Zimmerman's plan divided the garden into three zones: The Lower Gallery, The Red Mountain Garden, and the Upper Plaza. The sunken Lower Gallery is an "open air" space used for temporary exhibits. The Red Mountain Club Garden, elevated slightly above the Lower Gallery, is an homage to the Birmingham Museum of Art's original garden — with the preservation of its old water oak trees and social character. This portion of the garden, used as a human-scale, social space, also contains significant sculptures by Auguste Rodin and Fernando Botero.

The striking Upper Plaza was designed for the museum's permanent sculptures and most monumental pieces including a major early sculpture by George Rickey. The focal point of the entire 13,000-square-foot Upper Plaza is Lithos II, a "waterwall" created by Elyn Zimmerman. This sculpture not only represents the geological striations of Birmingham itself, but masks the traffic noise from the nearby freeway.

As a national leader in tours for visually disabled and blind visitors, it's clear that the garden's primary focus is accessibility and enjoyment for all. As Birmingham photographer Virginia Jones explains: "It is a wonderful place to introduce children to the world of art. They can run around, be noisy, and look at the eclectic mix of sculpture up close and personal."

Salient Characteristics, Features

Collaborative Planning

• Garden is part of $21 million expansion of the museum; completed 1993
• Team included architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, nationally known environmental sculptor Elyn Zimmerman, and KPS Group, Inc.
• Garden is part of the largest municipal museum in southeastern U.S.

Unique Design

Elyn Zimmerman's landscape design complements and draws attention to art, including two site-specific water features created by artist Valerie Jaudon

The Lower Gallery created as a neutral space for temporary exhibits; located below garden's normal level to not compete with other spaces

The Upper Plaza's "waterwall" alludes to Birmingham's geological, economic, and social history involving minerals, rocks, and the steel industry

One of Sol LeWitt's largest outdoor paintings — on a wall overlooking the garden — is visible from the nearby freeway

Displays works by world-renowned artists, including Auguste Rodin, Fernando Botero, Jacques Lipchitz, Beverly Pepper

Multiple Users, Uses

• A hub of activity year-round, including exhibition talks, classes, concerts, and special events, such as the annual "Art on the Rocks"
• Besides sculpture viewing, garden used for reading, sketching, painting
• Museum initiated "Hands across Art" program (1990) to make paintings and sculptures accessible to the blind and vision impaired; museum remains a national leader in tours for visually impaired and blind visitors, allowing for tactile interaction with the sculptures.
• Visiting sculptors from U.S. and the world come to live and work in Birmingham using city's "active industrial sites and dormant foundries" as studios; visiting artists' work often installed with museum guests in attendance

Another change pushing the building towards obsolescence was construction of the double-decker Embarcadero freeway in 1957 that left only the clock tower of the building visible. Offices filled in the large open hall, and its beautiful mosaic floor was covered up.

The Embarcadero freeway was damaged in 1989's Loma Prieta earthquake and demolished in 1991, opening a new chapter for the depot.

Collaborating on a 10-year, $110 million renovation were former Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr., Equity Office Properties, Wilson Meany Sullivan, and the Port of San Francisco. To attract visitors, the ground floor was styled as a European market place, incorporating ideas from public markets in Paris, Harrods in London, Peck in Milan, and Pike Place Market in Seattle.

Since its reopening in 2003, more than 10,000 commuters a day have used the Ferry Building. Panoramic views of the bay, Treasure Island, and the Oakland Bay Bridge are available from a new wharf. A large, sunny plaza outside the building's southern end accommodates a year-round Farmer's Market. Inside, the building's great hall has been completely restored and includes restaurants, historic galleries, and places to sit and enjoy the waterfront. "It's not just an icon anymore," said San Francisco Planning Director Byron Rhett. "People are using the building again."

