younger demographic within Hartford. Their presence adds diversity to the residential character of the neighborhood. Pope Park is an important amenity and the closest open space for these residents.

2 Real Art Ways, a contemporary arts organization located several blocks from the Lower Mead in Parkville, operates an innovative multi-disciplinary space that presents and supports contemporary artists and their work while building strong relationships within the community and throughout Hartford. It supports and is planning to sponsor public art events within Pope Park. The connections that Real Art Ways has forged with local artists is an important asset to Pope Park.

Exhibitions and permanent art works will bring people to the park and the park can in turn become a showcase destination.

3 Development is planned for a large, existing shopping complex on Park Street, immediately north of Pope Park. Pope Commons is a large, retail space that bills itself as a desirable place for shopping and dining. Though not yet built, future plans for this location are a positive step that will have a profound impact on Pope Park and the Lower Mead. An extensive streetscaping project has been slated for installation on Park Street, making the street more attractive and pedestrian friendly thoroughfare connecting two distinct sections of Park Street.

An opportunity exists to merge the creativity of these projects with the needs of the Lower Mead. Several organizations in the area have expressed innovative ideas.

The energy and enthusiasm of these neighbors should be harnesses in order to reinvigorate the program of the Lower Mead.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

PARKVILLE

Pa rk R i ver Greenway So uth Branc h Trail

POPE PARK LOWER Ham MEAD i lton

The city of Hartford has proposed a multi-use trail along the South Branch of the Park River. This bike and walking trail will provide direct connections to the Lower Mead from points south of the park. The Lower Mead will be a new gateway into the park.

Stre

et

Br oo

kfi

el d

St re et

BEHIND the ROCKS

e

h Avenu

Flatbus

CHARTER OAK MARKETPLACE

treet

Nilan S

KEY

Ne w

Potential connections to existing nodes

field

Proposed multiuse trail

e

nu Ave

Extent of built multi-use trail

Proposed and completed sections of Park River Greenway Trail connecting Hartford neighborhoods to the Lower Mead (Left) Public interest in the greenway project was expressed at this meeting in the State Capitol building on February 10, 2009.

(Right) The first phase of the greenway is already open from Nilan Street to Flatbush Avenue.

44

The 2007 Trust for Public Land report on the Hartford Parks System, titled Renewing a Historic Legacy, suggests that a Green Belt between the city parks would increase access to and use of city parks. F.L. Olmsted also envisioned an interconnected park system. The construction of a greenway is cited as is an important goal as an opportunity to increase connectivity between parks. The Resource and Conservation Development department of Eastern Connecticut cites the need for human connectivity, habitat protection, and the need to expand recreation and open space opportunities as major reasons for creating greenways. Several other greenways and multi-use trails are in the design or implementation stages throughout Hartford and surrounding communities.

Through a grant from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, a multi-use trail system accommodating bicyclists, pedestrians and skaters along the South branch of the Park River has been partially built from Flatbush Avenue south to Nilan Street. This first phase of the trail is paved, twelve feet wide with a three foot wood chip shoulder. The land is situated on a state-designated greenway; it is hoped that the trail will provide a link to a planned regional bike trail system.

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

A second phase of construction, pending grant money, property rights and engineering specifications, will run from Nilan Avenue south to Newfield Avenue. This trail will extend west from Newfield to the Trout Brook trail being developed in West Hartford.

From there it will continue further south along the Piper Brook corridor, a statedesignated greenway in the suburb of Newington.

A future phase will connect Pope Park to the trail. The multiuse path will run along the side of Brookfield street from Newfield Avenue north to Hamilton Street across from the Lower Mead. This proposed 1.8-mile trail will open up the Lower Mead to visitors from the south, as far away as Newington. When completed, plans call for a path connecting Hamilton Street to Park Street continuing to the north of the park. Pope Park will be well connected to other Hartford neighborhoods and outlying suburbs.

Image courtesy of parkriver.org.

Proposed on-street bike path along Park River.

Image courtesy of parkriver.org.

Conceptual trailhead designed for the South Branch Greenway.

45

CASE STUDY

The East Bay Bike Path Providence, Rhode Island

The East Bay Bike Path (EBBP) of Providence is similar in scope to the proposed greenway system in Hartford. The EBBP is a great early example of a regional bike path that links the open spaces of several towns. The fourteen-mile path connects urban Providence to recreational destinations in four other towns. The path, constructed between 1987 and 1992, follows the right of way of an old train line. Rhode Island. Governor Edward DiPrete hailed the path as providing “healthful, and scenic (opportunities) for exercise, travel, and enjoyment.”

The path is a valuable piece of infrastructure. It connects population centers to a wellused beach. The path is well used, it is comfortable and safe. The Path also has many entrances and exits, making it very functional for those who live along the corridor.

Beyond the human benefit ,natural systems and wildlife benefit from this path. Plantings have created habitat, browse, and cover for wildlife. A vegetative buffer between the path and the waterway filters and cleans runoff from developed land before it enters the bay. One major complaint about the East Bay Bike Path is its narrowness. Ten feet wide in some places, bikers, joggers and cyclists come into conflict. Hartford should work to connect it’s neighborhoods and parks to encourage greater recreation and transportation options.

CASE STUDY

Springfield River Walk Springfield, Massachusetts

A nearby city with a similar economic and demographic profile as Hartford, Springfield can offer lessons and design precedents. Bordering the Connecticut River and running parallel to a major interstate highway, the Connecticut River Walk (CRW) in Springfield shares many similarities to the proposed Park River Greenway in Hartford. The stated goals of the project were to revitalize the waterfront and improve the quality of life for residents.

The majority of users of the CRW visit for recreation and exercise. In surveys, many users cited the natural beauty and clean air as reasons for their visit. Selective pruning of trees and shrubs and regular maintenance of lawn space enhance the natural beauty of the CRW. Signs, about safety and rules on the CRW are clear and easily read. When planning greenways in Hartford, natural beauty, regular maintenance, and clear useful signs, should be considered.

SECTION FOUR

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

The neighborhoods surrounding Pope Park are diverse and vibrant. The Lower Mead does not currently meet many of the needs of the community.

Recent upgrades to the park have enhanced access, circulation, safety, and

4

legibility to greater Pope Park but have not addressed the Lower Mead. The unused Lower Mead has the potential to enhance neighborhood pedestrian circulation, preserve the natural resources that surround it, and contribute a profound sense of pride and community.

47

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

As ylum Hill

Pa rk v i l l e

Frog Hollow

Behind the Rocks 0

48

500

1000 ft

Demographic information on the following pages is taken from the neighborhood surrounding Pope Park, shown in the shaded area above.

THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

N e i g h b orho o d De mo g raphics Pope Park is a valuable open space for the four neighborhoods surrounding it: Behind the Rocks, Parkville, Frog Hollow and Asylum Hill. Pope Park’s Recreation Center attracts Hartford residents year-round and is the largest in the city. It contains two swimming pools, basketball courts, meeting rooms, and a computer room. The recreation center and the large open space surrounding it provide the nexus for many people in the neighboring communities.

The neighborhoods around Pope Park have distinct identities. Two art centers are established in Parkville and the neighborhood is experiencing a surge in creative development. Asylum Hill and Frog Hollow are dense residential neighborhoods with active business districts. Behind the Rocks is home to many single-family dwellings and some light industry. While drastically different, these neighborhoods share a common resource: Pope Park.

The 2000 United States Census Bureau has compiled demographic data that paints a portrait of the human population of the neighborhoods surrounding the park. Using this data in combination with feedback from community members facilitates park planning that respond to community needs.

49

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

50

Housing: Ninety-four percent of the population resides in rental units. Renters are

Commuting: Twelve percent of commuters in the neighborhood travel to and

typically more transient than homeowners and may use park land more often and in different ways than non-renters. Design of the Lower Mead will need to accommodate multiple and frequent use by large numbers of people. Renters are also a more transient group than homeowners.

from work on foot or by bicycle. This number is much higher than the national average of four percent. This group would benefit from an integrated greenway that extends through the city. A lack of trail, access points, changes in elevation, busy roads, and fencing are current obstacles that complicate commuting by foot or bicycle include a lack of trail, access points, changes in elevation, busy roads, and fencing. A well-designed and connected system of trails will benefit this group of commuters and encourage others to follow their example.

THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Minority Status: Seventy-five percent of the population is Hispanic. Of this

Education: More than forty percent of the population has not received a high-school

group the vast majority are of Puerto Rican descent. Design should respond to this demographic and take into account the unique cultural identity of this group.

