The Great Lawn, Central Park
New York, NY

After over sixty years of continuous use the most popular location in Central Park was in dire need of rehabilitation. A study of the Great Lawn’s usage determined that with minor changes, the essence of the original design from the 1930’s could remain. This included both an open lawn and ballfields, in addition to carefully crafted walkways that wound through the woodland landscape surrounding the main oval lawn.

Both the ballfields and the passive green lawn space needed to co-exist. As a result, baseball backstops were woven into the canopies of trees and irrigation and drainage systems were designed to keep the lawns in optimal condition. Maintenance strategies were also devised to minimize the stress on the lawn so that the Great Lawn would remain green even after intense use by ball teams and large public gatherings.

Several historic arches from Olmsted and Vaux’s original park design border the lawn and the pathways and landscapes associated with these structures were also included in the reconstruction of the oval itself. These were restored and re-planted with historically appropriate tough urban species.

ASLA Honor Award
With the Central Park Conservancy and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation,
Member of Design Team

Next Parks Project:
Hudson River Park Master Plan
New York, NY