Jane Jacobs Atlantic Yards Report Card #9: Park Design Makes Use of “Enclosure” to Define Park Space? NO

This is evaluation item #9 (of 47) of the Jane Jacobs Atlantic Yards Report Card

Park Design Makes Use of “Enclosure” to Define Park Space? NO



Jane Jacobs said that parks should be enclosed by buildings so as to be recognizable events. The Atlantic Yards green space is not enclosed as a recognizable event. Nor is Ratner’s Atlantic Avenue Mall space.

JJ Cites: [- - the presence of buildings around a park is important in design. They enclose it. They make a definite shape out of the space, so that it appears as an important event in the city scene, a positive feature, rather than a no-account leftover. Far from being attracted by indefinite leftover of land oozing around buildings, people behave as if repelled by them. P. 106]


(For more on this subject see Noticing New York’s post: Monday, September 22, 2008, Should a Teardrop be Shed- Considering the Burden?)