Defining Characteristics, Features

Historical Significance

• Designed by architect Arthur Page Brown to replace an 1875 wooden Ferry House; steel-framed foundation is the largest for a building over water in world; first scheduled ferry service began July 1898
• The 245-foot clock tower houses the largest wind-up mechanical clock in the world; dials are 22 feet in diameter; electric motors are now used to move hour and minute hands
• Steel structure survived 1906 and 1989 major earthquakes with little damage
• Listed in 1977 as City of San Francisco historic landmark; added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978
• Before renovation, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen wrote that the building  was "a famous city's most famous landmark"

Mixed-Use Vision and Plan

• The farmers market, located on a makeshift parking lot outside of the building after the freeway was removed, became popular and helped inspire decision not to rebuild the freeway and to restore the Ferry Building to its former greatness
• Planned as mixed-use development with world-class food market
• Port of San Francisco selects the joint venture between Equity Office Properties and Wilson Meany Sullivan, and a design team involving three local architectural firms to redevelop building
• Chris Meany, a developer involved with revitalization, says building "one of the most important and dramatic interior spaces in the western U.S."

Renovations

• Bay waterfront revitalization begins in 1998 with Ferry Building as the main focus
• Renovations include complete seismic and structural retrofit;  re-creation of 660-foot-long Great Nave skylight, 11 monumental brick and terracotta arches, 34 clathri windows each 11 feet tall; 12 steel arched trusses, 35 other arches restored
• First floor provides 65,000 square feet of space including eight restaurants and cafes with both indoor and outdoor seating, more than 30 shops, small building museum; 22,000 square feet of mosaic marble restored on first floor
• Second and third floors provide 175,000 square feet of office space
• Farmer's market features locally grown and produced specialty foods, including fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and wines; open three days a week

Mizner Park was accomplished through a public/private partnership among the City of Boca Raton; the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency; the original developer, Crocker and Company; and cultural users.  Today the public/private partnership that contributed to Mizner Park's success continues between the City of Boca Raton, Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency, and General Growth Partners (GGP) and cultural users.

Four-blocks long and linear in shape, Plaza Real is looped around by one-way streets, leaving about 200 feet between the buildings and plaza. The greatness of the space is related not only to the space itself but is relationship and interface with adjacent cultural and commercial uses.  The plaza is anchored on the north by the Boca Raton Museum of Art and Count de Hoernle amphitheater and on the south by the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Association Center. East and west the plaza interfaces directly to ground floor restaurants and retail shops, with offices and apartments overlooking the plaza. The space itself is defined by four fountains, three wrought-iron detailed gazebos, and majestic Royal and Washingtonian palm trees located along the entire length on the plaza on both sides. Benches are located every few feet along with small gardens, grassy areas, and spaces for statues and other public art.

No details were spared when building the plaza. The layout and building placement were designed to create a "Venturi effect" that enhances the breezes that flow through the plaza. Parking structures were strategically designed and located so that the loop streets could be completely closed for special events and festivals resulting in one contiguous pedestrian space.

With Mizner Park's stunning architecture and design, described by University of Washington architecture professor Anne Vernez Moudon as "a post-modern reincarnation of 19th-century Paris and Barcelona," Plaza Real is a welcoming and comfortable public space for residents and visitors alike.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Planning and Development

• This park is located in the epicenter of downtown Boca Raton's Mizner Park, a 30-acre residential, social, business, recreational, cultural, and shopping district
• "One of the first and most successful mixed use redevelopments of a mall site in the United States," acording to Nathan Cherry, author of Grid/Street/Place: Essential Elements of Sustainable Urban Districts
• Adjacent to public parking, transit stops, bicycle parking and pedestrian paths
• The plaza pays tribute to many stylized details and elements of Addison Mizner, who is largely credited with creating Boca Raton, particularly in the use of stone columns, fountains, and the look of wrought iron detail of the park benches and gazebos

Details and Features

• 1.2 million pavers were put in by hand to create the sidewalk and the street; parking spots are marked off by different colored pavers instead of a painted line
• At the center of the plaza is the Snyder Fountain, named after Jamie Snyder, former chairman of the Community Redevelopment Agency, who helped make Plaza Real and Mizner Park a reality
• Four public parking garages, bike racks and wide sidewalks cater to pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle traffic, make the space easily accessible by automobile, bicycle, and foot