Research shows that some activities, like passive recreation, large family gatherings and observation of natural areas are favored park activities for people of Puerto Rican background. A culturally sensitive design will take these factors into account in order to make the park enjoyable for the majority of residents in the area.

education. In the past, the Hartford parks system has functioned as informal educator for new citizens. Civic history and pride are developed through gaining knowledge from statues and plaques about great citizens, events and ideas of Hartford. The Lower Mead presents opportunities to develop cultural, historical, ecological and education curriculum. Educational signs within the Lower Mead should be tailored to people with a wide spectrum of educational backgrounds. The six schools within one mile of the Lower Mead will benefit from the educational aspects of the park.

51

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

52

Household Income: About one third of households make less than $10,000 a

Age: Thirty-six percent of the population is under twenty. This age group generally

year. Thirty-six percent of family units live below the federal poverty line. An urban development project could repurpose the vacant industrial lots into an incomegenerating space. A community garden, greenhouse or bike rental shop will take advantage of the proposed bike path. Any other job generating function would be well received.

has a particularly high need for open space recreation. The park is a valuable asset, but, it could be improved by providing a safe, engaging and fun outdoor space. Balancing formal play areas for structured activities with unstructured areas for free play will provide for a healthy range of activities. Considering the six schools within one mile of the Lower Mead, plenty of opportunities exist to engage school groups with the educational aspects of the park.

THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Educa ti o n al O ppor t unit ies Six public elementary and high schools exist in a one-mile radius from Pope Park. The opportunity to teach so many young minds about nature should not be lost. Even in a city it is possible to visit natural settings such as those found in the Lower Mead.

For urban youth, learning about the natural world right in their own backyard can be powerful and exciting. Local schools can integrate hands-on history and science experiments in the neighborhood into their curriculum. The Lower Mead and the South Branch of the Park River present many viable ecological, scientific, and historical topics.

Some potential educational opportunities include water quality testing, geology of the area, Hartford’s settlement and land use history, and urban wildlife ecology.

1/2-mile radius

1-mile radius

4 schools (shown above in yellow) are within 1/2 -mile radius of the Lower Mead, 6 schools are within a 1-mile radius.

Hartford has always been a city of immigrants. The early presence of Italian, Irish, French immigrants has been supplemented by a more recent wave of Puerto Rican, Dominican and other Latino groups. Over fifty languages are spoken in Hartford. City leaders in past decades used public art as teaching material for new immigrants. Statues and plaques in parks documented the history and culture of Hartford. Updating this model for a modern population can include public art projects by local artists there are many rich opportunities to explain historical, cultural and ecological concepts of the Lower Mead, the Park River, Pope Park and Hartford.

In 1994 a program integrating state-wide educational curriculum with a stream-monitoring practicum was initiated in Connecticut.Teachers were trained in stream-monitoring techniques and schools chose local waterways to study as part of their science curriculum.The intent of this plan was to directly connect students and teachers with their local water resources to increase awareness and connection to the larger landscape.The program has demonstrated strong applied learning lessons for students. One student remarked, “instead of learning about some river in California or something, this is our river, here in our town.” Another student noted, “everything we do affects these waters; everything is connected and all flushes out to the same place.”These types of take-home messages not only change the minds of children, they can change the actions and attitudes of adults towards waterways.

53

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Env i ron m e n t a l Ju s ti ce Education is one facet of environmental justice. Principles of the environmental justice movement demand that all people have access to safe, healthy surroundings in their home, work and places of recreation. Further goals dictate that the earth be treated with respect, disadvantaged communities be brought to the decision-making table, and that future generations be educated about social and environmental issues. The Lower Mead and the South Branch of the Park River offer many opportunities to undo the injustice of the past and create a healthy and more just landscape for the citizens of Hartford.

Historically, in the U.S. and abroad, environmental burdens such as toxic waste dumps, harmful industrial manufacturing, and brownfield sites have occurred at a higher rate in neighborhoods with high minority populations and lower incomes. Several lots just south of Hamilton Street are toxic brownfields; remnants from previous industry has polluted the soil. Environmental degradation present in Pope Park includes lower air quality caused by the nearby highway and degraded natural features like the polluted river.

The abandoned lots to the south of Hamilton St. have become an illegal dumping area, and a possible brownfield.

Landscape literacy promotes knowledge of the history, experiences, and culture of one’s immediate environment. Understanding the past and present of a neighborhood is integral to effecting positive change within the community. Anne Whiston Spirn has worked extensively in a low-income Philadelphia neighborhood and has written about the experience of middle school students who participated in the educational program that she conceived. Ann Whiston Spirn has stated that “to be literate is to recognize both the problems in a place and its resources, to understand how they came about, by what means they are sustained, and how they are related. Such literacy should be a cornerstone of community development and of urban planning and design.” Learning about the environmental and social history of one’s own neighborhood can have profound and lasting effects that can initiate stewardship and promote democratic change.

54

THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Ope n Spa ce a nd Recreat ion The 2007 report from the Trust for Public Land (TPL) on Hartford’s public park system cited the need of getting people back into the parks. The report recommends the Hartford Parks include the involvement of nearby cultural institutions and improved public relations to inform citizens about events and activities in the parks. Linking park improvements to urban redevelopment projects and opportunities for regional tourism is key to sparking renewed interest in the parks. The mayor of Hartford is also being encouraged to close park roads to vehicular traffic on weekend days between May and October to encourage park outings and related activities including biking, running, and skating.

The TPL, as well as FOPP, state that there is a great desire for increased connectivity between city parks. Frederick Law Olmsted envisioned a network for Hartford that would link several large parks to each other by way of greenbelts and trails. These greenways would combine both recreation and ecological preservation. They were never created. TPL suggests that to create this network today would invigorate the parks. In their plan for a conceptual greenway, Pope Park will act as a node connecting downtown Hartford with the Park River and southern suburbs.

The Trust for Public Land’s 2007 proposed citywide network of greenways links Pope Park, downtown Hartford, and surrounding residential neighborhoods.

The Park River is a centrally located asset that is recognized as being an important corridor for any proposed greenway system. The location of the Lower Mead, adjacent to this river corridor makes it a natural site for the greenway to pass through. The majority of the proposed greenway does not run though the park. A need exists to get the trail off the road and into a park. An opportunity exists for the Lower Mead to act as a gateway or welcoming point to greater Pope Park.

55

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

A F ra g m e n t ed Publi c Pa rk s Syste m Once envied as a premier urban park system, today Hartford’s parks are under-used, under-funded and in need of help. Uniting people with public parks is a first step in restoring these preserved open spaces to glory. Upgrading these parks and providing connections between them increases community access and promotes equity within the park system. Finding funding has become difficult over time, as forty-six percent of the parkland owned and managed by Hartford exists outside city boundaries. Many of the people who live in Hartford do not have adequate access to public parks. Parts of Parkville and south-central Hartford, including the neighborhood of Frog Hollow, lie outside a comfortable walking distance to parks.

Pope Park lies near the center of this mosaic of parks, and open spaces which have become fragmented by development. Even though it is located close to the communities of Parkville and Frog Hollow, access requires crossing large barriers such as the highway, and walking along heavily trafficked urban streets. Greening the streets will improve the routes that people use to get to these parks. Making the parks attractive, functional, and welcoming will draw users to them. Getting people into the parks and reconnecting them with these places encourages reciprocal care and advocacy.

Providing lower income, minority populations with the same amenities that are afforded to towns outside of the Hartford promotes equity throughout the region.

Âą

0 0.35 0.7

1.4

2.1

0 2.8

Miles

1

2 mi

In the above map, open spaces in Hartford are highlighted in dark green. Pope Park is highlighted in red.

56

THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

T he Friends of Pope Park Hartford’s public parks system is physically fragmented and disjointed. During the 1990s the Parks and Recreation Department was eliminated; its responsibilities were subsequently split between two agencies. The Department of Public Works, which now maintains the parks, and the Department of Health and Human Services Division of Recreation and Youth Services operates recreation programs. According to the 2007 TPL report, without a unified agency governing the parks system, planning, management and the promotion of any ecologically beneficial green infrastructure is difficult.

Hartford’s parks are at risk due to decades of deferred maintenance and a lack of thoughtful, cohesive management. Many parks have fallen into disrepair. A renewed city commitment to planning, maintenance and advocacy must be implemented.

There is a great deal of private support for Hartford’s parks. An individual park’s success is often the result of committed and powerful volunteer organizations and private donors. Several volunteer groups operate in Hartford. Implementation of a ten-year, $13 million master plan came to fruition through the hard work, dedication and resourceful funding of the Friends of Pope Park. Long-term visioning involving park advocates and Friends’ groups is now being encouraged city-wide so that all citizens can have access to a safe, healthy park in their home neighborhoods.

A group of dedicated citizen-volunteers from the Friends of Pope Park plant a tree in Pope Park.

