Columbus Park Reimagined: a Community-Driven Mission

As part of the NYCxDesign Festival, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP) is hosting a public presentation and discussion at Brooklyn Borough Hall to showcase the transformative vision for Columbus Park.

This event will highlight the collaborative process steered by WXY Studio, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), and DBP in reimagining this vital public space. The event will take place in the beautiful Rotunda of Brooklyn Borough Hall, overlooking Columbus Park. The model that was the culmination of the visioning process will be on display, and snacks and beverages will be offered.

In 2024, DBP working closely with Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso and Councilmember Lincoln Restler, embarked upon a study of Columbus Park; eight acres of city-owned open space at the juncture of Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights. The park has been sadly underutilized for decades but has great potential to provide essential amenities and open space to the growing population of residents, workers, and visitors.

Engaging WXY Studio to study the area, the group convened a series of meetings with key stakeholders and city agencies and held a very well-attended public meeting at which attendees gave valuable feedback and expressed their priorities for the Park.

WXY principal Claire Weisz and Michael Van Valkenburgh, Creative Director of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), who was instrumental in the creative visioning, will walk attendees through the findings of the community engagement process, the opportunities presented by a redesign, and the proposed configuration of elements such as lawns, gathering spaces, playgrounds, and skate parks to create a bold vision for Columbus Park that will serve the immediate neighborhoods and wider community for generations to come.