Cannon Park Case Study

Cannon Park case study and post-occupancy evaluation

by: Liz Crim LAR 4304: Urban Open Spaces Fall 2011 Terry Clements Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design College of Architecture + Urban Studies Department of Landscape Architecture

project introduction.

This case study was done for a class called Urban Open Spaces. After spending several months reading articles about types of urban open spaces, their history, and why they were important, we developed our own matrix for analyzing urban open space (see Fit, Form, and Function matrix on the second to last page). In early November, we took a field trip to Charleston, South Carolina, both to study the variety of open spaces the city had and to do an analysis of an open space of our choosing – both a post-occupancy evaluation and the matrix we’d developed. This pamphlet is the result of that field trip.

overview.

Project name: Cannon Park Location: Bennett Street, between Rutledge and Ashley Avenues, behind Calhoun Street.

Date designed/planned: 1899

became a park in the 1980s (?)

some renovation work done in 2010 and 2011 Size: 3.3 acres Managed by: Charleston Parks Conservancy, City of Charleston Department of Parks

context.

Cannon Park, less than a mile west of Marion Square, is one of only a few dog parks in Charleston.

Located just off Calhoun Street, between the Medical University of South Carolina and College of Charleston, it is well placed to serve several different areas of Charleston.

The neighborhoods immediately surrounding the park are fairly quiet mixed-residential: an apartment enclave along Rutledge, a few businesses (dentists and doctors’ offices) along Ashley and Rutledge, and the rest are single-family homes.

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history.

Although a plan for the park was drawn up by the Olmsted Brothers,1 it was never implemented because of the construction of the Thomson Auditorium, part of which still stands on the site. Built in 1899 to commemorate John Thomson, a prominent citizen, it was used for speakers and other events until it was renovated in 1907 to house the Charleston Museum.2 The Charleston Museum remained in Thomson Auditorium until it moved to its current location on Meeting Street in 1980 and the auditorium mysteriously burned down the following year.3 Much of the original landscaping has remained on the site, the historic paths now framing the open dog park area.

Figure 3: Thomson Auditorium from Rutledge Avenue.2

Figure 4: Interior of Thomson Auditorium before it became the Charleston Museum.1

site layout.

Though the park is accessible from almost all sides, the most-used entrances are at the corner of Calhoun and Rutledge, the corner of Rutledge and Bennett, the gap in the hedge next to the Rite Aid parking lot, the northwest corner of the park along Ashley, and the southwest corner of the park along Ashley.

The vegetation in the park delineates the space and gives it a distinctive Charleston feel. Palmetto trees (see Figure 6 for all site vegetation) line Ashley, Bennett, and Rutledge, giving them a more formal feel – especially the allée along Bennett. The live oaks on the western and northern sides of the park create miniature rooms under their canopies, making them the more private spaces in the park, including the playground. The offleash dog area is defined by the live oaks to the west, the museum walk and garden to the east, the palmettos and path to the south, and the crepe myrtles and gravel paths to the north.

The steps of the Charleston Museum anchor the site and make up the most formal area, while the official entrance garden and commemorative fountain are of a more informal design.

While concrete sidewalks border Calhoun, Rutledge, and Ashley, the interior of the park has gravel pathways, giving it a different feel and helping to separate it from the surrounding urban fabric. The benches and trashcans are arranged along the more popular paths, making them visible and easily accessible.

Figure 5: park layout

“Cannon Park is one of Charleston’s most visible parks located near the Medical University of South Carolina on Calhoun Street and sandwiched between Rutledge and Ashley avenues. The grassy area is used extensively by dog owners. This park allows dogs off leash during certain times of the day. A small playground, shaded by large live oaks, is a welcome spot for kids using the park. And a sidewalk bordering the park is great for running or walking.” 4

vegetation.

The vegetation in the park defines the edges of the park, delineates the interior into different areas, creates microclimates (see Figure 9), and gives the park a distinctive Charleston character.

Figure 6: park vegetation

beautification efforts.

“The College of Charleston Graduate Student Association has been working with the Charleston Parks Conservancy throughout 2011 to engage the neighborhood and plant the large bed in Cannon Park behind the columns, the Old Museum garden. This is the second phase of the Conservancy’s work in the park; the first phase was the installation of a median bed and entrance bed in 2010.” 5

Garden in the Parks Program “We are working hand in hand with the community to help care for Charleston’s greatest resource.” 5

- Collaborate with the City of Charleston’s Parks Department to focus on specific areas within each

park for maintenance, renovations

- Backed by a strong citizen commitment. Parks are nominated for help by residents in

surrounding neighborhoods

Figure 7: initial planting of Rutledge Avenue beds, April 2010. 6

Figure 8: Old Museum garden, November 2011.

microclimates.