57

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Engagi ng t h e C o m munity To better understand the concerns of the greater community, the Conway School of Landscape Design held two public meetings with the Friends of Pope Park in the Recreation Center of Pope Park. Ideas generated from the first meeting were used to guide the design proposals for the Lower Mead. The second meeting was a forum for residents to respond to proposed designs. Because the Lower Mead is not accessible and is not currently incorporated successfully into Pope Park, the design team was not confident that resident would have concern for the area. In fact, citizens were very excited about potential improvements to the site.

The first meeting on February 10, 2009, was very successful. The four-part vision statement, discussed earlier in this report for the Lower Mead, resulted from this meeting. Some major themes came to the forefront in a free and open conversation.

Interest in improving the area for school groups and as a learning experience was expressed. There were both positive and negative elements of placing a bike path in the Lower Mead were discussed. The importance of physical and visual access to and from different points in the Lower Mead was noted. The importance of the Lower Mead as a natural and wild place within the park and Hartford was verbalized by the client group.

The Conway team used these ideas to develop several design schemes that addressed client concerns.

Active and interested members of the community share their ideas about the Lower Mead at a public meeting.

58

THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Qu est i o n n a i re R e spo nse s Participants is the first meeting answered a questionnaire to gather their impressions of the Lower Mead and the Park River. Their responses helped direct design directives and solutions.

What comes to mind when you think of the Lower Mead?

- Natural, nature education site, potential to make more accessible, no man’s land.

What is the best thing about the Lower Mead?

- Untouched by people, educational opportunities to discover nature and wildlife, natural

area, wild and great for birding, peaceful.

What is the greatest challenge affecting the Lower Mead?

- Making it attractive and accessible to people while protecting wildlife features,

incorporating it into greater Pope Park, lack of views of river, poor neighborhood, proximity

to I-84.

What is missing from the Lower Mead?

- Connection to Pope Park, educational opportunities, make the wet meadow a feature

rather than a problem, educational signs.

What is your impression of the Park River, how is it used?

- Buried, not used, not safe, untapped resource, fences obstruct it, poorly maintained flood

control, gone, gone.

What else should we know about Pope Park, the Lower Mead, and the Park River?

- Municipal maintenance services under funded and under staffed; need to consider how an

enhanced Lower Mead will be maintained. A stand of milkweed is vital Monarch Butterfly

habitat.

The Friends of Pope Park discussing the presentation of design schematics.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Ac c e s s a n d C i rc u l ati o n

W it h in t h e L ow er M ea d

Dense residential neighborhoods abut the Lower Mead to the south and west.

However, residents of these neighborhoods have a difficult time moving through the park. Reaching certain portions of the park and passing from one side of the park to another can be very difficult and is not welcoming.

The Hillside Ramble meanders erratically in a north-south orientation with an average slope of twenty-seven percent. Here, access is non-existent. There are no maintained trails connecting the Lower Mead to other parts of Pope Park; current access requires walking or driving outside the park to enter the Lower Mead. There is at least one heavily vegetated, trail or service road through the ramble down to the meadow that is fairly well graded and has the potential to be maintained as a viable circulation route.

A matrix of fences covers the neighborhood surrounding Pope Park.

Within this landscape, greater Pope Park is the largest open expanse. Much thought has gone into increasing access and circulation routes throughout greater Pope Park. Similar thought directed towards the Lower Mead will increase access and circulation.

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THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Many factors block access within the park. The first hurdles are the busy streets that separate the park from the neighborhoods. More crosswalks and stoplights would aid access. Once in the park, circulation is still difficult. The highway, the Hillside Ramble, and the Park River conduit all limit movement. A lack of formal paths limits access to and within the Lower Mead.

A maze of eight-foot tall chain-link fences traverse the Mead. Some are owned by the state highway administration, some mandated by the federal Army Corps of Engineers, and some are owned and maintained by the City of Hartford. Removing unnecessary fencing and installing more attractive alternatives would beautify the space and increase access and circulation routes.

0

1/4 mi

Red lines represent fences in Pope Park, the Lower Mead, and in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Within the Lower Mead, light blue dots represent current circulation routes. Bold blue lines signify barriers to movement.

One of several fences of the Lower Mead which make travel difficult.

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SECTION FIVE NATURAL SYSTEMS In order to make informed and responsible decisions about the Lower Mead, we must understand the environmental conditions of the site and the river which connects it to the greater ecosystem.To improve the health of the Lower Mead, existing environmental conditions must direct design solutions.

Incorporating these directives towards design alternatives leads to solutions that are shaped by the environment. Furthermore, creating a clean, healthy

5

park reflects the ethos of Olmsted and the original intent of Pope Park.The connection between this vibrant park and the larger community will lead to civic pride, boost the local economy, and encourage stewardship of the park and river.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Park Street

Pope Park I-84

Lower Mead

Hamil

ton St

reet

The Lower Mead, Approximately 14.5 acres, is bordered by Park Street to the north, I-84 to the west, Hamilton Street to the south, and the steep vegetated slopes of the Hillside Ramble that separate the lower mead from Hollowmead, the largest and most used section of Pope Park.

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NATURAL SYSTEMS OF THE LOWER MEAD

The Lower Mead is a portion of Pope Park without a real identity. This part of the park has been drastically changed since its initial construction over one hundred years ago. The Park River and Interstate 84 dominate the space. The existence of these two monolithic structures divide this piece of land into disconnected patches. The resulting fragmentation caused by these built features and the presence of the Hillside Ramble make this area feel divorced from the rest of the park.

T he L ower Mead

A n Intro duc tio n to the S ite

The sounds, sights, and dangers of rushing highway traffic are unsettling for human visitors, and potentially lethal for wildlife. The concrete channel of the river is largely devoid of vegetation. Access to the river is difficult and potentially dangerous for humans and wildlife.

The remaining fragments of land within this altered landscape have retained some significant ecological functions and the lack of human use provides a unique opportunity for restoration and preservation of natural communities. Paradoxically, the concrete channel itself, while uninviting, creates a stark landscape that is strangely beautiful and intimate.

While neglected, some semblance of natural order has gained a foothold in this forgotten patch along the Park River. Migratory songbirds use the mature hardwoods of the park, distinct plant communities thrive within the site, and a thick hillside underbrush provides vital urban wildlife habitat. It is a curious trajectory; this river that once grounded the settlement of Hartford and provided the engine for much of its early industry, is now forgotten. While this area has been irreparably altered and degraded by human use, it still provides an important and distinct opportunity for the preservation and celebration of an urban wild within the city of Hartford.

These two photos taken from the same location looking south towards Hamilton Street in the Lower Mead demonstrate changes over time.The archival image of the Lower Mead (left) portrays the Park River as a feature of the landscape.Today the Park River lies within a concrete channel twenty feet below its original grade and the river bed has been replaced by a wet meadow (right).

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Site Inven t o r y :

To p o gra p h y, S lo p es

an d D rain age Ramble

While the Lower Mead provides some valuable habitat for wildlife, it is virtually unused by humans because of the challenging topography. The topography of the Lower Mead is dominated by three north-south oriented features: Interstate 84, the channelized river and the Hillside Ramble.

Three relatively flat meadows lie to the east, west and north of the Park River. These same features separate the primary grade changes of the site. The meadows are separated from each other and the rest of Pope Park by these 20-30 percent slopes which inhibit human circulation.

These dramatic elevational changes provide distant views; this variability has the potential to make the site dynamic for users.

Ramble Berm Ramble River Meadow

Meadow

0

250

500 ft

0

500 ft

Two-foot contours (above) are closely bunched together along

The Lower Mead is a series of flat plateaus divided by steep

the river conduit, the highway berm and the Hillside Ramble.

slopes.

The river bed lies twenty feet below grade of the east and

•

Red shades (above) indicate 20-30 percent slopes.

west meadow.The northern meadow is 10 feet above the

•

Blue shades indicate moderately steep 10-20 percent

southern meadows.The plateau above the Hillside Ramble

slopes.

is forty feet above the meadows. All water falling west of the

•

Yellow shades indicate 5-10 percent slopes.

Hillside Ramble drains to the Park River. Several portions of the

•

Green tones indicate slopes under 5 percent.

meadow retain seasonal standing water.

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250

NATURAL SYSTEMS OF THE LOWER MEAD

Se c ti on E l ev a t i o n

T h e L ow er M ea d

The topography of the Lower Mead varies widely, from highway berm to flat meadow, to steeply banked channel to flat, wet meadow to steep Hillside Ramble.

Pope Park Hwy No. 4

I-84

Stream Bed

River Conduit

Hillside Ramble

High Mall

Parking Lot 0

LOWER MEAD

O

250

500 FT

Rec. Center 250 FT

Vertical scale exaggerated for legibility by a factor of two.

The site topography is both an opportunity and a constraint. It impedes circulation but provides distinct spaces. Design must account for increasing the ease of human use while not sacrificing the integrity of the site for wildlife and vegetation.

