Last year, as part of Prospect Park’s 150 anniversary, the Connective Project recruited the public to place thousands of yellow pinwheels around a neglected part of the park’s northwest corner, the Prospect Park Rose Garden. This place once hosted roses, but for as long as anyone here can remember it has just hosted large, hot concert circles. On good days it is a place to be alone and meditate. On bad days, it’s a place where you may look behind you a few too many times.
My family visited the pinwheel spectacular and loved it. We placed our pinwheels in the collection and took some amazing pictures of the little one navigating the beautiful maze of yellow paper flowers. At the event was a less popular (then the pinwheel creation), but more interesting table. A group of volunteers asked us what we would want to be done with the space and even had us pin our ideas to a miniature version of the garden, just as we just pinned our pinwheels to the real one.
This activity was one of the first in a long journey. The Prospect Park Alliance, Hester Street, and the Grain Collective joined forces to document what the diverse communities surrounding the park really want to do with the Prospect Park Rose Garden. They have finally released the report along with a press release informing the public that “things” are happening, although no specifics were revealed. They did say public programs would start sometime this year.
The group conducted surveys all over the neighborhoods surrounding the park through public workshops, focus groups, tabling at street events, and canvasing. The highest neighborhood involvement came from Prospect Lefferts Gardens with 21% of survey responses.
What Does the Public Want to Do with the Prospect Park Rose Garden?
I love it that 38% of responses agreed to focus on the ecology and environment over such areas as art, events, and public infrastructure (wi-fi got less than 1% support). Most people wanted more green space and natural structures rather than development. They wanted to preserve the character and quiet peace of the place while updating some of the downsides such as large concrete bare spaces that only bake in the sun. There was some mention of a possible snack bar, which I hope they rethink.
While they haven’t decided exactly what to do with it yet, it sounds like there will be more native flowers and plants designed to attract wildlife. I’m looking forward to what they name the “area formerly know as the Rose Garden”, but mostly I’m just pleased it won’t turn into a parking lot. That’s why I live in Brooklyn.
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