Special Recognition:

The Awards for Excellence in Design also gave special recognition to two completed projects, Parks Without Borders and the Community Parks Initiative. Parks Without Borders aims to improve the interface between New York City parks and their surrounding neighborhoods. As part of OneNYC, this initiative aims to make parks more welcoming, accessible, and active. Each design concept will begin at the park edge, with lowered fences and gates, wider and more porous entrances, and improved sightlines into the park.

Similarly, The Community Parks Initiative seeks to transform bleak, paved yards (often with high chain-link fences) into green parks with playgrounds for children, animated water play, multi-use courts and fields, sitting areas, and multi-generational community gathering places. The initiative also includes five new and 15 reconstructed comfort stations and incorporates green infrastructure to manage on-site and street storm water runoff.

Next, check out 10 of the most unconventional public buildings in NYC and 5 of NYC’s Microcities.

Text for this article is an adaptation from press materials from City Hall, with additional notes by Untapped Cities staff.