Description
MVVA’s 23-year story of transforming 85 acres of Brooklyn waterfront into parkland that reconnects New Yorkers to the East River
Reclaimed from 1.3 miles of New York’s postindustrial waterfront, Brooklyn Bridge Park is a place for escape, recreation, and immersion in the natural world. Transforming parking lots and crumbling piers into a living ecosystem, the project is an exemplar of climate resilience, fiscal innovation, and joyful public space. This book examines MVVA’s process of designing a park that went from a remote possibility to an essential part of the city around it.
About the Author
Michael Van Valkenburgh is the founder of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, a leading landscape architecture firm with award-winning parks, urban spaces, and campus landscapes across North America. He is the Charles Eliot Emeritus Professor in Landscape Architecture at Harvard GSD.
Julie Bargmann is Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Virginia School of Architecture and founding principal of D.I.R.T. Studio.
Amanda Hesser, well-known food writer, editor, and entrepreneur, is founder and CEO of Food52.
Elijah Chilton is the Director of Communications and design writer at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates.
Praise For…
‘A testament to the 25 years of relentless work that came with the park’s transformation.’ –The Harvard Crimson
‘With over 300 photographs and drawings, the book is a visual biography of the ambitious work of urban and landscape design in New York City.’ –designboom
‘A new book dedicated to the park with a photography-heavy look back at its planning, design and construction. . . . [It] documents the process of creating a destination park, winning over politicians and neighbors in the planning process and designing around a series of environmental challenges.’ – Bloomberg CityLab
‘A beautiful book that takes readers on a journey from the park’s inception to its completion.’ – Upscale Living Magazine
‘Richly illustrated with before-and-after photographs, concept sketches, and design documents, the book brings the reader on a journey . . . the volume is similar to what Van Valkenburgh believes makes for a good park: something you can get lost in.’ – Interior Design
‘A visual celebration of a park a quarter-century in the making.’ – World-Architects