Archinect - News

Talking parks with Adrian Benepe, senior vice president of The Trust for Public Land

2015-11-13T18:53:00-05:00

Before becoming senior vice president for The Trust for Public Land in 2012, Adrian Benepe spent 11 years working as New York City Park Commissioner under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, overseeing such projects as the High Line, Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Central Park's renovation, among others. The sheer level of Manhattan park development under his tenure has been compared to the changes amassed under Robert Moses.

Now at the nonprofit Trust, which is headquartered in San Francisco but operates throughout the US, Benepe focuses on providing public park space for people in urban areas, to "ensure that everyone has access to nature within a 10-minute walk from home," (in the words of the Trust). While visiting Los Angeles for the Dwell on Design conference earlier this year, Benepe spoke with me about his path to TPL, how green space is necessary for resiliency, and the symbiotic relationship between the public and private in parks. Listen below:

From the interview: info on...

Trust for Public Land initiative will soon bring greener alleys to L.A.

2015-07-03T19:03:00-04:00

If the project is scaled up, it could have a substantial impact on the urban fabric: Los Angeles has a total of almost 900 miles of alleys, roughly the length of the coast of California. Proponents believe that on a citywide scale, green alleys could act as significant rainwater sponges, mitigate the heat island effect, and reduce vehicle use, as well as bring social and health benefits to nearby residents.

Tori Kjer, a program director of the Trust for Public Land, and her colleagues won support from local South L.A. communities for their proposed Avalon Green Alley Network Plan, which will transform the city's alleyways into more community-friendly spaces for playing and for bike and walking routes. The plan will start with the renovation of two alleys early next year.

Locals welcome The 606, a.k.a. Chicago's "High Line", but anxiety for its future remains

2015-06-10T10:15:00-04:00

Chicago's highly anticipated elevated trail and park system known as The 606, otherwise referred to as the Bloomingdale Trail or the "Chicago High Line", finally celebrated its grand opening this past Saturday on the appropriate date of June 6 (6/06). The centerpiece of the $95 million project — which had its first phase designed by ARUP, Carol Ross Barney, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Burns & McDonnell, and the Chicago Public Art Group — is a 2.7 mile elevated trail that replaces the defunct Bloomingdale rail line. The trail will connect the Wicker Park, Bucktown, Humboldt Park, and Logan Square neighborhoods and six parks. And unlike similar linear-park projects, The 606 is open to pedestrians and cyclists to use as a new "transit corridor".

Prior to The 606, those communities were historically divided by the Bloomingdale railway and were in need of open green space. The newly opened trail is still looking fairly sparse at the moment, but later phases of the project include ...