The Mix of Uses

• At the north end of the plaza is the Countess De Hoernle Amphitheater and the Boca Raton Museum of Art.  An additional building site for cultural use is currently used as green space
• At the southwest end of the plaza is the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center that includes a 315-seat Black Box Theater and Exhibition Space
• Restaurants, apartments, townhomes, office space, and retail shops surround the east and west sides of the plaza
• Location of many community events, including an annual arts festival and numerous concerts

Contributing to the square's charm is its namesake ornamental black-iron fountain, framed by a pair of matching limestone arches at the park's entrances along Park Row and Main Avenue. Pathways lead to the fountain from these as well as two other entrances located on College and State streets. The luscious greenery remains largely unchanged from the design of R.L. Sturtevant, who was commissioned by the Bowling Green Garden Club in 1934 to develop a landscaping plan for the square.

Helping spur public interest in protecting Fountain Square and surrounding buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries was the addition of the Bowling Green Downtown Commercial District to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. With help of city officials, local merchants, and residents, over the past three decades the central downtown area has been turned into a vibrant business district with unique shops, restaurants, offices, and upper-floor housing tied together by the square.

Concerts, art shows, and other special events draw thousands to the square each year, but it also serves as a hub of everyday activity where residents and visitors can step back in time and enjoy the calm, comfortable atmosphere.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Cultural and Physical Center of the City

• Fountain Square is midway between Western Kentucky University and the Barren River between College Street and State Street, the city's primary rights-of-way
• Historic plans dating to 1871 and 1877 show the square as the primary focus of the city's public space improvement at the time; explains why Downtown Redevelopment Authority calls the park "the centerpiece of the city's urban design heritage"
• The square's original stone fountain was replaced in 1881 with a 6,000-pound, two-tier, black-iron fountain purchased from J.L. Mott Ironworks
• Throughout its 140-year long history, the park has been the site of political parades, temperance rallies, marketplace exchanges, and other events, making it an integral part of Bowling Green's history
• Originally the site of a log courthouse

Hub of Activity

• The square is the heart of the downtown business district with retail, commercial, government, residential, and institutional buildings with original facades from the late 19th and early 20th centuries; it is always alive with tourists, local residents, and students from nearby Western Kentucky University
• Several events attract large crowds to the park and customers to the surrounding business district, including a free summer concert series that draws up to 7,000 guests per show
• Local entrepreneurs depend on the park's historic and scenic values to attract tourists and foot traffic, and the local merchants association has monthly meetings to organize events that draw crowds to the square

Public Commitment to an Iconic Space

• The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Bowling Green one of its Dozen Distinctive Communities in 2006, singling out Fountain Square as a place that ties the business district together
• The Downtown Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and in 1996 it was designated as a Local Historic District with historic preservation design guidelines in place to guide exterior alterations and new construction
• Financial assistance and incentives for historic preservation are available for business owners on the square from the federal, state, and local governments
• The Bowling Green-Warren County Focus 2030 Comprehensive Plan, published in 2010, calls for the continuation of a "Heritage Walk" from Fountain Square to the Barren River.  This will also include  a series of plaques in the vicinity of Fountain Square that will focus on the "History and Hearsay" associated with the buildings.
• Miranda Clements, historic preservation planner for the city-county planning commission, is sure that Fountain Square will remain protected by the community: "Everybody understands the square is the heart of Bowling Green."

Upper class Bostonians saw public spaces as vital for Boston to be a first-class city. By the 19th century they had three such places: Boston Common, Public Garden, and the grand Parisian-like boulevard, Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

The first priority in selecting a site for the new public spaces, according to an 1875 report by the Boston Parks Commission, was "accessibility for all classes of citizens by walking, driving, riding, or by means of horse or steam cars."