White line shows where the above section elevation is drawn.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Exi s ti n g Veg et a t i o n

Plan t L ife in Co n c r et e , M ea d ow, a nd Wood l a n d

get river

T h e Par k R ive r Co n d u it The Park River is confined to a one-hundred to one-hundred and twenty-five foot concrete-lined channel that runs from the south and terminates at a tunnel about one hundred feet south of the northern edge of the Mead. The river is largely confined to a fifteen-foot-wide vertical-edged channel of unknown depth. A flat shoulder, wide enough to walk comfortably, lines the river channel. The top of the concrete channel meets the meadows an average of sixteen feet above mean water level. The 500year-flood plain rises an average of sixteen feet above the river elevation and splays outwards over a forty percent grade. The average width of the top of this channel is about one-hundred and ten feet. The volume of the channel within the Lower Mead is 1.3 million cubic feet.

The concrete structure of the culvert is now over sixty years old. Small cracks along the banks have allowed for opportunistic plants to gain a foothold and grow. While the Army Corps of Engineers dictates strict maintenance regimes for the removal of plants from these type of structures, there is little evidence of this as numerous small shrubs and trees dot the concrete banks. Perhaps flood events scour weaker plants closer to the river. The concrete banks are not impervious to plants and some degradation has occurred over time.

River restoration strategies seek to restore natural functions to the river and slow the flow of surface water. One strategy for improving both wildlife habitat and human recreation is to introduce native riparian tree and shrub species along the banks of the river, such as pin oak, shagbark hickory, cottonwoods, silky dogwood and elderberry. The addition of these plantings would aid water absorption and filtration, increase wildlife habitat and browse, and provide cues to care that would attract human interest.

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NATURAL SYSTEMS OF THE LOWER MEAD

T h e We t, East Meadow Currently, two flat meadows flank the river within the Lower Mead. The wet eastern meadow is the most accessible feature of the Lower Mead. The slightly larger west meadow is drier and fenced off. Small patches of shrubs dot the open land and line the perimeter. Tall meadow perennials including goldenrods and milkweed inhabit the space. These meadows provide valuable habitat to a number of bird species. Given the manipulations of the river and its banks, it is presumed that these manufactured meadows contain urban fill. It is clear from examining the Olmsted Brothers’ master plan that the river meandered through the Lower Mead and rushed towards the west under what is now I-84.

The eastern meadow is marked by wet hydrology and retains moisture through most of the summer, precluding any mowing until August. This condition is perhaps a great asset; the lack of maintenance allows for bird and butterfly habitat within the large stands of milkweed and goldenrod that inhabit the meadow. This meadow is approximately 2.3 acres with a moderate grade change of six feet over almost 200 feet at its widest point.

Several discrete stands of woody vegetation dot the otherwise open grassy meadow.

A slight depression at the juncture of the meadow and the ramble contains the most hydric soil as evidenced by a stand of phragmites and seasonal standing water.

The wet eastern meadow is a unique ecological niche. Wet meadows provide distinct habitat to some birds and insects. Careful attention must be paid to design, maintenance and use of this fragile ecosystem.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

The Dry, West Meadow The western meadow comprises 2.5 acres and is bordered by the earthen berm of the highway to the west and the channelized river to the east. The mean elevation of this meadow is several feet higher than the east meadow. It is also much drier. This meadow is less diverse that the east meadow owing the fact that it does not border the heavily vegetated hillside. The northern edge of this meadow is a bottleneck where the channelized river bank meets the bottom edge of the highway berm. A fence restricts access to the north. The terrain is mostly cleared grasslands, with multiple patches of shrubs and small trees including eastern red cedar dotting the perimeter.

The meadow is also home to migrating Monarch butterflies. Mowing in these meadows is already minimal, and delayed until late summer because of the high water table.

Mowing in alternate years would reduce the impact to these valuable bird habitats and allow native bunch grasses to outcompete non-native grasses that need regular mowing to thrive. These actions would allow for native vegetation to thrive and provide food and shelter to wildlife.

These meadows are wonderfully open, flat fields, bisected by the river corridor.

They are the logical foci of trails and gathering nodes.

70

NATURAL SYSTEMS OF THE LOWER MEAD

T h e H illsid e R am bl e The sloped Hillside Ramble divides the park into two planes separated by forty-five feet of elevation. Historically, the Park River flowed alongside this ramble before changing course almost 90 degrees to the west. The rambles, therefore, are a dramatic divide, separating planes of elevation and plant communities.

Due to the thick vegetation and the very steep slopes, this area is rarely used by people. The Ramble, therefore, exhibits some of the most varied and dense vegetation zones within the entire park. The understory is choked with invasive species including multiflora rose and barberry.

Distinct vegetation strata within the rambles include groundcovers, perennials, shrubs, and beautiful soaring mature hardwoods. Large hardwoods, including red maple, sycamores, and white birch are found throughout the park with the largest concentration along the top edge of this ramble.

The trees within the ramble are a significant resource to migrating songbirds. As land use and development patterns across Connecticut and New England fracture resulting in the removal of large stands of mature forest canopy, these urban forest relics become increasingly more valuable wildlife assets.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Wi l d l i fe Due to the lack of human activity, the Lower Mead is a valuable wildlife habitat. Data from the Connecticut environmental review team’s biological monitoring along the south branch of the Park River directly upstream of the Lower Mead notes the presence of blue Jay, northern oriole, rock dove, European starling, house sparrow, ring-billed gull, great blue heron, green heron, belted kingfisher, cottontail rabbit, and gray squirrel. Additional monitoring within the Lower Mead by Joan Morrison of Trinity College notes the presence white-tailed deer, coyote, raccoons, and foxes.

Perhaps owing to the large open space bordering the river in the Lower Mead, this portion of the river provides habitat, browse, and maybe most importantly, separation from roads and cars.

Evidence of deer browse and rabbit tracks in the Lower Mead. Even in winter, this greenspace plays

Any design for the Lower Mead must consider impacts on the wildlife that currently use the Lower Mead for food and shelter. There must be a careful balance between human and wildlife needs and spaces.

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a vital role for wildlife survival.

NATURAL SYSTEMS OF THE LOWER MEAD

Sc e ni c R e so u rc e s

O f t h e L ow e r Mea d , t h e R a m bl e a n d t h e R i v er

Within this intensively developed urban context, the Lower Mead provides a number of wild spaces and scenic views. Many of these resources could be made more accessible and noticeable with careful design and maintenance programs. These steps would greatly aid the connection between the park and the community.

The Meadows Approaching the Lower Mead from Hamilton Street to the south, the wide, arching meadows define the space and are punctuated by the depression of the channelized Park River and the sudden steep slopes of the highway berm to the west and the Hillside Ramble to the east. These meadows are an unusual sight in an urban setting. Tall grasses and stands of shrubs blanket nearly five acres and recall a pastoral meadow or wet marsh.

Due to the hydrology of the site, no mowing occurs until late summer, a practice which accentuates rather than detracts from the beauty of tall meadow grasses and perennials.

Right: The Lower Mead exhibits multiple points of fragmentation as shown in the section elevation. The site is divided by both man-made and natural features. These limitations have impeded human use but favor wildlife and plant communities. Few examples of naturalized areas exist in Hartford; the natural unmanicured look of the Lower Mead is an opportunity to celebrate and explore the distinct ecosystems of the Lower Mead.

B erm H ighway

Ramble

C onduit Meadow

Meadow

0

Park ing Lot 125

250 FT

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Hillsi d e R a m bl e The slope of the Hillside Ramble is an unusual feature within its urban setting where dramatic shifts in topography are largely absent. The trees here, some over onehundred-years old, are a unique asset to the park and define the space, but are obscured by a dense mat of understory vegetation. Clearing swaths of this undergrowth and opening lines of visibility up to Hollowmead would visually connect these two meadows and provide views from above to the Lower Mead and the distant landscape.

This hillside, if thinned out in places, could highlight this naturally occurring slope which features one of the most dense and mature hardwood stands in the park.

74

NATURAL SYSTEMS OF THE LOWER MEAD

No r th Me ad ow / Atop the Tunnel Moving northward through the Mead, the mouth of the tunnel which leads the Park River underground comes into view. The field that stretches from this point to the northern edge of the Lower Mead, at Park Street, sits atop the culverted Park River and is not bisected. Standing atop this structure affords dramatic views to the south along the axis of the river’s path and the concrete shell that guides it. The river forks as it approaches the tunnel and the form is both functional and sculptural. The height of this platform is nearly twenty-five feet above the water, and the size of this structure feels massive and intimidating. The meadow grade atop the tunnel is much closer to the highway roadbed and the sounds and sights of speeding cars are much more present.

There is no sense of enclosure. The space is fractured by the omnipresence of the highway, its overpasses to the north, the dilapidated shopping center along Park Street, and the northern edge of the Hillside Ramble. Views of the river to the south are dramatic, while views to the north of the highway overpass and shopping center are unappealing and uninviting.

