Location: 950 Fountain Ave Brooklyn, NY, 11239
Year: 2019
“A subtle yet powerful tribute to a woman trailblazer.”
Set along Jamaica Bay in southern Brooklyn, Shirley Chisholm State Park transforms a pair of closed-and-capped landfills into a vibrant community hub. Named in honor of Shirley Chisholm—a Brooklyn-born trailblazer who was the first African American Congresswoman and the first woman and African American to run for President—the 407-acre park helps reconnect the historically underserved neighborhood of East New York to the water.
The project is a result of women-led interagency strategy between the public client and Brooklyn-based design team. The project was identified through the Vital Brooklyn Initiative, led by Rose Harvey, Commissioner of NYSOPRHP, and Leslie Wright, NYC Regional Director of NYS Parks. Leslie and Rose were deeply active in the equity-based policy initiatives and community engagement process that shaped the program of the park. They were inspired by MVVA’s vision, led by Principal Elizabeth Silver, of reinventing this marginalized landscape. Interagency cooperation between Rose, Leslie, and Elizabeth brought momentum to the idea of transforming a capped landfill without public access into a lively public park.
On a tight budget and compressed schedule, the team created new entrances to set a welcoming tone for the entire site and devised nodes for active recreation, education, and quiet contemplation. To bring visitors to Jamaica Bay, two existing piers were repurposed with shade, seating, and fishing programming. An existing bridge connected the two landfill sites to 10 new miles of trails, and the park became part of a citywide bike trail system and a stopping point for hundreds of riders each day. Brooklyn-based artist, Danielle Mastrion, transformed the operations building at the Pennsylvania Avenue Entrance with a four-sided mural, honoring the legacy of Shirley Chisholm. The park was immediately embraced by the community, making it a fitting tribute to Chisholm and her legacy carried out by this women-led team.
