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| Photo by DCDPR |
As readers of this blog know, the city has a lot of small triangular parks where diagonal streets meet the grid. Often these are pretty underused, maybe an occasional picnic or place to take your dog. The city just opened a new idea, a “meditation garden” in the triangle bordered by Kansas, 13th and Quincy. I first wrote about it a few months ago when proposed, and the results look pretty nice. Some people were opposed at that time, saying they hadn’t heard from the city in a while. The Post has an article about it, as did NBC4 and other local outlets, but no mention of any complaints since then.
There are permeable walking paths good for people with disabilities, a water fountain, bike racks, benches and more. The idea came out of community meetings where neighbors talked about wanting more usable than just a grassy triangle. Nice to see, and there’s been a lot of press about it too.
Have you tried it out yet?
Here’s the city’s press release with all the details:
Washington, DC – Mayor Muriel Bowser today celebrated the opening of the Petworth Meditation Garden. The meditation garden is a modernization of a triangle park at Kansas Avenue and Quincy Street, NW in Ward 4.
“The Petworth Meditation Garden is an example how we can transform a small space into a tremendous community amenity,” said Mayor Bowser. “We thank the community for working with us to create such a unique and innovative space.”
The new Petworth Meditation Garden includes:
- permeable and accessible paths through the park;
- a water faucet for plantings;
- a drinking fountain for people and pets;
- bike racks;
- seating benches along the paths and central space; and
- a vegetated buffer on the western edge along 13th Street, NW.
The new garden’s permeable paved paths make it ADA accessible while allowing reduced storm water runoff when it rains.
“We are excited about the new life that has been given to this lawn,” explained DPR Director Keith A. Anderson. “This will be something residents will gravitate to and we are excited about turning some of our other small parks into mediation gardens.”
The Petworth Meditation Garden is the result of a community driven process to create a usable and desirable space for the community. The Mayor was joined at the ribbon-cutting by Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd, DGS Director Greer Gillis, DPR Director Keith Anderson, and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Bennett Hilley.