This northern field lacks much of the assets of the southern meadows. It is, however, a vital link between the Lower Mead and the urban development to the north and west. Access to this area is essential to linking the northern and southern parts of the Lower Mead.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

R ive r C or r i d or Entering the channelized river conduit provides an unexpected sense of tranquility.

As one descends the steep concrete banks, the dominance of the highway recedes into the background. The sound of the rushing traffic is replaced by trickling water; the sounds of the city are muffled. This space is both alien and strangely calming. The curving walls of the channel are serene and hint at a riverine quality. A wide, six-foot flat sidewalk borders both sides of the river and affords comfortable walking. The conduit is sheltered from the wind and a thermal mass that retains heat. The river corridor feels comfortable. While views out of the channel towards the Lower Mead and rest of Pope Park are limited, the opportunity to be in a fairly enclosed focused space is an asset.

Connecting people to the river is recognized as a way to improve recreational opportunities, foster civic pride, boost economic development, and establish incentives for cleaning the river quality upstream. This river corridor was engineered with the sole purpose of flood control in mind. With a little ingenuity and good design, this part of the river could also potentially perform vital recreational and aesthetic functions within the Lower Mead.

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Social Systems • History • Recreation • Education Placemaking Community enhancement Empowerment Connectivity

Urban Design

Gathering nodes within the Lower Mead Outdoor classroom

Bike path Greenway Park path system

Natural Systems

Habitat

• Repurpose/ retrofit underused areas • Park entrances • Green streets

Stormwater management

• River restoration • Native plant communities • Green management

This project lies at the inter section of an urban matr ix, the human community, and sur rounding natur al systems.

These factor s are highlighted in the inventor y and analysis of the site and therefore dr ive the conceptual design of the space .

Each of the following conceptual spaces reflects physical realities.

The concepts over lap in var ious ways. The balance of each component is reflected in the design schemes, each of which attempts to pr ior itize one concept while incor por ating some aspects of the other two.

All of these concepts over lap with redesigns for the unused for mer industr ial lots of Wellington Street. Each design seeks to repur pose this area to reinforce the pr imar y directive of the design intent.

SECTION SIX DESIGN CONCEPTS a n d SCHEMATICS These schemes balance the project vision with the implications of the analyses of the South Branch of the Park River, the existing conditions of the Lower Mead, and the surrounding neighborhood. Any design and revitalization of the Lower Mead should restore health and function of the river, link to the greater greenspace of Pope Park and the Park River, serve a diverse community, educate the public about nature, and enliven the park with more visitors. All schemes address each aspect of this mission but prioritize a single need. In this section three alternative schemes are developed with an emphasis on: • Outdoor Education

6

• Freeing the River • Community Gathering 79

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Alternative A:

Given the large number of children in the area and the proximity to six public schools within one mile, the Lower Mead has the potential to serve as an outdoor environmental classroom. Nearly twenty percent of the population surrounding Pope Park is under the age of twenty. While all area schools follow curricula that teach natural science, none directly integrate these lessons with the natural environment found in the neighborhood. Only one school, the Hooker School, used to have a mission to study the Park River and monitor its waters. This school’s program could serve as a model for other schools on how to integrate studying the Park River and the Lower Mead with science curriculum.

Children and schools are a perfect fit with the educational resources found within the Lower Mead. A bridge must be built linking neighborhood schools with the opportunities for learning about nature found in the Lower Mead.

Outdoor education, however, is much broader than science. Children employ different modalities of learning when outside the classroom; the educational potential of this environment is broad and dynamic.

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The educational resources of the Lower Mead extend beyond the needs of schools and children. Through the careful placement of instructive signs, the Lower Mead can serve as a self-guided tour of the history of the Park River and Hartford’s history. In this way, the park can once again connect people to nature and the river and make explicit how the built environment has shaped and transformed the land. Understanding the landscape is a key component in connecting people to the environment.

The abandoned industrial lots to the south of the Lower Mead could be repurposed to serve as a link between users, children, schools, and other people using the park as an educational resource, and the Lower Mead itself.

As the Lower Mead transitions to a place where educational resources are celebrated, the Wellington Street lots will become an important feature of the park. Basic amenities such as parking, rest-rooms, playgrounds, and food vendors may be sited on the lots.

DESIGN CONCEPTS AND SCHEMATICS

Park Street Entrance area

The Lower Mead ser ves as an educational locus , integrating curricula of nearby schools with natural environment of the Lower Mead.

Outdoor classroom Gathering node New tree Shrub Existing tree canopy Mixed understory Wild meadow

The O ut door Ed u c at ion s c h em e wou ld :

Seating River Multi-use trail Foot trail

Cap i ta l i z e o n e du ca t i o n a l re s o u rc e s o f t h e p a r k

Playground

• An outdoor classroom allows for group learning.

• Kiosks explaining natural systems facilitates self-guided tours.

• Safe access to the river allows schoolchildren to monitor river health.

Parking Cross walk River walk Bird nest

Pro m o te c o m mu n i t y i nvo l ve m e n t a n d a s a fe re c re a t i o n s p a c e

I-84

Rec. Center

• Parking adjacent to Lower Mead accommodates school buses and cars.

• Designated space for large family gatherings encourages family use.

I n te g r a te n e i g h b o r h o o d s w i t h p a r k t h ro u g h a n e t wo r k o f t r a i l s • A pedestrian footbridge unites east and west meadows.

• A crosswalk and pedestrian signal provides safe access to the Lower Mead.

I m p rove th e e c o l o g i c a l h e a l t h o f t h e L owe r M e a d a n d t h e r i ve r

Ham

ilton

Sh o r tc o m i n g s

Stre

et

• River corridor remains unchanged, still bound by concrete.

Ab a

nd o

ne

dl

ots

• A wild meadow, bird houses and bat boxes provides habitat for birds, bats and butterflies.

• Bioswales reduce erosion and filter water, improving river water quality.

0

100 ft 81

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

River overlook

VISION Children enter the Lower Mead from a parking lot across the street. Passing through trees and a playground space, they cross Hamilton Street safely with their teachers. A meadow stretches out before them. From here they begin a journey that teaches them about different aspects of their own landscape. From learning about the history of the Park River to learning about how stormwater can be cleansed before entering the river, students move through a space

Bridge

that acquaints them with natural systems that are within walking distance of their own backyards.

On the weekend, people in the neighborhood stop by.

Some soak in the information posted throughout the park.

River access

Others arrive to take a walk around the river or through the Hillside Ramble, where trails have been cleared through

Wild meadow

the understory. People move easily through different and

Outdoor classroom

distinct spaces. From the wooded hillside across the river and past a sweeping field of native wildflowers and grasses,

Hillside Ramble

the experience is informative, engaging and profound.

Entrance

Ham

ilton

Stre

et Entrance

Parking 82

0

100 ft

DESIGN CONCEPTS AND SCHEMATICS

Neighbors gathering on the river’s west bank on a repurposed access ramp. Native vegetation creates a welcoming space once dominated by concrete.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Alternative B:

There is an enormous value in having a thriving natural resource in an urban setting. Applying what has been learned through observations about naturalized river conditions upstream, this scheme improves the Park River in the Lower Mead. The river is free to meander, no longer confined to rigid concrete. Water moves slowly, cleansed by natural processes and improved hydrological features.

Humans and wildlife are attracted to one of the largest and healthiest greenspaces in Hartford. The river conduit is dramatically altered to expose and celebrate natural processes. A healthy riparian landscape is restored. Stormwater and surface runoff is filtered by bioswales and constructed wetlands before it reaches the river. River features like islands, riffles, pools, and a flood plain add to the beauty and functionality of the ecosystem. Wildlife habitat is expanded and improved.

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Olmsted parks originally provided a place for city dwellers to experience the majesty of nature. A restored riparian landscape provides an opportunity for education, limited recreation, and observation of wild areas. This design allows humans to connect to the natural world in a passive, respectful, unobtrusive way. By reinvigorating a complex urban ecosystem, members of the community will benefit from the successful reintegration of nature into the contemporary urban landscape.

Repurposing the vacant industrial lots to the south of Hamilton Street will create a welcoming experience for the park. A greenhouse or community garden could be developed on the industrial sites and provide jobs and income for local residents, plant material for the Lower Mead, and connection to the environment. A clean, healthy space for green businesses would be a perfect companion to the restored nature of the Lower Mead.

DESIGN CONCEPTS AND SCHEMATICS

Multi-use path

A dramatically altered river channel emulates natural hydrological features, mitigates stormwater runoff, and improves the health and beauty of the Park River.

Park Street

Pedestrian path Greenhouse Plant nursery Cross walk

The River Park sch em e wou ld :

River Deck Boardwalk Stairs to High Mall

I m p rove t h e e c o l o g i c a l h e a l t h o f t h e L owe r M e a d a n d t h e Pa r k Ri ve r

Entrance

• The river is restored to its natural form; the concrete channel has been removed.

