Tour Brooklyn Bridge Park with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

Uncover the epic story of how Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates transformed an abandoned Brooklyn waterfront into an award-winning public landscape and a model for adaptive reuse as you tour Brooklyn Bridge Park!

Tour Brooklyn Bridge Park with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

Tour Highlights:

  • Join a guided walk through Brooklyn Bridge Park led by Matt Urbanski, a partner at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
  • Hear expert insight about the site’s history and the essential design strategies behind the landscape, as well as the 20-year process of planning and realizing one of Brooklyn’s most transformative public parks
  • Discover how the park’s design implemented crucial shoreline resilience measures that responded to the site’s postindustrial condition
  • See how horticultural and technical innovations (such as plant communities that mimic ecological succession and noise-attenuating berms) were developed to improve the sustainability and experience of the park
  • Learn how programs like play spaces and athletics are incorporated to invite a wide range of park users and reconnect New Yorkers with the East River

About this Event:

Matt Urbanski will guide visitors through Brooklyn Bridge Park and share insights on the site’s history, the essential design strategies behind the landscape, and the 20-year process of planning and realizing one of Brooklyn’s most transformative public parks!

You can learn more about the creation of Brooklyn Bridge Park in the firm's new monograph, Brooklyn Bridge Park: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. This book takes readers on a journey from the park’s inception in 1999 and through several design and construction phases until its completion in 2021 with the dedication of the Emily Roebling Plaza under the Brooklyn Bridge. Through seven chapters, it highlights the challenges, insights, and innovations concerning key elements of the project, building on more than a decade of reflection. It is heavily illustrated with early site visit shots, realized and unrealized plans and sketches, and current park photography, as well as a photo essay that takes readers on a tour from Red Hook to Dumbo, celebrating what it feels like to be in the park, shifting attention from the design to the visitors who give it vitality and meaning.

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Photo Credits: Elizabeth Felicella, Izabela Levy, and Scott Shigley

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How many tickets can I reserve? 

If you are an Insider level member ($20/month), you can reserve 1 ticket to this event. Explorer level members ($30/month) or Superfan ($100/month) can reserve 2 tickets. If you are a Support or Enthusiast level member but would like to attend, it’s easy to upgrade your account here

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The event is sold out?

In-person Insider tours may have limited capacity and are booked on a first come, first served basis.

But don’t worry! Sometimes spots open up closer to the event date if there are cancellations. We also repeat our most popular events when possible so you will have another opportunity to join us. There are also multiple other members-only events weekly that you can join in!

What if I need to cancel?

If you cancel more than 48 hours ahead of the scheduled event, you will receive a 100%. When canceled less than 48 hours before the start of your tour, you will receive a gift card that can be used on any future events. Please be courteous to your fellow Insiders and let us know if you can no longer attend so we can offer your spot to another person.

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