Pocket Park Presentation

AIM:

To provide greenery, a place to sit outdoor and to provide a

safe and inviting environment for surrounding community

members of Adelabu Road in Surulere.

ADVANTAGES:

Benefit the overall ecology of the

surrounding environment.

Make communities more sociable and

reinforce relationships.

Improve fitness and health for

surrounding community.

Increase the value of nearby homes

and neighbouring property values.

LOCATION: Street-end of Adelabu Road; at the intersection with Animashaun Road in Surulere Local Government, Lagos State.

OGUNSAJO OLUWOLE OLAWALE 129051081

INTRODUCTION

OLUWOLE POCKET PARK


FEW THINGS ABOUT POCKET PARKS

Pocket Parks They are usually developed on vacant lots or irregular pieces of land. They literally form

a small “pocket” among other buildings.

These little parks can bring shade, quiet, and enhanced property values to blighted areas,

and they often turn up in unexpected places. They are not necessary always urban, but

can be found in small towns and in low-density areas. For example, small parks located

near street-ends at the coast have been termed pocket parks because they are adjacent to

residences.

Pocket parks are generally too small for physical activities and may be locked or gated

when not in use.

Design Guidelines Pocket parks vary widely in appearance and character. Communities should come

together to decide upon a park’s design and uses.

However, some elements of a pocket park are essential. To discourage illegal activity,

most of the park should be highly visible from the street. The community should provide

trash cans that are emptied frequently, as well as regular maintenance. It should have at

least one shade tree.

Uses. Pocket parks are best for “passive” activities such as picnics, sun bathing, reading, nature

appreciation, board games, socializing, community meetings, and art appreciation . Still,

recreational activities like basketball and children’s play are certainly possible.

Possible Accessories. Benches, picnic tables, café tables, a sundeck, playground equipment, a half basketball

court, board game tables, outdoor games (shuffleboard and hopscotch), a flower garden,

a botanical garden, public art, lawns, fountains, statuary.

STREETSCAPING OF ADELABU ROAD, SURULERE, LAGOS STATE.


PROFILE

One of the unique and exciting characteristics of pocket parks are that they may be created out of vacant lots or

otherwise forgotten spaces. Unfortunately, they are sometimes easier to create than to maintain because without

functional design, community support, use and maintenance, they may fall into disrepair.

However, greenery within pocket parks can help regulate microclimates and act as the “lungs” of the city, while

permeable surfaces increase infiltration.

The establishment of pocket parks throughout the urban environment also has the potential to benefit the overall

ecology of cities because communities who have parks that meet their needs within walking distance are less

likely to drive far away for the same resources, thereby reducing pollution, traffic and the consumption of

resources such as oil.

LOCATION:

Adelabu road is located adjacent to Ogunlana drive in Surulere Local Government area of Lagos State. A major

roundabout divides Adelabu road from that of Ogunlana.

A look into Adelabu road clearly shows that majority of buildings situated along the road are one storey building

with a dual carriage way constructed with a walkway.

Pocket park is here christened OLUWOLE POCKET PARK.

LANDMARKS:

Street lights are installed in the middle of the road.

Mini business centres are found along the road with one notable organization which is the Regional Training

Centre of National Power Training Institute of Nigeria.

Animashaun estate is located to the extreme of the road.


CASE STUDY 1a

PHILADELPHIA’S POCKET PARKS:

LOCATION:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

DATES CREATED:

1961-1967

NUMBER OF PARKS CREATED: 60

SIZES:

900 sq. ft. to 9,000 sq. ft. (average size, around

3,000 sq. ft.)

OVERSEEN BY: Philadelphia’s Neighbourhood

Park Program

USES: Play, sitting (focusing on children and the

elderly)

FEATURES:

Climbing structures, areas for exploration, bright

colours, community involvement, basketball courts,

flower or vegetable gardens, “tot lots,” etc.