• A variety of native riparian vegetation filters stormwater and provides wildlife browse.

• Bird and butterfly habitat is provided.

• Constructed ponds and wetlands contain and clean runoff.

Existing tree canopy New trees New Shrubs New perennials Wild meadow Park River Wetland Water flow Bird boxes River boulders

Cap i ta l i z e o n e du ca t i o n a l re s o u rc e s o f t h e p a r k

I-84

Rec. Center

• Observation stations for viewing wildlife enable people to experience nature in the city.

• Kiosks explain the ecological importance of native plants and encourage their use.

P ro m o t e c o m mu n i t y c o n n e c t i o n s a n d p a s s i ve re c re a t i o n sp a c e s • Repurposing of industrial lots provides economic opportunities.

• A river deck allows safe access to the river.

I n t e g r a t e n e i g h b o r h o o d s w i t h p a r k t h ro u g h a n e t wo r k o f tr a i l s

Ab

an do

ne dl

ots

Ham

ilton

• A staircase connects Park Street to Pope Park’s High Mall and Rec Center.

• A crosswalk and signal warn drivers of pedestrian crossing.

• Single pedestrian-only north-south trail limits impact on site.

Stre

et

Sh o r tc o m i n g s 0

100 ft

• Entire western meadow is a wildlife sanctuary off-limits to humans. Human amenities are secondary to environmental functions of parks.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

VISION

Walking into the Lower Mead, one enters a special space . The Park River has been allowed to meander and flow freely past ponds , detention basins and wet meadows that create an aquatic obser vator y highlighting natural riparian functions .

A solitar y path crosses a boardwalk over a constructed wetland. Looking out at the river

Wetland River deck

on a large deck, one obser ves rocks , riffles and islands slowing down the steady stream of water.

Boardwalk

Swales , bright bands of vegetation shunting water towards the river are noticed far ther afield. The sound of moving water surrounds

Pond

visitors as they follow the trail downstream to the nor thern entrance of the park.

The entire western par t of the park is closed to humans . The eastern meadow is a place where wildlife can find a home and where humans pass through only on foot. The greenhouse and nurser y across the street foster programs that

Entrance

may include cultivation workshops and courses on how to install and maintain community gardens .

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0

100 ft

DESIGN CONCEPTS AND SCHEMATICS

Pedestrians walking through the Mead on the river’s east bank, pass by a naturalized river, vegetated swales and detention ponds.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Alternative C:

The urban environment surrounding the Lower Mead is rapidly changing through development and community improvement projects. This buzz of activity combined with the need for a safe and healthy outdoor space makes the Lower Mead a desirable public space.

Both bikers and pedestrians need improved connectivity and circulation so that they may commute to work, reach local businesses and walk to school with ease. Offering an alternative to an on-road route is a measure that increases safety and enhances visual interest. The partially constructed South Branch Greenway, slated to run alongside the South Branch of the Park River, is extended through the Lower Mead, bringing people along the river corridor and directly into the park. Within the park, pathways encourage people to wander through various plant communities while viewing local sculpture and other art works created by local artists.

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In this alternative, pronounced access points and entrances welcome the diverse groups who come to the park. Visual and physical improvements along Hamilton Street will calm traffic and enhance the entry experience.

Cleaning up the abandoned lots on Wellington Street will have a positive impact on the entire neighborhood. The lots can be programmed as multi-use community space for outreach programs, local economic pursuits, recreation activities or large scale graffiti or murals. Bringing people from all backgrounds together in a clean, safe space across from the Lower Mead will increase the use of both spaces.

The Park River is a focal point, a natural resource within the park. Visitors are encouraged to come closer to the water to watch the river as it moves downstream, pools underneath a look-out point, and falls over a weir underneath a pedestrian bridge. This is a place where people and nature come together, where interaction and discovery is encouraged at every turn. The Lower Mead celebrates community and the river that runs through it.

DESIGN CONCEPTS AND SCHEMATICS

Park Street Entrance

The Lower Mead Commons draws the community to and through the park, combining environmental education, ecological restoration, community ar t, and recreation.

Outdoor Classroom Art installation New tree Existing tree canopy

T h e Co m m o n s sc he m e wo u l d

Small tree Overstory Thinned understory

Pro m o te c o m mu n i t y i nvo l ve m e n t a n d a s a fe R e c re a t i o n s p a c e

Meadow

• • • • •

Park River Weir River walk Stairs to Rec. Center Multi-use trail Pedestrian trail Cross walk

A constructed pool creates visual interest and attracts visitors.

Several gathering areas capitalize on scenic views of the Mead.

Repurposed abandoned lots are multi-use community spaces.

Streetscape improvements along Hamilton Street enhance entrance experience.

Selective clearing of hillside understory opens sight lines.

Entrance flourish Community space

I n t e g r a t e t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d t o t h e L owe r M e a d t h ro u g h a

Parking

n e two r k o f tr a i l s

I-84

Rec. Center

• A staircase connects the Lower Mead to the Rec. Center.

• A pedestrian footbridge links east and west meadows • Bikepath on west is separated from pedestrian-only trail on east to enhance safety and enjoyment.

• Bikepath is rerouted along Wellington Street and over repaired foot bridge south of the park.

I m p rove th e e c o l o g i c a l h e a l t h o f t h e L owe r M e a d a n d t h e r i ve r • A weir slows river flow which allows pooling, oxygenates water, and improves aquatic habitat.

Cap i ta l i z e o n e du ca t i o n a l re s o u rc e s o f t h e p a r k

Hamilton

Street

Sh o r tc o m i n g s

Ab an

do n

ed

lot s

• Provides space for local schoolchildren’s artwork inspired by the Lower Mead.

• Explanatory signs document history and ecology.

• Focus on human use diminishes space for wildlife.

0

To improved pedestrian bridge crossing over the river

100 ft 89

RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

VISION Two separate and distinct entrances beckon from Hamilton Street. The river is seen passing under Hamilton Street, which is lined with trees . The river within the Lower Mead has been transformed to resemble a cut bank, a geological formation formed over time as water “cuts” into the ear th. The water moves along cur ved concrete , slowing down and pooling before travelling on. People watch this from atop the new footbridge . A weir, just below the footbridge , causes water to cascade over rocks creating a pleasing sound while also adding oxygen to the water.

Entrance

Stairs to High Mall

Movement throughout the Lower Mead is guided by a series of spaces indicating movement or gathering. Ar t work from local groups are interspersed along pathways . Many of these visual attractions can be seen from the multi-use trail and bike path that runs along the western side of the park. A grand staircase links the Lower Mead to greater Pope Park, opening up views into the Lower Mead from above .

Footbridge

Stairs to Rec. Center

Multi-use trail

W ell

ing

to

nS

t.

Cut bank pool

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Green streetscape

Hamilto

n Street

0

100 ft

River overlook

0

100ft

From Park Street, one is beckoned to the Lower Mead through a new gateway. Immediately to the left, a staircase brings visitors to and from Pope Park’s High Mall. A path leads to the recreation center. Moving forward, in the distance , an overlook sits atop an obser vation deck looking south onto the park. After people pause here to obser ve the river as it enters the tunnel, they follow a planked pathway underneath the tree canopy, bringing them to a footbridge . Fur ther along, one reaches a massive , calm bend in the river. Eyes are on the water, or on each other : people enjoying a day in the park, pausing or just passing through.

DESIGN CONCEPTS AND SCHEMATICS

People watch a pool in the river from the eastern bank of the Lower Mead.

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Schematic Design Comparison The three schemes share several design elements. Those elements are isolated in this comparison to better understand the differences between schemes.

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Trails directly connect people from the neighborhood to the park. Trail placement directs human movement and highlights specific assets of the park.

• In the Outdoor Education scheme, trails allow circulation through the entire landscape and feature the diverse ecosystems therein to promote educational awareness of the park.

• Trails are limited to one north-south pedestrian route in the River Park scheme, and are absent from the west meadow which is left as a wildlife sanctuary.

• The multi-use trail is rerouted through the Wellington Street lots and the west side of the mead in The Commons scheme.

Nodes define places of interest or gathering. These areas may have benches, viewing areas, or educational signs.

• A sequence of nodes with kiosks emphasizing ecological information guide people through the Outdoor Education scheme.

• Within the River Park scheme a platform that provides access to the river edge serves as the only node.

• The Commons provides nodes throughout the Lower Mead which emphasize both built and natural features.

Entrances orient visitors and signify that the park is a special place. These features combine hardscaping and plantings and echo design elements from the greater Pope Park.

• Entrances are placed both north and south of the Lower Mead in the Outdoor Education scheme.

