• By Surina Singh
• April 19, 2018

Balancing Commemorative Works within Parks

How can a memorial’s commemorative, and often sacred space, successfully coexist in actively used parks? This post explores that question and describes how policy updates to the draft Parks and Open Space element address it. On March 1, 2018, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) released a draft of the federal Parks & Open Space Element for public review and comment through May 7, 2018. Three emerging issues influenced the element’s update: adapting designed landscapes, balancing commemorative works within parks, and protecting Capper-Cramton parks. This post is the second in a three-part series highlighting these topics.

Commemorative Works in Parks
The Washington Monument and the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials are three of the most famous landmarks in Washington’s commemorative landscape. While these large memorials may be the best known, there are many other commemorative works located off the National Mall in Washington’s smaller urban parks. This is in part due to the city’s design legacy that began with the 1791 L’Enfant Plan. In his original plan for the city, Pierre L’Enfant proposed locating important structures, monuments, and fountains in public spaces where the traditional street grid and ceremonial boulevards intersected. Washington Circle and Farragut Square, with a memorial statue located in both, are two examples of parks made out of these intersections. Other planning efforts by NCPC, including the Legacy Plan, the Framework Plan, and the Memorials and Museums Master Plan (2M Plan) further extended L’Enfant’s vision.

One of the key ideas in the 2M Plan encouraged memorials and museums to locate in areas beyond the National Mall and to extend into all parts of the city. In 2003, Congress designated the National Mall and its historic landscape a “completed work of civic art” through the creation of a ‘Reserve’ area, where no new commemorative works would be allowed, an idea originally proposed in the 2M Plan. This led to an increase in the proposals to add commemorative works off the National Mall in existing urban parks and open space.

Balancing Commemoration with Important Park Functions
When Congress authorizes a commemorative work in an existing urban park on federal land, NCPC and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts are responsible for reviewing and approving the proposed site and design. One important purpose of NCPC’s review is to provide guidance on how to successfully balance commemorative uses with existing park features and open space uses.

Urban parks with monuments or memorials have to balance the sacred space often needed for the commemorative experience with the need for open space for other activities. The United States Navy Memorial is an example where a commemorative space and its urban context are well integrated. The memorial design has a large circular plaza used for solemn ceremonies to honor those who served in the U.S. Navy. Other uses include an informal social gathering spot for workers, residents, and tourists, and a flexible space for United States Navy Band concerts and other events. Nearby schools and daycare centers use the space for recreational activities, and the seat walls surrounding the memorial are perfect places to contemplate its intricate bas relief sculptures or enjoy a meal from a nearby restaurant. With convenient Metro access, mixed land uses, and close proximity to other downtown attractions and the National Mall, the Navy Memorial illustrates how memorial and park uses can work together to create a successful destination.

When incorporating memorials and monuments into small neighborhood parks it is important to not adversely affect the parks’ other uses. These spaces are sometimes the only green space available to residents and often have park features such as playgrounds, seating, and shaded areas where people can socialize. At the same time, the park must also provide a respectful and dignified commemorative space. Dupont Circle, Lincoln Park, and Stanton Park are examples of neighborhood parks that successfully incorporate monuments, memorials, and civic art while also serving as urban oases.

New Comprehensive Plan Guidance
The draft Parks & Open Space Element provides specific guidance and policies for how to locate commemorative works within existing parks, referencing many of the issues described above including consideration for the surrounding area’s existing character. The placement of memorial elements, and their location by other monuments, historic properties, and cultural attractions, can affect how a public space or a park is used. The draft element calls for memorial components to complement, not compete with, the surrounding landscape.

Lastly, the element supports installation of temporary memorials or artwork, non-physical memorials, and the exploration of alternative forms of commemoration. The Memorials for the Future ideas competition, an initiative co-sponsored by NCPC, the National Park Service, and Van Alen Institute, explored what some of these forms of commemoration might look like. New commemorative strategies can reduce the potential negative impacts that could occur when a memorial is placed within existing parks. These strategies could also renew interest in a public space through the exhibition of timely topics or the introduction of new technology as part of a temporary commemorative experience.

More Information
The updated Parks & Open Space Element is available for public review and comment through May 7, 2018. You can read the text and proposed policies, provide comments, and learn more on our dedicated Parks and Open Space webpage. Stay tuned for our next and last blog post in the series: Protecting Capper-Cramton Parks.

Part 1: Adapting Designed Landscapes Part 3: Protecting Capper-Cramton Parks Parks & Open Space Webpage Read the Document Submit A Comment