Instead of one central park to be reached through one neighborhood, Frederick Law Olmsted envisioned a series of interconnected parks that capitalized on Boston's unique topography and waterways. He also stressed that the largest space — Franklin Park — should remain open because "openness is the one thing you cannot get in buildings."

More than a hundred years later, the eight parks and connecting mall making up the Emerald Necklace still offer "tranquility and rest of mind" as Olmsted intended.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Rich History

• Boston Common, the oldest park in the country, was used in 1634 as cow grazing area; used for political rallies throughout American Revolution and Civil War
• Noxious odors, health hazards from standing sewage in Back Bay, prompt land filling of bay (1830s); railroads bring fill from nine miles away; fill increases city's acreage from 450 to 783 acres; Public Garden located on new land (1837)
• Boston Public Garden is country's first botanic garden; features equestrian sculpture of George Washington and pedal-powered swan boats, which have been used on the four-acre pond since 1877
• All system components — Franklin Park, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Pond, Olmsted Park, Riverway, Back Bay Fens, Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall — designated National Historic Landmarks and Boston Landmarks
• Named American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Planning Landmark (1991)

Necklace Jewels

• Back Bay Fens features the Kelleher Rose Garden and oldest remaining World War II "Victory Garden" in the country; community events every Tuesday
• Franklin Park home to Schoolmaster Hill, Ralph Waldo Emerson's cabin abode;  18-hole William J. Divine golf course; New England's largest zoo
• Arnold Arboretum, country's first arboretum (1882), operated by Harvard University; 4,000 varieties of woody plants, state-of-the-art research facility
• Jamaica Pond, park's largest body of water, features rowing, sailing, fishing, concert venue; Olmsted Park and Riverway are system's most natural parks
• Emerald Necklace connects to 12 neighborhoods: Beacon Hill, Chinatown, Back Bay, Fenway, Brookline, Longwood, Mission Hill, Roxbury Jamaica Plain, Forest Hills, Roslindale, Dorchester
• Accessible from 20 stops on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green and Orange lines; more than 40 bus routes
• Necklace joined by parallel auto parkway and seven miles of walking, running, and biking trails

Public Support, Ongoing Improvement

• Non-profit Friends of the Public Garden, formed in 1970s, provides volunteer and financial support to Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall; The Emerald Necklace Conservancy (1998), stewards the Olmsted-designed parks; provides 20,000 volunteer hours annually, financial support
• Olmsted's original plan was for a U-shaped necklace, connecting Franklin Park to Marine Park in South Boston via Columbia Road; latter segment never completed. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy supports the vision of improving a five-mile section of Columbia Road and William J. Day Boulevard that would connect Franklin Park to South Boston
• Muddy River Restoration Project, a $90 million joint city, state, Town of Brookline and Army Corps of Engineers project, to restore water quality and open river (now flowing through culvert) between Back Bay Fens and Riverway Park
• More than a million visitors use Emerald Necklace each year

Affording numerous vistas of the city's skyscrapers and axial avenues, and a view of the Detroit River, Campus Martius played a prominent role in the city as a central gathering place in the mid-19th century. By the early 1900s, Campus Martius had become the busiest intersection in the city. Streets around the space were widened and traffic lights installed to manage traffic congestion — and make pedestrian access to the campus nearly impossible.

Suburban flight of the 1950s and 1960s left downtown Detroit practically deserted. Department stores near the campus were closed and demolished. The vacant land prompted Ed Carey, city council president at the time, to call Campus Martius "pigeon plaza" because the only visitors were birds.

The $20 million raised to restore and renew Campus Martius was a community-wide effort involving city officials, private businesses, and the not-for-profit Detroit 300 Conservancy. A plan was developed in 2001, Detroit's 300th anniversary, by local leader Edsel Ford II and others as a legacy gift to the city. The plan's implementation began in May 2003 and was completed 19 months later. The result is a park unique to Detroit that is gaining nationwide attention — last spring Campus Martius received an open space award from the Urban Land Institute — and helping draw people back to Detroit.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Early History, Design Influences