• There is only one entrance in the River Park scheme to focus activity in one area of the park.

• The Commons includes a formal entrance towards the Rec. Center and links to streets north and south of the park.

The river channel is the central feature of the Lower Mead and it dominates the experience of the space.

• The river is left in its present state within the Outdoor Education scheme. Interpretive signs describe its history and effect on wildlife. This would be the least expensive option.

• In the River Park scheme, the river assumes a more natural form. The concrete channel is removed and the river meanders through the Lower Mead. The site is engineered to accept floodwaters.

• The river is partially manipulated in The Commons scheme. A wide arching bend allows water to slow and pool. Under the footbridge a weir dam water.

DESIGN CONCEPTS AND SCHEMATICS

A: Outdoor Education

B: River Park

C: The Commons

•

Pedestrian trail Multi-use trail

Entrance

Gathering Node

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Conclusion Each of the design alternatives addresses the project vision with a different programmatic emphasis.

The health of the Park River must be improved for the Lower Mead to flourish. Encouraging wildlife habitat and native plant communities works towards the restoration of this valuable urban ecosystem. By incorporating stormwater management and low-maintenance green protocols, the Lower Mead will be a diverse, functioning environment now and in the future.

Capitalizing on the natural resources of the Lower Mead advances environmental education. The children in surrounding communities are in need of strong locally-based science and natural histor y curricula. Educational oppor tunities in the Lower Mead are layered. From obser ving wildlife to learning about the histor y of the Park River, children will be inspired by the Lower Mead.

A safe outdoor space in the neighborhood promotes and encourages community involvement and par ticipation. Bonds are formed between people and the park. An emotional and physical bond with the Park River is renewed.

An integrated network of trails and paths offers a safe alternative to current commuting and recreation options. Path systems within the Lower Mead bring pedestrians and bicyclists closer to the Park River and in touch with natural corridors.

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All of the elements that are reflected in these alternatives came out of discussions with the client, and student design team research, obser vation, and analysis. These schemes respond to the needs of humans and the natural systems within the Lower Mead and the south branch of the Park River. At this point it is up to the community to decide what the preferred alternative is.

Once a design is agreed upon, a concer ted effor t must be made to educate and inform the public about how the Lower Mead will be redesigned and what this means for the greater community. Those interested in the process can volunteer ser vices in multiple publicized clean-ups of the Lower Mead and the adjacent urban neighborhood. Litter and debris should be removed. A banner or sign describing the renewal process and the design that is to come should be prominently displayed so that people can begin to imagine what is coming.

Conversations and design charrettes with local ar tists, especially from Real Ar t Ways and the Design Center should focus on ways to bring ar tistic installations into the Lower Mead. Graphic ar tists or graffiti ar tists may be invited to use por tions of the concrete river channel to display their work. Competitions for local ar tists, both sculptural and graphic, may generate interest in the park and celebrate the urban matrix of which it is a par t.

DESIGN CONCEPTS AND SCHEMATICS

One scheme, The Commons, placed in context over the existing conditions of the Lower Mead.

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Friends and neighbors gather in the popular Lower Mead on summer evenings. The cool breeze coming off the river creates a soothing atmosphere along the banks. Just a few dozen yards downstream is a pedestrian bridge—another popular gathering spot.

Just to the east of the footbridge, families are setting down to a picnic dinner on the grass. Above the conduit young people are biking and jogging on the new South Branch Greenway, which connects downtown Hartford to the southern suburbs along an active multi-use trail.

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DESIGN CONCEPTS AND SCHEMATICS

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

References

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Adams, Lowell. Urban W ildlife Habitats: A landscape Per spective .

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Easter n Connecticut Resource , Conser vation and Development Area.

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Alexopoulos, John. The Nineteenth Centur y Par ks of Har tford: A Legacy to the Nation. Har tford: Har tford Architecture Conser vancy, 19 83.

Fr ance , Rober t. Wetland Design: Pr inciples and Practices for Landscape Architects and Land-Use Planner s. New Yor k: W W Nor ton, 2003.

Carol R Johnson Associates. Pope Par k Ma ster Plan. Boston: Carol R Johnson Associates, 2002.

Fr iends of Pope Par k. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.popepar k. or g/ City of Har tford. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.har tford.gov/ Development/planning/pln-neighborhood-plan.htm

Casey Trees Company. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.caseytrees. or g/planning/design-resources/index.php

Fr iends of the Los Angeles River. Januar y-March 2009.http://folar.or g/

Casey Trees Company. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.caseytrees. or g/geogr aphic/maps-tools/tree-benefits/index.php City of Har tford. Har tford Par ks Master Plan: Final Repor t. Har tford: LANDSC APES and PRE/view, 1992.

City of Har tford. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.har tford.gov/ Development/planning/docs/Par kville_MDP.pdf Connecticut Environmental Review Team. Par k River Project: Nor th and South Branc hes. Haddam: Connecticut Environmental Review Team, 2000 Connecticut Environmental Review Team. Januar y-March 20 09.http://www.cter t.or g/ERTWebsite/pdfs/Har tford_ Par kRiverProject_547_548.pdf

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Har tford Public Libr ar y. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.har tfordinfo. or g/community_data.asp Har vard Univer sity. Januar y-March 2009.http://ecologicalurbanism.gsd. har vard.edu/?cat=19 Hog River Jour nal. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.hogr iver.or g/issues/ v01n01/hog_r iver_histor y.htm Hog River Jour nal. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.hogr iver.or g/issues/ v06n03/HogRiverAr ticle .pdf Jones, Andrea, and Peter Vicker y. U.S.Fish and Wildlife Ser vice .

Conser ving Grassland Birds. U.S.Fish and Wildlife Ser vice Kibel, Paul., ed. River town: Rethinking Urban River s. Cambr idge: MIT Press, 2007.

Connecticut River Water shed Council. Januar y-March 2009.http:// www.ctr iver.or g/connecticut/conn_cso.html

Knox Par k Foundation. Januar y-March 2009. http://www.knoxpar ks.or g/

“Cr afting Better Water shed Protection Pans.” Water shed Protection Techniques. 2(2): 329-337

MacBroom, James. The River Book The Nature and Management of Streams in Glaciated Ter rains. Har tford: Depar tment of Environmental Protection, 1998.

Czer niak, Julia, and Geor ge Har greaves., eds. Lar ge Par ks. New Yor k: Pr inceton Architectur al Press, 2007.

Marcus, Clare , and Ca rolyn Fr ancis., eds. People Places: Design Guidelines for Urban Space. New Yor k: Van Nostr and Reinhold, 1990.

REFERENCES AND IMAGE CREDITS

Metropolitan Distr ict Commission. Januar y-March 2009.http://www. themdc .com/ctr ivercleanup.htm Nor th Carolina Public Television. Januar y-March 2009.http://www. unctv.or g/ncnow/coastwatch/documents/urbanstreams.pdf Schneekloth, Lynda H. and Shibley, Rober t G. eds. The Olmsted City: The Buffalo Olmsted Par k System: Plan for the 21st Centur y. Januar y 2008. www.buffaloolmstedpar ks.or g

Sustainability Pro Jour nal. Januar y-March 2009.http://www. sustainabilitypro.com/pdf/presentations/Er ic%20Baxter%20 (Br ightwor ks).pdf The LA Times. Januar y-March 2009.http://ar ticles.latimes.com/2007/ feb/02/local/me-r iver plan2 The Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.lar iver r mp.or g/CommunityOutreach/pdf/04Chapter3IssuesAffectingthePlan42407.pdf

Robinette , Gar y. Water Conser vation in Landscape: Design and Management. New Yor k: Van Nostr and Reinhold, 1984.

Riley, Ann. Restor ing Streams in Cities: A Guide for Planner s , Policymaker s , and Citizens.Washington: Island Press,1998.

The Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan. Januar y-March 2009. http://www.lar iver r mp.or g/CommunityOutreach/pdf/06_Chapter_5_ Green_the_Neighborhoods_050307.pdf

Riverfront Recapture . Januar y-March 2009.http://www.r iverfront.or g/ par ks/map/

Tr inity College . Januar y-March 2009.http://www.tr incoll.edu/prws/ PRWS2007_proceedings.pdf

Shadley Associates. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.shadleyassociates. com/info.php?page=staff

The Tr ust for Public Land. Renewing a Histor ic Legacy: The Par k System of Har tford, Connecticut. New Haven: The Tr ust for Public Land, 2007.

Shinkle , Doug, and Anne Teigen. Encouraging Bicycling and Walking: The State Legisl ative Role. Denver : National Conference of State Legislatures, 2008.

United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Wetland, Ocean and Water sheds. The Rapid Water shed Planning Handbook.

Washington: GPO, 1998.

