good news At last, a place to play
Few places need a good park more than the Tenderloin. In the densest of San Francisco neighborhoods, many residents live in single rooms—making public open space critical to the community’s health and happiness. For years, the site that should have served as the local hub was anything but. Though it sits in walking distance of 50,000 potential visitors, the grim and imposing design of Boeddeker Park offered few options for play and did little to discourage crime. But at the reopening celebration in December, there was little to suggest the park’s past. Shouts from a basket- ball game mixed with the chimes of a giant xylophone as grinning schoolkids swarmed a new climbing structure.
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The new design includes an energy- efficient community clubhouse.
Neighbors toured the remodeled clubhouse, Fitness Zone® area, and garden. There’s still a perimeter fence—but it’s now threaded with wrought-iron flowers. For the neighbors who’ve watched Boeddeker’s trans-
formation, the opening was the culmination of a long fight for the park they deserve—including an extensive com- munity workshop process to identify the features locals wanted most. Though there’s plenty to impress in the final product—from green infrastructure elements to custom artwork—Boeddeker’s reinvention is more than a textbook entry for good design. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee put it this way: “It’s not just about the space—it’s about the people. It is a tremendous investment in equity.”
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20 · LAND&PEOPLE · SPRING/SUMMER 2015
jeremy beeton
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