• Originally used as a drill ground for militia training (1788); named after 180-foot stockade,  Campus Martius, in Marietta, Ohio
• Ideas of Augustus Woodward, a judge and ancient Rome aficionado, influenced the original plan and construction (1847); designed similar to public spaces found in Rome for gatherings and public events
• Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1872) originally on south side; relocated to southeast corner; commemorates Michigan servicemen killed during Civil War

Revitalization

• Renovations based on public interaction principles developed by William "Holly" Whyte; abundant seating — raised and widened curbs, Paris-style moveable chairs — and "triangulation"  or range of activities to bring and keep people in the park
• Winning redesign for park by Rundell Ernstberger Associates based on idea that "the park must communicate the history, spirit, and identity of Detroit"
• $20 million for planning, design, construction of renovated park a gift to the city from Detroit 300 Conservancy, businesses, individuals, and philanthropic sources
• Robert Gregory, president of  Detroit 300 Conservancy and a member of  task force, said from the planning process "came the idea that the park needed to be more than a park ... it needed to be an urban plaza ... that was active"
• Michigan Avenue, Cadillac Square, Fort Street, Monroe Street, and Woodward Avenue rerouted to create traffic circle around entire park; pedestrian crossings located at all major street intersections along traffic circle
• Six-foot granite pillar marking center of city found during renovation; displayed at renovated park as reminder of city's rich history

Visitor Amenities

• Unique performance areas and retractable stages provide flexibility
• European-style bistro cafe open year-round; ice skating rink during winter months
• Extensive annual and perennial flower gardens; two major lawn areas with movable chairs
• Woodward Fountain has 100 water jets; in center of park, operates year-round
• Park has security 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Shortly before the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation (BPRC) was founded in 1980, Whyte was recruited by the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation to report on existing park conditions, as well as suggested improvements that would lead to an elaborate restoration plan. His proposal included lowering the park to street level, removing the obstructing hedges and fence, and adding entrances to promote pedestrian flow, increased visibility, and improved safety. Recognizing that a successful park is a crowded one, Whyte and BPRC were resolute about designing a park that would attract as many people as possible by making the space welcoming, comfortable, and interesting to people of all ages.

By all accounts the redesign succeeded. During warm months, the essentially crime-free park attracts 25,000 visitors a day, including midtown workers, students, families, and tourists. The major draw for most is the unbroken expanse of grass — the largest in Manhattan south of Central Park. Depending on the time of day the lawn serves as a gigantic lunchroom, concert auditorium, outdoor cinema theater, or a casual place to sunbathe, meet people, chat, or read. During winter, the lawn becomes The Pond, the only free ice-skating rink in the city.

Besides the new design, contributing to the park's success is the continual assessment of how people are using the park. The Bryant Park Corporation notes that "virtually every decision is predicated on whether it will attract visitors or increase linger time." For example, Whyte's philosophy that movable furniture gives people a sense of empowerment led the park to provide 4,000 chairs and 1,000 tables that visitors can position where they want.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Commitment to the Public

• Owned by the city, park is funded and managed by the Bryant Park Corporation (BPC), a private-public partnership co-founded in 1980 by Dan Biederman
• BPC receives no public funds or donations; operates only on  revenue from property assessments within surrounding business improvement district and revenues from on-site restaurants, public events
• BPC stopped hosting Fashion Week because it closed the park for six weeks out of the year to accommodate high-profile guests, compromising the park's mission as a public space
• Two blocks from Times Square; accessible by five New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority subway lines and several bus lines
• Originally a Native American hunting ground, became Reservoir Park in 1847; renamed Bryant Park in 1884 after editor, poet, and  abolitionist William Cullen Bryant
• Successful redesign copied by others, including Houston's Market Square and Pittsburgh's Schenley Plaza