The microclimates within the site as defined by vegetation and built elements. The variety of microclimates provide year-round comfort, whatever the weather, as well as more private areas and more public areas so the site can accommodate different activities at once.

Figure 9: microclimates within the park

microclimate: live oaks.

Cool and dark, these trees create the more private areas in the park, although despite the dense canopy, the trees’ limbs are high enough that you could see the rest of the site, making them an equally good place to observe activity or be by yourself. Although the shade was a bit cool in November, it would be a welcome respite during the summer months. The gravel pathways (heavily mixed with acorns in November) create a soft crunching sound as you walk, contributing to the pleasant atmosphere.

(1) The benches face the interior of the park (away from the traffic on Ashley), and the dense shade prevents grass from growing –– which keeps the dog area beyond its borders and creates an activity buffer between the benches and the grassy dog area.

(2) The playground area under the northeastern clump of live oaks is also a comfortable place for sitting, but its viewshed is more limited, providing only views towards Rutledge and Calhoun.

2

Figure 10: the paths and benches (towards Bennett).

1

Figure 11: the benches and playground (towards Calhoun).

microclimate: live oaks.

Figure 12: dappled shade and wide canopy of the live oaks near Ashley.

microclimate: ashley avenue.

Although all of the edges bordering the residential neighborhood are lined with palmettos, only Ashley Avenue has benches. The benches are arranged a comfortable distance from each other, so that if they were all filled they wouldn’t all feel crowded. These are also the only benches that provide unobstructed views out of the site, making them good for watching neighborhood activity. The palmettos provide very little shade, which made the area comfortable in November, but it would probably be too hot during the summer.

Figure 13: benches along Ashley, row of palmettos immediately behind them.

microclimate: benches along rutledge.

The overhanging tree limbs make this area the most private in the park. Though adjacent to the playground area, it feels secluded. Though some of views of Rutledge are visible through the branches, the details of the leaves and branches are the most visible. Though I saw many of the benches used, those who sat on this bench tended to stay the longest.

Figure 14: woman sitting on the one of the benches. she was there for over an hour.

microclimate: museum steps.

Depending where you sit atop the stairs, you can see the entire site and Rutledge. Although the museum used to face Rutledge, the stairs now face the interior of the site (or at least they do as far as people use them). During my observations, several people came and sat on the stairs and watched the scenery and activity within the site. It was a comfortable place to sit on a cool November day, but I imagine the shaded benches are a more popular seating area in the summer. From the trampled back portion of the flowerbed, it also seems to be a popular playing and climbing spot.

Figure 15: panorama from the top of the stairs to the dog area.

microclimate: grassy dog area.

Open and sunny, the dog area is one of the most used areas in the park, although it sees most of its use in the evening when most of the dog-walkers are out. Dog-related amenities (trashcans and doggie-bag dispenser) are located close to this area, meaning that the city acknowledges this is the park’s primary activity. Uncomfortable and boring to linger in if you are without a dog, most other users used it as a cut-through to get to the Rite-Aid or the other corner of the park.

Figure 16: panorama of grassy dog area facing Bennett.

use of the site.

During our visit, I observed the site on three occasions: Saturday evening, a few hours on Sunday morning/early afternoon, and for a few hours on Monday morning. From my observations, the site is used most during the evening, and only gets a few users during the rest of the day. Most of the day users were exercising, walking/biking along the sidewalks, or cutting through the site; only a few had dogs. I made use diagrams on all three occasions to document use (see Figures 18-20).

Figure 17: the main routes through the site, compiled over several days. the most popular routes (shown in a thicker line weight) are to/from Rite-Aid and from Ashley to Rutledge.

activity: saturday evening.

Time: 7:30 pm.

Weather: slightly breezy, ~50º My visit on Saturday was more informal than the other visits, because it was just to determine where the site was for my visit the next day. When I was there, though, I felt very out of place because I was the only one who wasn’t exercising or with a dog. I did notice a few trends while I was there: the benches under the southwestern clump of live oaks were occupied, almost all the paths had people exercising (more in groups than solitary), and most of the activity was centered on the dog area. The area was filled with dogs and dog-owners: running, playing, talking to or sniffing each other.

