Project: Liberty State Park Vision & Concept Design
Location Jersey CIty, New Jersey
Master Plan & Concept Design for City Park
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Building on prior engagement and planning efforts, the Gehl team developed a concept design for Liberty State Park to elevate this flagship public space’s role as an area destination that celebrates active recreation, connection to nature, and local culture and character.
Vision
Three Pillars to Anchor the Vision:
1.A new model for equitable access and mobility in urban parks
2.A flagship, flexible athletic hub for northern New Jersey and beyond
3.A one-of-a-kind center stage for Jersey City’s diverse, creative spirit
Park vision rooted in local identity
A bold vision for all of Liberty State Park Liberty State Park, a vast public waterfront, is a world-class park awaiting transformation. Despite the park’s prime location and adjacency to one of the most densely populated counties in the country, there is an absence of green open spaces accessible to locals and visitors.
The People’s Park Foundation called upon Gehl to imagine how Liberty State Park could further evolve as a seminal public space for Jersey City. Gehl used a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to understand community needs and desires for the future of the park.
To begin the project, the Gehl team conducted an existing conditions assessment — inclusive of
observation, surveys, and mapping — to identify opportunities for the site. A key method was engagement workshopping, in which the design team led vision and design reviews with community leaders to prioritize ideas and explore programming potential with stakeholders. Based on the data collected from workshop sessions, surveys, and existing conditions assessments, Gehl developed a vision and concept plan that built upon work to date, presenting a vision for the park that balanced everyday recreation, competitive athletics, and arts, culture and education.
The vision was developed to respond to the needs of Jersey City that coaches, educators, and community leaders have identified as pressing for the health, well-being and
Facts
Client People’s Park Foundation
Gehl team Julia Day (Project Director), Eamon O’Connor (Project Manager), Lily Wubeshet, Rebecca Cook, Anna Muessig, Donna Mena, Olivia Flynn, Nikita K Year 2021
Liberty State Park Concept Design Zones of Activity & Focus Areas
Zone 3: Competitive Athletics
A world-class track and field facility for every season, with supporting indoor facilities for competitors, and modular spectator areas that blend into the adjacent wild area.
opportunity of the CIty’s youth and residents. The concept design the Gehl team developed focused on a 50 acre outparcel to the southwest of the park interior, outside of the NJDEP’s identified restoration area as well as a couple high-impact, strategic outparcels in the park interior: a gateway outparcel at the nexus of Johnston and Jersey Avenues and a waterfront outparcel located off Freedom Way.
The plans Gehl presented were both conceptual and dynamic, and served as a platform for continued, open dialogue with the local community and DEP leaders about how the park can best serve nearby neighborhoods, the broader city, and the wider region while meeting the city’s diverse and evolving present and future needs.
Collection of example ‘ Zones of Activity’ and ‘Focus Areas’ from Gehl’s Concept Design for Liberty State Park.
Zones of Activity :
1. Everyday Recreation
2. Social Heart
3. Competative Athletics
4. Waterfront Extension
Focus Areas :
A. Gateway Outparcel
B. Athletic Interior
C. Waterfront Outparcel
Zone 4: Waterfront Exention
A gateway to the athletic and wild interior sections of the park, housing mobility offerings (e.g., bus stop, bike share), and indoor / outdoor amenities and recreation.
Area C: Waterfront Outparcel
A cultural hub at the nexus of wild, athletic, and waterfront
