How to Design a Park That Brings a Community Together

Parks are meant for everyone, but they don’t always feel that way. A lack of transportation, paths that are not easily navigated, or elements that are not responsive to a community’s wants or needs can make a park unwelcoming. But park planners today are trying to change that by bringing residents, neighbors, and stakeholders into the planning process. Case in point: San Francisco’s newest park India Basin, located in Bayview-Hunters Point. The park, which opens this Saturday, relied heavily on a community input process that resulted in designs responsive to the people it serves. We’ll talk to park experts about efforts to make urban landscapes more inclusive and rooted in the history of their communities.