About the Resilient Small Parks and Open Spaces Study
In DC there are over 1,100 District-owned small parks and open spaces which amount to a total of 148 acres. This study is the pilot project of a larger initiative to improve DC’s small parks and open spaces by incorporating resilient design features. During this initial phase, two clusters of small parks - one along Minnesota Ave in Fairlawn/Anacostia and the other along Bladensburg Road in Langdon - were selected for analysis and concept-level design development.
This study will be conducted between August 2023 and July 2024 through a combined effort between the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the DC Office of Planning (OP) and will be informed by robust community engagement and interagency collaboration.
Small Park Selection Process
The project team used a Resilience Assessment Tool developed by OP and DPR as the basis for the small park cluster selections. The team initially selected five clusters to bring for discussion at an Interagency Meeting that occurred in October 2023. The park clusters were selected based on a mixture of the following criteria:
- Exposure to extreme heat and/or flooding
- Presence of vulnerable populations
- Potential to mitigate impacts of climate change
- Presence of mature trees
- Diversity of park types
- Walkability within ¼ mile
While no one park cluster met all the above criteria, two of the clusters - Bladensburg Road and Minnesota Ave - emerged as the best candidates for the initial phase of the Small Parks and Open Space Resilience Assessment and Design. Beyond the initial phase, this framework will be used by DPR and OP for the continued roll-out of the Small Parks Resilience project and shared with other DC agencies for their use.
Study Areas
Bladensburg Road Study Area
The Bladensburg Road small parks study area consists of four small park parcels that are located along Bladensburg Road NE between South Dakota Avenue NE to the north and Douglas Street NE to the south.
Minnesota Ave Study Area
The Minnesota Avenue small parks study area consists of three small park parcels that are located along Minnesota Ave between Naylor Road to the north and T Street NE to the south.
April 11th Resilient Small Parks and Open Spaces Community Meeting
Please see below for link and call in info to join our Zoom meeting this evening.
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