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Dutch Kills Green | Image: Linda Pollak
Public Space Potluck: Dutch Kills Green
Tuesday, May 15th
UPDATED DATE: Wednesday, May 23, 2012
6:30-8:00 pm
Queens Plaza, Long Island City, Queens
Queensboro Plaza (7, 7X, N, Q)
Queens Plaza (E, M, R)
Free and open to all
RSVP on Facebook or by email to rsvp@designtrust.org by Monday, May 14 Wednesday, May 23
Join Urban Omnibus and the Design Trust for Public Space for a field trip to Dutch Kills Green, a one-acre public space at the eastern end of Queens Plaza, Long Island City’s newly-transformed gateway to the borough.
Dutch Kills Green opened last month, marking the completion of a $45 million project to revitalize Queens Plaza that has improved roadway and streetscape design, reclaimed open space for public use, and reconnected the surrounding neighborhoods to the nearby river. A former commuter parking lot, the site now boasts ample green space with wetlands, native plantings, inviting seating, and permeable pavers designed by artist Michael Singer.
In 2009, we spoke with architects and urban designers Sandro Marpillero and Linda Pollak of Marpillero Pollak Architects, and landscape designer Margie Ruddick of WRT Design — the principal designers of the project along with Michael Singer Studio — to talk about the Queens Plaza Bicycle and Pedestrian Landscape Improvement Project and how the site challenges conventional notions of what an urban park can be. The redesign, overseen by the NYC Department of City Planning and the NYC Economic Development Corporation, “transforms the tangle of urban infrastructure cutting through Long Island City from a harsh, disorienting industrial maze into a lush, navigable landscape, a gateway to Long Island City that organizes various flows and scales while providing a refuge for residents, workers and the road-weary.“
It’s time to see the results of their efforts for ourselves, so we’re partnering again with our friends at the Design Trust for one of their Public Space Potlucks. These potlucks are informal events that invite urbanists to share a meal and some conversation while exploring New York City’s built environment. Please bring your own beverage and a dish to share. Plates, napkins and utensils will be provided.
We will be at Queens Plaza’s Dutch Kills Green from 6:30-8:00pm. Arrive by 6:45pm to hear from key players involved in the project (list in formation):
Penny Lee, Senior Planner, New York City Department of City Planning
Linda Pollak, Principal, Marpillero Pollak Architects
Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, Vice President, Development, New York City Economic Development Corporation
Leni Schwendinger, Principal, Light Projects Ltd.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues, just remember to RSVP on Facebook or by email to rsvp@designtrust.org by Monday, May 14 Wednesday, May 23
After the potluck, the Long Island City exploration will continue over cocktails at Dutch Kills (27-24 Jackson Ave).
Questions? Contact Kristin LaBuz at the Design Trust for Public Space at klabuz@designtrust.org.
Image courtesy of Marpillero Pollak Architects
The views expressed here are those of the authors only and do not reflect the position of The Architectural League of New York.
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