Designers want their end results to be loved and used! It isn’t enough to make a place look great or have the latest in sustainable features. What creates a vibrant public place? Beautiful spaces with rich detailing draw people into a place. But what keeps them coming back? It is often the interactions that take
SurveyMonkey is an easy to use tool that helped our project reach a lot of interested people. While the public meetings had 30-50 attendees, the online poll gathered over 1,000 responses in just 6 weeks! Jim Brennan discussing Wayne Golf Course vision as part of public outreach J.A. Brennan and our colleagues at MAKERS and
“On the Boardwalk” was the theme of J.A. Brennan’s parklet for the 10th year of Park(ing) Day on September 18. Park(ing) Day is celebrated nation-wide annually on the third Friday of September. What's special is that it's a chance for cities to re-imagine the location of public green space in non-traditional areas. It’s an extraordinary
Entiat Park, along the banks of the Columbia River, opened to camping on Memorial Day weekend. The grand-opening ceremony took place on May 16. The park features a boat launch, multi-use shoreline trail, swimming beach, dock, picnic areas, restroom with showers, and a playground.
by Mike Perfetti J.A. Brennan has had the pleasure to work with the staff of the City of Seattle Shoreline Street Ends Program, a Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) group, which turns lost, derelict, and often utility-laden street ends into shoreline pocket parks. The goal of the program is to enable greater access to our
by Mike Perfetti, Senior Associate, Landscape Architect One challenge we face on many public park projects is protecting newly installed plants from being trampled by park users. (Another challenge is preventing plants from being devoured by wildlife!) Recently we worked with Davido Consulting Group at San Juan County’s Odlin Park to design renovations to an
by Jim Brennan I recently had the opportunity to travel to Taiwan's scenic east coast again and present at a symposium. I have been involved with tourism planning for the East Coast Tourism Bureau for the past 15 years and previously worked on development of the Green Island Master Plan. The S.E. Coast of Taiwan is
The Washington Recreation & Park Association (WRPA) recently awarded Don Morse Park in Chelan a Facilities and Parks Spotlight Award. “Spotlight Awards highlight excellence and achievements in the field of parks and recreation by honoring the amazing efforts of public agencies. Facilities & Parks Awards recognize the highest standards in design, development and renovation of
Fuzhou Pavilion during the moon festival at Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park, © J.A. Brennan Associates Good civic spaces provide communities with vital places for congregation and celebration and can augment, if not define, the spirit of a neighborhood and city. Part of the design process for public spaces involves pinpointing and expressing significant
Entiat Park on the Columbia River is getting a big makeover by the Chelan County Public Utility District (PUD). J.A. Brennan Associates is leading a multi-disciplinary design effort to update this well-loved and well-worn camping and day use waterfront park. Built in the age of big lawns, rows of poplar trees, and motor-first recreation, the