World-Class Amenities

• Two restaurant pavilions, four food kiosks, and meticulously kept restrooms that have become the "gold standard" for public bathrooms
• More than 10,000 at a time attend the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival, started in 1993, which screens classic Hollywood films on the lawn
• The Reading Room, on the north side, offers free newspapers, magazines, and books with a quiet, comfortable seating area several author appearances, children's events, and writers' workshops
• Free knitting, yoga, and tai chi classes, chess, pétanque and ping-pong tournaments
• Bryant Park After Work is a concert series timed to give midtown office workers a pleasant soundtrack to their evening commute; Broadway in the Park is the first program to bring Broadway musicians to perform showstoppers to the public for free
• Le Carrousel, a custom-built, decorative merry-go-round on the south side, is popular with children year-round
• First privately managed public space in U.S. to offer free wi-fi network (2003)

Calming Atmosphere in Midtown

• Landscaping modeled after a Parisian garden with twin promenades running north and south along the lawn lined with London Plane trees; BPC's Horticulture Department cares for six flower beds with more than 100 woody plants, 200 planters, 100,000 daffodils, and 20,000 seasonal bulbs
• Beaux-Arts facade of the central building of the New York Public Library, built in 1911, contributes to park's idyllic charm
• Landscape architects Robert Hanna and Laurie Olin redesigned space in 1988 without radically changing its historic 1930s feel; according to Whyte, their plan "looks very much like the old one, but is opposite in function"
• Fountain Terrace on the west end, Upper Terrace on the east end, and Library Terrace at the rear of the New York City Public Library's central building are focal points of the park

The square dates back to William Penn's original 1681 plan for Philadelphia, although if Penn were alive today he would hardly recognize the space. Originally used as an animal pasture, the area blossomed in the later half of the 19th century into a fashionable backyard for wealthy Philadelphians living nearby in Victorian mansions.

 In 1913, a group of private citizens commissioned architect Paul Cret to transform the still relatively nondescript square into something more inspiring. Cret's solution was a Beaux-Arts design with diagonal crosswalks that cut across the broad stretches of grass, and a circular path in the middle that links all crosswalks, giving the square a maze-like quality that makes it appear much larger than its six acres. Separating the square from the surrounding four busy streets is an ornate iron fence.

Rittenhouse Square has survived as a green oasis for more than 300 years because of the engaged citizenry that has pride in "Philadelphia's living room." Over the years, private citizens have grouped together to protect the square from encroachment from grazing animals, intruding parking garage plans, and overshadowing buildings. The community is committed to keeping Rittenhouse Square a beautiful, comfortable, and appealing place for Philadelphians and visitors from the around the world.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Legacy of a Devoted Community

• Local residents first protected the public square in 1816 (then called Southwest Square), when private citizens loaned the city $800 to till and sod grounds and build a fence to keep out grazing animals
• By late 1800s area surrounding Square considered city's most fashionable neighborhood; wealthy citizens build Victorian mansions, many of which now  adaptively reused as cultural institutions; eclectic mix of brick, stone and terra cotta buildings face Square
• Citizens organized Center City Residents Association (1947) to petition and successfully defeat proposal to build parking garage beneath square
• During 1950s five full time gardeners tended the square; Today, the Friends of Rittenhouse Square provide funding for one of the two full-time employees dedicated to the square
• Philadelphia Historical Commission designated Rittenhouse Square neighborhood a local historic district in 1995; commission approves any alterations to square or buildings facing onto the square. Special Controls  Ordinance for the Center City Commercial Area was added to zoning code (1981)
• Both Rittenhouse Square and Rittenhouse Square District added to the National Register of Historic Places (1981)

Anchors Vibrant Neighborhood

• At the heart of a lively mixed-use neighborhood, Rittenhouse Square is constantly alive with exercisers, workers, the elderly, schoolchildren, parents, students, dog-walkers, loungers, and performers
• Popular weekday lunch spot; more than  2,250 pedestrians pass through one of the square's four grand entrances each hour during lunchtime
• Sounds of students practicing at the Curtis Institute of Music, located just east of the square, are often heard; the Philadelphia City Institute, a free library, is nearby on West Rittenhouse Street
• The neighborhood includes housing that ranges from small row homes to high-rise condominiums and apartments, making it a dense and diverse residential area
• Square's northern border, along Walnut Street, considered Philadelphia's premier shopping district

