The Central Artery elevated highway has been a barrier between the North End and the rest of Boston since its erection. Despite the construction to eliminate the blight, visitors have still managed to make their way through the obstacles and seek out the North Endês unique blend of historic sites, character, eateries, and famous landmarks, including several Freedom Trail stops.

The North End Parks offer an unprecedented opportunity to create a destination landmark, distinctive to the North End and Boston. The parks must welcome visitors and city residents to the North End, while still acknowledging strong neighborhood ties and supporting the daily routines and traditions of the North End residents. It must become a common ground, a comfortable place for people to gather. The parks must make a statement of integration, yet uniqueness, within the larger context of the Wharf District and Chinatown parcels.

A team headed by Copley Wolff Design Group was a finalist in the design competition for the design of this new park project. As part of the design process, the team reviewed existing data and interviewed North End residents. CWDG produced a short three minute video to document the process and design submission. CWDG also created four demonstrative boards to showcase and explain its design for the North End Parks.

Key team members and design collaborators for this proposal and design included the landscape architectural firm of SWA Group of Sausalito, CA, the Boston architecture firm of Koetter Kim & Associates, Inc., fountain designers WET Design from Universal City, CA and park programmer Sherry Kafka Wagner, from San Antonio, TX. The video was produced by Neoscape of Cambridge, MA.