LSA 220 Introduction to Landscape Architecture

An Alternative Park Universe

Ligiana Fonseca
October 26, 2014

Norman B. Leventhal Park, or Post Office Square, was built in Boston in 1991, and today it is a
great example of a lively public space, which is always full of people during weekdays. The park
was an enlargement of a small square located on the side of a three store garage surrounded
by many office buildings, and its success today is attributed to the use of the space by
individuals who work in these offices during their breaks. The park makes evident the human
necessity to relax during a long day of work and have contact with nature, for according to
Padjen (2014), the open space is used even during cold days. However, the location of the park
and some factors related to its construction and maintenance makes it be not completely
public if we analyze the profile of its users. In order to build the park, planners needed to find a
solution for the garage located in the site, so they decided to build it underground. Part of the
revenue collected with the rent of parking spaces is administered in the maintenance of the
square, which is used by the same individuals who pay to have access to the garage. The
public-private association was essential to put the design into practice, but it makes the space
seems not completely public. In addition, it was necessary to excavate 7 floors underground in
order to create an enough number of parking spaces; it was a huge intervention in the site.

Reference:
Padjen, E. An Alternative Park Universe. Landscape Architecture Magazine Oct. 2014: 158-
167. Print.