Inviting Community Space

• A reflecting pool, flower beds, and trees, including sycamore, horse chestnut, maple, elms and oaks, promote relaxing atmosphere
• Square provides ceremonial place for annual community festivals, including  Flower Market (established 1914) and Juried Fine Art Show (established 1932)
• Square easily accessible to pedestrians, cyclists and visitors coming via Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) high-speed line; Broad Street subway; Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) subway-surface trolley line; four SEPTA bus routes
• Square has several sculptures including "Billy," a bronze goat statue in the southwest corner — a favorite spot for children to play

The plaza's downward trajectory didn't change until 2005 when former Mayor Phil Hardberger proposed to renovate Main Plaza and enliven the space. To restore Main Plaza's former appeal to pedestrians, city planners realigned streets that were separating the plaza from San Fernando Cathedral and the Bexar County Courthouse.  Planners also added a new path to connect the plaza with the River Walk by making it the focal point of San Antonio's city center.

Completed in April 2008, the $12 million renovation created a multitude of new additions to the plaza.  Five new interactive fountains are located in the center of the Plaza, helping create a serene and cool atmosphere — and a fun place for kids to play. Free wi-fi has been added as well as abundant seating in shaded areas.

Small vignettes of San Antonio's history are scattered throughout the plaza in 30  artistic pavers, each telling a historically accurate story about the plaza through quotes and drawings, by Char Miller.  With the Lady Justice Fountain dating back to 1896, and San Fernando Cathedral, which is the oldest continuously operated cathedral in the nation and the oldest building in Texas, it becomes evident that Main Plaza embodies San Antonio's rich history.

Local culture unfolds in Main Plaza every day, from musicians performing and artists displaying their works,  to farmers selling produce. The vivid history, accompanied by the local culture, and Spanish influences, shows that Main Plaza is truly the "cultural corazón of the city."

Defining Characteristics and Salient Features

Significant History

• Main Plaza was the site of the first civil settlement in Texas. The plaza was locked in a grid, with plans to build government buildings, and housing along radiating streets with the cathedral in the center. Established in 1731 as "the Villa de San Fernando" by the Spanish Settlers from the Canary Islands
• On the northeast side of the plaza is a plaque that marks the exact location where women and children were taken to safety during the Battle of the Alamo
• A statue of St. Anthony of Padua, the city's namesake, is located to the right of the San Fernando Cathedral, on Main Plaza's West Promenade
• Two buildings bordering Main Plaza are a part of the National Register of Historical Places :  San Fernando Cathedral (1755), and Bexar County Courthouse (1896)

Major Revitalization

• The 1.55-acre expansion, started in 2006, connects Main Plaza with San Fernando Cathedral, Bexar County Courthouse, and the Riverwalk. City streets were arranged so as not to overwhelm the plaza, cutting off Dwyer Street and Main Avenue, with the main thoroughfare of Commerce Street and Dolorosa Street to the north and south of the plaza (respectively)
• A pathway now connects Main Plaza via the Portal de San Fernando, to the world-famous Riverwalk on the plaza's East Side
• A nonprofit organization, Main Plaza Conservancy, remains a strong advocate and ally while conducting the day to day operations on the plaza. The Conservancy's Mission is to provide San Antonio and its visitors with the cultural and historical Heart of the City
• According to former Mayor Hardberger: "The plaza is truly the heart of our city. This restoration will transform what had become an afterthought in the middle of a busy city into a peaceful, relaxing oasis where today's generations can pay tribute to our past."

Modern Features

• A donation by AT&T enables Main Plaza to offer free wi-fi Internet access
• Water from the five interactive fountains is re-circulated constantly through a filtration system that cleans the water, to emphasize sustainability of water usage
• Custom fabric and full colored weather-resistant canopy structures designed by  Rios Clementi Hale Studios, a California company,  encompasses the plaza offering cool shade to those wanting to stay awhile
• Hosts the Main Plaza Farmer's Market  on Tuesdays year round, weather permitting

Guided by plans and studies from local officials, civic groups, a local improvement district, and a local urban planning and design committee led by the American Institute of Architects, the first phase of the 0.9-mile wooden boardwalk was dedicated as Percival Landing (a city park) in 1978 with subsequent additions completed in 1985 and 1988.

