Park Avenue South Malls

After years of decline, the “park” in Park Avenue South had become lost. Through a private / quasi-public initiative, a comprehensive rehabilitation of the Avenue’s malls sought to revitalize local economic activity and improve neighborhood identity. With focus on the central mall median, project stakeholder’s mission to create an “identity-making” landscape with reliable long-term sustainable characteristics. Strict capital cost criteria and challenging urban growing conditions led to a soil and horticultural science-based solution. Soil testing and analysis revealed the need for a comprehensive soil profile biological and chemical transformation. By adapting agricultural soil refurbishment practices through annual rye grass propagation, the prohibitive cost for a complete soil removal and replacement was avoided.

With suitable soil improvements and growing conditions confirmed, inspirations to capture the visual and spatial qualities of revered European urban boulevards were pursued. Pollution tolerant columnar Sweet Gum trees met the horticultural science and the intended visual hedgerow design criteria. Stretching for more than 7 blocks, the trees’ tall and narrow columnar form emerged as a distinct “green” urban form slicing through the confines of the Avenue’s street wall corridor. Regular testing of soil structure and bio-mass root fungi activity informed seasonal organic soil feeding programs built-in to the project’s scope and budget. il structural and biomass specifications. Low growing evergreen groundcovers with accents of pollenating flowering and drought tolerant perennials complete the “Park’s” avenue restoration.