URBAN FOREST PROJECT | Patterson Park, Baltimore

PARK LIFE & CITY MOVEMENT...

In colloboration with Gensler

The Spark: 

The project began with a simple, powerful idea: to make Baltimore's urban forest visible. In a city of brick and pavement, how could we physically manifest the life-giving presence of our parks? The concept was to create a journey, a temporary installation that would draw a line through Patterson Park, connecting disparate paths and forcing visitors to see the familiar landscape in a new way, supporting Baltimore cities efforts to establish and increase its urban tree canopy.

From Digital to Dust: 

The design was an act of mapping and material poetry. We mapped a path that would weave through the park’s three symbolic zones: the ground, the trees, and the canopy. For the materials, we chose the humble tools of urban forestry: 8,600 feet of red burlap, 6,000 feet of sod, and 500 wooden tree stakes. The burlap became a vibrant red thread, wrapping mature trees to highlight their presence, then stretching across open fields to define a new path. The sod was rolled and stacked to create playful, linear landforms, inviting interaction.

The Human Touch: 

This installation was built by the community, for the community. Its realization was only possible through hundreds of hours of work by dedicated volunteers. There was a powerful sense of shared purpose as we worked together, rolling out sod, wrapping trees, and staking out the path. We stenciled messages like "Breathe Easy" onto the burlap and statistics about the park's trees onto the stakes, turning the entire path into a story about the importance of nature in our city.

The Lasting Impression: 

For the time it existed, "ParkLife/City Movement" transformed a corner of Baltimore. It guided thousands of visitors on a new voyage, creating moments of discovery and play. The project was a testament to the power of simple materials and collective effort. And in the end, its impact continued: every material was donated back to Tree Baltimore, becoming part of the very urban forest it was designed to celebrate.

Recipient of the AIA Maryland Design Excellence Award

Bring your park to life. Contact us to co-create a community-built installation that makes the urban forest visible and mobilizes volunteers in collaboration with your city and partners.