Site Analysis and Suitability Study

The above section shows the change in elevation a person would experience walking along the streets to Morningside Park.

The above map is a study of walking distances. A study conducted by NRPA shows that the average person is willing to walk 1/2 mile to a park. As of now, the red circle represents a 1/2 mile radius from Morningside Park while the green circle shows the area that my suggested park could serve. Underneath is a current land use map which shows that my proposed site is currently zoned industrial.

The above map shows the soil types of the proposed park site. The majority of the soils are urban land surrounded by various loamy soils. This could mean that outside soil will need to be brought in if any major planting is to be done.

The above map shows the flood plain areas on the proposed site. Next to the river is a 100 year flood plain and above that is 500 years. This means that development along the riverbank should be limited due to the higher flood risk.

First Look

The experience of Morningside

What's it like for a mom living on Lombardi to get to Morningside Park with her kids? Is it hard? Easy? Close-by? Far-away? One she gets there is there anything to do?
She would have to walk three-quarters of a mile, basically uphill, traversing a change of elevation of 80 feet in less than a mile. She would encounter broken sidewalks, trash on the streets, stray dogs, and have to walk on a busy highway with no sidewalks for part of her journey. Once she got there she would find a 23 acre park with two playgrounds, a walking/bike trail, picnic pavilions and a frisbee golf course. Depending on the ages of her children and on her racial demographics she may or may not find these aspects appealing.
On my own community survey I found that most residents of Greenhill Apartments and Riverview Terrace didn't even know Morningside Park existed, and when I told them what was there they weren't interested. Almost everyone I interviewed were very responsive to the idea of a new park located down the hill on the former General Shale site. And most had the same comments as far as programming, build it for children. "Give the children a safe place to play and get them out of our streets."