Adjacent to the landing, a three-story timber viewing tower offers a unique, 360-degree view of Olympia that includes breathtaking views of the Puget Sound's Budd Inlet, snow-capped peaks of the Olympic mountain range, and the state capitol dome.

Adjoining the boardwalk is 1.3-acre Percival Landing Park, which occupies the site of a former Unocal oil storage tank purchased by the city in 1996. Adjacent restaurants reflect the city's maritime heritage.  Several hotels, Farmer's Market, and a vibrant downtown business district including shopping, dining, galleries, and theaters further supports the recreational and retail nature of the waterfront.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Continuity of Effort

• In 1979, the citizens of Olympia requested an Urban Planning and Design Committee of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), which suggested focusing downtown revitalization efforts on Percival Landing. The study led to the expansion of the boardwalk and spurred  development of adjoining shops and restaurants by local business owners. The AIA team returned in 1990 and suggested linking Percival Landing to public transit to increase connectivity.
• In 2004, Olympians approved a tax to expand the city's park system and connecting sidewalks.  After the wooden boardwalk was found to be deteriorating, $2.5 million of that fund was put toward the first phase of Percival Landing reconstruction.
• The current $10.5 million improvement project, to be completed by August 2011, will address the most deteriorated section of the landing.  Phase 1 will replace the wooden boardwalk with ecologically sensitive materials and design, and build a multi-use facility with bathrooms, showers, historic interpretation, and a large meeting room along with two pavilions designed to include future visual and audio elements focusing on Percival Landing's maritime history. The multi-use building will be LEED silver rated, and the rest of the landing "green" built.

Historic Value

• The Squaxin Indian tribe, whose city Steh-Chass predated Olympia, and who depended on the South Puget Sound for thousands of years before the first European settlers, contributed to Percival Landing's planning process for redesign.
• In 1860, Sam Percival, a settler from Massachusetts, built a wooden steamship dock used as an entry point for passengers and cargo in the spot where Percival Landing is today; the Percival family continuously operated the wharf until shortly before World War II.
• The Sand Man, a 60-foot wooden tugboat that worked the waters of the Puget Sound for 75 years, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is docked permanently at Percival Landing and open daily as a museum.

Place for Social Gathering

• Percival Landing Park, an open green space, is used along with the boardwalk and moorage facilities for a variety of gatherings from family picnics to two annual maritime-themed events that draw 10,000 visitors: Wood Boat Festival over Memorial Day and Harbor Days over Labor Day
• Percival Landing is a popular site for friends and neighbors to stroll the boardwalk, picnic, and sit on one of the many wooden benches.
• A gateway to Olympia, Percival Landing is connected to the state capitol campus and a nearby Farmers Market by sidewalks, streets, bike lanes, and intercity public bus.
• Percival Landing is adjoined to a vigorous downtown business district populated by locally owned shops and restaurants, many of which reflect Olympia's maritime heritage and presence as Washington's capital city.

Public Waterfront

• Percival Landing boardwalk and park has 0.9 miles of continuous public waterfront access and moorage facilities that welcome short-term visiting boaters.
• Eldon Marshall, longtime city supervisor who facilitated waterfront acquisition, considers it one of his lasting legacies.
• Percival Landing is part of the greater Olympia Parks, Arts and Recreation Department, which manages three parks on or near the waterfront that are connected for boaters and pedestrians alike.
• The three-story timber viewing tower adjacent to the landing includes a schematic map that points out prominent Olympic peaks that can be seen from over 60 miles away.
• Public art is interspersed on the boardwalk; "The Kiss," a metal sculpture of a man and woman leaning on the boardwalk guardrail kissing, is a favorite spot for photos.