Slide Share . Januar y-March 2009.http://www.slideshare .net/ water shedprotection/using-trees-to-reduce-stor mwater-r unofffor matted-presentation

Univer sity of Califor nia libr ar y. Januar y-March 2009.http:// repositor ies.cdlib.or g/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?ar ticle=2332&context=ced/ places

State Of Connecticut Depar tment of Environmental Protection.

Januar y-March 2009.http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view. asp?a=2707&q=323852

Vir ginia Tech. Januar y-March 2009.http://www.vwr rc .vt.edu/pdfs/ specialrepor ts/sr352007.pdf

State Of Connecticut Depar tment of Environmental Protection.

Januar y-March 2009.http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/greenways/ designatedgreenways2008.pdf

Waldheim, Char les., ed. The Landscape Urbanism Reader. New Yor k: Pr inceton Architectur al Press, 2006.

Zaitzevsky, Cynthia. Freder ick Law Olmsted and the Boston Par k System.

Cambr idge: v UP, 1982.

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Image Credits A ll photos cour tesy of Kate Benisek, B r i a n M a r ke y, A r a n W i ener unl ess o th erwise n o ted.

A ll GIS image created using 2008 data f r o m t h e M etr opol i tan D istr ic t Co mmissio n o f H a r t fo rd, C T. A ll C AD created using Vector Wor ks N e m s c h e k t In ter nati onal .

S ection One: Histor ical Context A ll images in this section cour tesy of C o n n e c t i c u t H i stor i cal Society u n less o th erwise n ot e d.

P g 3 Photogr aph of Par k River cour te s y o f H o g R i ve r. o r g P g . 8 Photogr a p h (Ch ar les E llio t) f ro m Wi k i pe di a P g. 12 Photogr aph from Kate Benisek, B r i a n M a r ke y, A r a n W i ener.

P g. 26 Aer ial image cour tesy of www. m a p s . l i ve . c o m P g . 13 M ap fr o m Zaitzevsky.

P g. 14 All ima ges cour tesy of Pam Sha d l e y, S h a d l e y Associ ates.

P g. 15 All ima ges cour tesy of Pam Sha d l e y, S h a d l e y Associ ates.

S ection Two: The South Br anch of The Pa r k R i ve r P g . 21 I m age a dapted f ro m www.p o r tl a n do n l i n e . c o m P g . 23 I m age a dapted f ro m Fredr ic llawo l m st e d. c o m websi te .

P g . 24 Pi ctur e adapted f ro m G o o gle Ea r t h .

P g . 25- 28 Aer ial images c o u r tesy o f w ww. m a ps . l i ve . c o m P g . 29 Photog r aph c o u r tesy o f Mar y V. R i c ke l - Pe l l i t i e r.

P g . 30 Al l i m ages an d p h o to gr ap h s c o u r t e sy o f C i t y o f L os Angel es.

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S e c t i o n T h re e : T h e Bu i l t Env i r o m e n t A l l a e r i a l i m a g e s a d a p t e d f r o m w w w. m a p s . l i ve . c o m u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e n o t e d.

P g . 4 4 A e r i a l i m a g e a d a p t e d f r o m Pa r k r i ve r. o r g , / N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e C o n se r v a t i o n S e r v i c e Pg . 4 5 Im a g e s c o u r t e sy o f Pa r k R i ve r. o r g , M a r y V. R i c ke l - Pe l l i t i e r Pg . 4 6 To p t wo i m a g e s c o u r t e s y o f R I . Pa r k s D e p t Pg . 4 6 Bo t t o m t wo i m a g e c o u r t e s y o f B i l l D u s t y S e c t i o n F o u r : S o c i a l E nv i rom e n t Pg . 4 8 A e r i a l i m a g e a da pt e d f r o m G o o g l e E a r t h .

Pg . 5 5 Im a g e c o u r t e s y o f Th e Tr u s t fo r P u bl i c L a n d s .

Pg . 5 7 Ph o t o g r a ph c o u r t e s y o f Pa m S h a d l e y, S h a d l e y A s s o c i a t e s .

S e c t i o n F i ve : N a t u r a l S y st e m s A l l a r e a l i m a g e s a d a p t e d f r o m w w w. m a p s . l i ve . c o m u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e n o t e d.

Pg . 6 4 A e r i a l i m a g e a da pt e d f r o m G o o g l e E a r t h Pg . 6 5 Ph o t o g r a ph c o u r t e s y o f C o n n e c t i c u t H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y.

Pg . 6 7 D r awi n g by Ka t e Be n i s e k , B r i a n M a r ke y, A r a n W i e n e r.

Pg . 7 3 D r awi n g by o f Ka t e B e n i s e k , B r i a n M a r ke y, A r a n W i e n e r.

S e c t i o n S e ve n : D e s i g n C o n c e p t s a n d S c h e m e s A l l dr awi n g s by o f Ka t e Be n i s e k , B r i a n M a r ke y, A r a n W i e n e r.

S e c t i o n E i g h t : Ma i n t e n a n c e a n d I m p l e m e n t a t i o n A l l dr awi n g s c o u r t e sy o f K a t e B e n i s e k , B r i a n M a r ke y, A r a n W i e n e r.

Pg . 1 0 1 D r awi n g c o u r t e s y o f U n i t e d S t a t e s F i s h a n d W i l d l i fe S e r v i c e .

SECTION SEVEN Appendix IMPLEMENTATION and MAINTENANCE

7

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RESTORING THE BALANCE: RE-ENVISIONING THE LOWER MEAD

Im p l e m e n t a t i o n a n d Project Phasing The diverse habitats of the Lower Mead have specific ecological needs that must be met for optimal health. By following simple guidelines, the park will look well cared for.

An actively maintained park conveys that it is a special place. Maintenance practices should utilize low-impact green solutions where ever possible. Organic and non-toxic products are recommended for the long-term health of the park and river. By taking a proactive rather than reactive approach to maintenance, the Park and Recreation Department can save money; avoiding a problem is less costly than fixing a mistake. By organizing maintenance tasks across the calendar year, the department can determine how to best manage contractors and volunteers.

Trash should be removed from the Ramble, the Lower Mead and the river conduit.

Understory growth along the southern one hundred feet of the Ramble should be thinned to open up sightlines into the park and increase a sense of security. Further north, this undergrowth should be left largely intact as it is valuable for wildlife. Shrubs and the majority of trees at the overlook above the conduit mouth should be removed to allow more pedestrian space. One or two healthy specimens could be left for shading. Any area where a path or staircase traverses the Ramble should have a tenfoot wide cleared understory zone on both sides. This will open up sightlines, allow light penetration and give space for low-growing plantings. Invasive species can damage and overrun ecosystems and should be removed. Dead limbs on trees are unsightly and potentially dangerous and should be removed where possible.

A number of methods can be used to control erosion along vulnerable areas of the Ramble. Keeping or planting an appropriate groundcover will help reduce erosion.

Any new planting will need to be weeded during the first year but should not require maintenance after establishment. Logs, perhaps from pruned trees, placed perpendicular to the slope can slow water movement, catch soil, and stabilize the bank.

10 4

IMPLEMENTATION AND PROJECT PHASING

The initial site work should include the removal of invasive species and the cutting back and thinning of overgrown areas of the Hillside Ramble that impede sightlines and access. These efforts should strictly follow design protocols and be clearly flagged in the landscape so as to avoid haphazard or excessive cutting. Work may be coordinated with existing volunteer or youth programs like the Knox Park Foundation or draw upon additional community volunteerism that may spring from meetings.

A first step in reinhabiting the Lower Mead is the removal of chain link fences that inhibit views, limit circulation, and create an uninviting aesthetic. This task must be coordinated with the Park and Recreation Department of Hartford which has jurisdiction over fences along the river corridor. Fences should either be removed where unnecessary or replaced with shorter, more appealing fences where needed for safety. The Connecticut Department of Transportation must also be consulted about negotiate relocating their fences to the foot of the earthen berm of the highway.

Upgrading the public face of the park will require significant alterations to the facades of the park along Park and Hamilton Streets. Both of these access points should include a signature entrance experience that is welcoming, easy to see, and resonates with design aesthetics within Pope Park.

Given the scope and complexity of this project, it is imperative that planning and developmental phasing be well articulated. The community must be integrated into the planning process so that their needs are reflected in the design of the Lower Mead and the adjacent industrial lots. The first phase of this project should incorporate design charrettes and brainstorm sessions with landscape designers, city planners, architects, and community members. These sessions serve to evoke the interests and needs of all parties. Due to the scope of the project and the involvement of numerous city, private, and community interest groups, the ultimate design will not be able to accommodate every wish. Nevertheless, the planning process must listen to and incorporate as many voices as possible.

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The mission of the Conway School of Landscape Design is to explore, develop and teach design of the land that is ecologically and socially sustainable.

The C onway S chool of Landscape Design 332 South Deerfield Road, Conway, Massachusetts, 01341 www.csld.edu