DESIGN ALTERNATIVE: LUSH CITY

DESIGN ALTERNATIVE: POCKET PARKS

“Lush City” takes the concept of vegetating this urban landscape to an extreme. Street trees are added along every street and fill each empty lot. This design seeks to create the feeling of being on a tropical island, by choosing trees that share some visual characteristics with trees native to/or that grow in Puerto Rico, as well as adding water access to the canal. Because trees require maintenance, a street and park tree management plan would need to be established.

In this design, the municipal parking lot has trees between parking spaces to provide shade and to meet the design goal of addressing pedestrian comfort. The trees also intercept stormwater, thereby helping to reduce pooling for events being held in the parking lot, and decreasing the urban heat island effect. The formerly empty lot on Cabot and Clemente Streets is vegetated with a community food forest. Trees are planted along the once vast impervious intersection of Clemente and Crescent Streets as an extension of the sidewalks, to slow down drivers and add an element of intention and curves to the intersection. The canal along Race Street is now a destination, with shade trees along the canal walk for a comfortable stroll on a hot day, and steps down to the canal waterfront.

Clemente And Crescent Street Intersection

Trees are added to an expanded sidewalk, jutting out into the intersection. Cars would need to slow down to curve around the trees. There is now a feeling of intention when driving onto either Clemente or Crescent Streets from the other.