The Urban Canopy Parklet is New Haven’s first example of a parking space transformed into an ecological classroom open to anyone and everyone. Designed as a gateway to deeper experiences with urban nature, it serves as an oasis for Fair Haven.
Can you imagine walking down the bustling commercial district of Grand Avenue, getting a bite to eat at Buen Gusto or El Coquí, and being able to sit down at a beautiful public space that provides shade, an ecological learning experience, a fragrant pollinator garden, and a place for community gathering and recreation? This is our vision for the Urban Canopy, a design that won New Haven's first-ever Parklet Design Competition and is scheduled to be built over February-March and installed by April-May 2018 on Grand Avenue. Once complete, it will be transferred to the city’s Department of Transportation, which will maintain and reinstall it along Grand Avenue every April-November season. Conceived as a gateway to deeper experiences with urban nature, this public space, built over two parking spots, abstracts the shapes of New Haven's five most prominent street trees into beautiful canopies that help urban residents gain a better understanding of the nature around them. The structure itself will be built out of the wood of former New Haven street trees, and will feature signage in English and Spanish to teach residents about their importance.
Read more: https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2017/11/29/tree-canopy-park-wins-elm-city-prize/
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS!
City of New Haven Mayor’s Community Grants Program
Greater New Haven Green Fund
Yale School of Forestry Class of 1980 Fund
Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Yale Tsai CITY
