Philadelphia lays claim to what is oft boasted the largest urban park in the world, or the largest landscaped park in the world. These claims of course allude to Fairmount park, or the conglomerate Fairmount park system. Fewer claims however, have been that Fairmount Park is the best park in the world. In this series, we will explore Fairmount’s assets and design, its historical intentions and its current state of disrepair. Through these lenses will come a series of proposals by which Fairmount may yet become the world’s finest urban park.
Fairmount today is a large swath of territory that does not function as a single cohesive park. Instead, it is more like a region with scattered attractions and disjointed segments of trails and open space. Some key points of focus will be:
- Reduce the functional deficiencies and hazards presented by the overpopulation of roads within the park.
- Map the official and ad-hoc trail network within the park, and blaze connections between them.
- Examine usage of large spaces, including sports and open fields, and consider alternatives
- Unifying the park’s privately managed attractions for universal access
- Consider new public attractions and facilities
- Provide improved access to the park with transit, pedestrian, and bicycle-oriented design.
In the next article, we will examine the Origins of Fairmount park, and how its historical context may be attributed to present-day deficiencies.