Connected Greens Master Plan
Location: Sacramento, CA
Type: Master Planning
Cost: $575MM
Status: Competition entry
DESCRIPTION
To make the Sacramento Capitol Mall a more pleasant & pedestrian friendly environment, let’s widen the individual lawns & link them with pedestrian bridges. This Connected-Greens scheme increases the urban canopy, makes the canopy more usable, increases safety by separating pedestrian/vehicle traffic patterns & further accentuates the capitol view. Additional features include eating areas serviced by foodtrucks, benches, public sculpture, grasspavers & decorative grasses. Now that’s a scenic marathon finish!
The opportunity sites provide an ideal location for an expansive park & civic space for further public enjoyment. To achieve this, East-West vehicular traffic over the Tower Bridge flows around the Capitol Mall to N Street & L Street. North-South vehicular traffic on 3rd Street is partially covered by the new forested park. Combining the lots & lawns provides 18 acres of new, contiguous, green space in an urban environment.
During large events, the Connected-Greens scheme allows for pedestrians to move about the 18 acres freely, without having to cross the street. Vehicular parking is accommodated by above ground parking garages located underneath gently sloped lawns. A large ramp provides direct access to the Crocker Art Museum. Lawn “cut-outs” surrounded by white walls provide access to food venues, rest rooms & the parking garage below.
