Second Ward Park

Like many American urban centers, Charlotte underwent what was termed ‘urban renewal’ after the civil upheaval and economic disparity of the late 1950s through the mid-1960s. As the city tried to create a clean slate, much of the downtown was razed, including Brooklyn Village, a once vibrant and self-sufficient African American urban community. For this neighborhood, now called Second Ward, LandDesign worked with the City of Charlotte to create a master plan and implementation strategies and is now working with Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation to design Second Ward Park, a new 5-acre urban park sited on a brownfield infill parcel.

The intent of the park is to revive the essence of this historic area by creating a series of spaces and programming elements intended to serve a diverse population with varied ages, races, and socio-economic backgrounds. As the first urban park developed by Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation for the City of Charlotte, the park is proposed as a catalyst for re-development within the blocks surrounding it and is expected to have impact across the entire Second Ward neighborhood. The park will also provide livable and memorable public open space for the growing residential population in Uptown Charlotte, including programmable open space for city-wide events.

The park's design features three key areas – Interaction Plaza, Village Market, and Garden of Reflection. The Interaction Plaza is programmed as a dynamic attraction with lush landscape for play and an interactive water feature where the neighborhood's history is etched into glass water troughs. The Village Market is a piazza designed with moveable tables and chairs for informal dining and relaxation as well as special events such as concerts, outdoor movies, ice skating, and various outdoor markets. Trellis elements provide a more intimate scale and shadow pattern, and contemporary vendor kiosks are clad with living walls to soften the space. The Garden of Reflection is designed for more passive activities such as meditation and contemplation. A quiet pocket with iconic, storytelling cast glass/stainless steel sculptures and cascading water creates an oasis for people to escape from the hustle and bustle of Charlotte and reflect on their place in the world.

As the lead design firm, LandDesign’s scope includes preliminary planning, public input process, design development, construction documents, and construction administration. LandDesign is providing planning, survey, landscape architecture, and civil engineering for the project.