While all public spaces around the world are trying to innovate and implement safety measures to open during the coronavirus pandemic, Domino Park has introduced a series of painted social distancing circles. This strategical urban design intervention ensures that people are “following proper social distancing procedures recommended by the CDC and government”.
Designed by landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations and privately-funded by Brooklyn-based developer Two Trees Management, Domino Park has been accessible to the public ever since the summer of 2018. In order to encourage safe park visitation practices, during this pandemic, the park has recently implemented social circles in its open public space.
Elaborated by Domino Park’s staff members, the project generates a series of chalk painted circles on the astroturf Flex Field. Introduced on May 15th, the intervention puts in place 30 circles: each circle is 8 feet in diameter and set 6 feet apart. Immediately famous with the visitors, the social distancing rings “took a few $.99 cans of white chalk paint from the local paint store, 2 people, and 4 hours”.
Along with this strategic tactical urbanism, Domino Park has continued to display various types of signage about social distancing and wearing masks. Moreover, the quarter-mile waterfront park highlights safety rules constantly on his social media pages. During times of peak visitation, Domino Park has even closed River Street.
Opening the Williamsburg waterfront to the community of North Brooklyn, Domino Park reestablished a decent balance of park-to-person ratio in the city, ever since its inception. Part of the Domino Sugar Factory redevelopment masterplan, the park was developed ahead of any of the buildings. Encompassing reclaimed sugar refining and industrial artifacts, the overall vision of the waterfront aims to uncover the story of sugar trade in New York and the sugar refining process that occurred on the site for over a century.
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