CASE STUDY 1b

PHILADELPHIA’S POCKET PARKS:

Philadelphia was one of the first cities to begin developing pocket

parks within its neighbourhoods. These were constructed on the

site of vacant or abandoned lots that had become eyesores and were

located in low-income areas that needed local open space in

addition to the limited facilities already available. These parks

involved the community in their design and construction and had a

specific focus on children play areas.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS SMALL SIZE:

Pocket parks tend to between 1-3 lots in size, with a tendency to be

larger on the west coast than on the east (Marcus, 150)

LOCAL COMMUNITY:

These parks rely on a local population for their use and often for

their upkeep ( to at least make sure they are maintained)

USES/FUNCTIONS

Small Events, especially neighbourhood events rest, relaxation

lunch breaks, Play, both individual and group.


CASE STUDY 2a

PALEY PARK: A MIDTOWN POCKET PARK

SIZE:

4,200 square feet .1acre

LOCATION:

Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New

York

DATE CREATED: 1967

DESIGNED BY: Zion and Breene

Associates

FUNDED BY: William Paley, former

Chairman of CBS (the William S. Paley

Foundation)

USES: Rest & relaxation, lunch area, sight-

seeing, meeting spot, etc.

FEATURES: 17 honey locust trees, 20-foot

waterfall on back wall, moveable chairs,

concession stand, ivy-covered walls.


CASE STUDY 2b

PALEY PARK: A MIDTOWN POCKET PARK

PALEY PARK is one of the most widely known and most successful

of all pocket parks. It is designed as an oasis away from the bustle of

Manhattan while still maintaining clear sight lines and a connection

with the street. Unlike some pocket parks, Paley

Park does not attempt to be multi-functional. It is primarily a place for

sitting and relaxing and, despite catering to a limited user group, is

extremely busy and popular because of the high density of workers,

shoppers, and tourists in the area.

The midtown park is for adults- office workers, shoppers, tourists, and

passer-by. Its purpose is for rest- for the office worker who has finished

lunch, a place to spend the remainder of the lunch hour; for the

shopper, an opportunity to put down parcels, recline

in a comfortable chair, and perhaps sip a coffee before continuing; for

the tourist or passer-by an opportunity to be refreshed visually by the

scale of the place, by the dense green growth and, hopefully, by the

quiet of the tiny space.


SITE ANALYSIS

EXISTING ROADS

SCHOOL BUILDING

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

POCKET PARK SITE

National Power Training

Institute.

ACCESS ROAD INTO

POCKET PARK SITE.

POCKET PARK SITE.

POCKET PARK SITE

ENTRANCE INTO

ANIMASHAUN ESTATE

LOCATION: Street-end of Adelabu Road in Surulere Local

Government, Lagos State.

PRESENT USE: The entire site have been developed into a

nursery and demarcated by barbed wires.

TOPOGRAPHY: The site is relatively flat.

ACCESSIBILITY: The site is bounded by two roads. Adelabu Road

and Animashaun Road.

AREA OF SITE: 164sqm.


POCKET PARK DESIGN

TREES PLANTED

TO BUFFER

AGAINST NOISE

ADELABU

ACCESS ROAD

INTO PARK.

ENTRANCE INTO PARK

THROUGH ADELABU ROAD. PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY

ON ADELABU ROAD


POCKET PARK DESIGN

PEDESTRIAN

WALKWAY

WITHIN PARK.

TOPIARY

RECYCLING BIN.

ENTRANCE INTO PARK

THROUGH ANIMASHAUN ROAD.

TREES PLANTED

TO BUFFER AGAINST NOISE


POCKET PARK DESIGN

TREES PLANTED

TO SERVE AS

SHADE.

SITTING

MATERIALS

TOPIARY

GATES

TREES PLANTED

TO BUFFER AGAINST NOISE


POCKET PARK DESIGN

TREES PLANTED

TO SERVE AS

SHADE.

TREES PLANTED

TO BUFFER

AGAINST NOISE

ADELABU

ACCESS ROAD

INTO PARK.

ENTRANCE

INTO PARK

THROUGH

ADELABU

ROAD.

PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY LEADING

FROM THE ADELABU TO ANIMASHAUN.


POCKET PARK DESIGN

ANIMASHAUN

ACCESS ROAD.

ADELABU

ACCESS ROAD.

INTERIOR

VIEWS WITHIN

THE PARK. RECYCLING BIN.

Documents

Pocket Park Presentation