Special Supplement: A Complete Guide to Site Furnishings & Park Components
Planning the right park components
By Stacy St. Clair
It's no secret that many recreation managers consider site furnishings an afterthought, the last mundane task in an otherwise exciting project. But here's the real truth: The right combination of tables, benches and chairs help make the impossible possible.
Many saw proof of this magic during Super Bowl XL in Detroit, where the newly opened Campus Martius shined like a community diamond during the week. The public square was the focal point for many events, helping to shed a better light on the much-maligned Motor City.
The project began nearly six years ago, when a group called Detroit 300 decided to honor the city's tercentennial. The civic organization aimed to revitalize the blighted downtown and decided to make the park the centerpiece of its effort.
The group raised $25 million to create the downtown square. They wanted a place that would be more than just beautiful: They wanted it to be a lively, energetic place where people would interact with one another.
A little history, after Detroit's fire of 1805, President Thomas Jefferson tapped Judge Augustus Woodward to oversee the layout of new streets, squares and lots with the assistance of Canada's best surveyors. The judged used instruments and astronomical devices to determine the city's "true north." He called this the Point of Origin and made it the center from which Detroit's coordinate system was created.
The judge's plans also called for the site to be used as a public square, but it never happened. The site was used as a drill site and gathering place for Michigan residents to march off to war, but it remained a vacant lot for nearly 200 years.
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