What's Happening in Anchorage, AK…

Anchorage officials recently revealed plans to renovate a park in the city's downtown, in the hope of making it more welcoming and appealing to everyone.

Plans for Town Square Park for the next two decades include making it greener, flattening out some of the berms that are a feature of the area, and adding food trucks, a stage, and a play area for children. The park and plaza first opened in 1991.

Other improvements include removing deteriorating concrete and replacing it with a lawn. The new play area would be placed adjacent to Kobuk Coffee Company, and a wheelchair-friendly path would replace the hill and bowl in the park's northeast corner. The cost of renovating the park is estimated at $5.4m. Officials could work with Print shops to create a newsletter for residents about issues like this.

Steve Rafuse, the city park planner, said two different visions of the park's future have emerged from the planning process. People who originally advocated for the park as an urban oasis, as well as older residents, want the park to remain a quiet green space. Younger parents, particularly if they have young children, want a livelier space with activities and events.

Rafuse and others are working to find a compromise, including borrowing designs from urban parks around the country, such as those in Pittsburgh and New York. One design incorporates an artistic space inspired by the seasonal traditions of the Athabascan people, which would infuse local native culture into the park.


Get a Free Quote for Print