Dolly Ottey Park is a new conceptual park located within the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia at the crossroads of the historic Elfreth’s Alley and North 2nd Street. This vision for the future pocket park was created for Old City District with support from the Community Design Collaborative, and is meant to coincide with the reconstruction of the historic National Building, now a residential building immediately adjacent to the site. The team’s problem-solving efforts and community engagement resulted in a conceptual design that responds to the three primary requests for the park made by the Old City District and the neighboring community: to function as a flexible space for seasonal programmed events; to act as a passive space for the local community to gather; and to respect Old City’s rich and varied history. The park accomplishes these goals through its interpreted spaces, design features, and site materials, weaving together the adjacent site histories through these elements. The result captures contemporary needs while responding to the multiple site histories in treatment and materiality.
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