Figure 18: composite of some of the activity observed on Saturday evening.

activity: sunday morning.

Time: 11 am Weather: slightly cloudy, ~60ยบ The first visitors I saw on Sunday morning were two young boys, riding their bikes around and around the gravel paths. (I saw this as a positive for the perceived safety of the park, that two children were allowed to play in it, unaccompanied.) Two joggers and a cyclist went by while the boys were there, but the only other activity was cars driving by. As I was walking around, a man cut through the park to get to the Rite-Aid, a man walked down Rutledge, and two men and a dog came from the corner of Rutledge and Bennett. They played frisbee with the dog for about half an hour, while a few more cyclists whizzed by, and then left. As the men were leaving, a woman and her dog came from Ashley and Bennett and, as soon as she saw the men were leaving, she and her dog moved to the dog area and played for about 20 minutes.

Figure 19: composite of activity on Sunday morning. total users: 19.

activity: monday morning.

Time: 10 am.

Weather: mostly sunny, ~65ยบ Monday was much busier than Sunday, with more than twice as many dogs, and it was the first time I saw evidence of Cannon Park being a district park. I was surprised more people were there on a Monday, when I thought people would be working, although the warmer weather may have been a contributing factor.

As several joggers ran by, a couple played with their dogs. A girl passing the park on Rutledge stopped and sat for a while on the Old Museum steps. A grandmother and her grandson came from Calhoun and played on the playground; a woman sat under the sweeping branches of the live oaks for over an hour. A few more joggers came through the site, and a woman sat on a sunny bench along Ashley for a few minutes. A man walked along Bennett with his dog; a little while later another man walked the same route with his dog, before deciding to let his dog run around on the grass. A few more people cut through the site, a few deciding to stay and sit and enjoy the weather. Right before I left, a woman drove up with two tiny dogs, who began to run around on the grass.

Figure 19: composite of activity on Monday morning. total users: 27.

evidence of use.

Though the site was very well maintained, I still found evidence of different uses. Though they were only there for a short time, a large dumpster and porta-potties along Ashley and two full trashcans were left over from the James Island Connector Run on Saturday morning (see Figures 21 & 22). On Sunday, two rings of palm fronds were arranged in front of the Old Museum steps, but were gone on Monday. Worn-down grass under the live oaks in the northern corner and along the edge of the dog area pointed to some kind of heavy use; the grassless patch in the northern corner may be due to lack of sunlight, but the patch in the dog area seems to highlight the most comfortable area year-round for dogs.

Figure 21: cover of event pamphlet I found in the trash.

Figure 20: composite of different issues I noted over the duration of my visit.

Figure 22: map of the James Island Connector Run from the event pamphlet.

s.w.o.t. analysis. strengths - visible from Calhoun (well-located) - old museum ruins (character) - dog park (not many in city) - comfortable: different microclimates for different weathers - new plantings - pleasant surroundings: quiet, nice neighborhood; not much street traffic - live oaks, old museum help distance you from the street (psychologically) - trash cleaned up properly

weaknesses - south edge not inviting - north corner not inviting (apart from new gardens)

- large grassless patches (from dense shade)

- views of site obstructed - portapotties and dumpster (from race)

opportunities - neighborhood/community events - using empty north corner (prune trees for more light, etc.)

- old museum (needs more explanation)

threats - if people drive to access it, could become crowded - dogs, people tearing up grass (maintenance issue)

conclusion and critiques.

While doing initial research, I thought it looked rather dreary from the aerial photos, and when I was there I found that from certain angles (like from Bennett Street) it is not very inviting. But after spending time on the site, I found it to be pleasant: comfortable benches in the shade or the sun, beautiful gardens, and the platform provided by the Old Museum steps.

I wondered why it was a district park even though it was so small; then I realized it’s because it serves a select population, dog-walkers. Though some online reviewers were disappointed with the park, (“funny and a little eerie…an unkempt lawn,” “non-dog-lovers will probably be disappointed”7), it received fairly good reviews from dog-owners, who also pointed out some aspects of the site which I did not recognize: that “devious squirrels” would lead your dog into adjacent traffic or the lack of fences prevents all but the most well-trained dogs from being there.7 If it were not a dog park, I would say it was a disappointing park, but it seems to be a neighborhood favorite, especially in the evenings: “where the neighborhood gathers after work, with their faithful companions.”7 I conclude that it is a pleasant and successful open space, which fulfills a district need, but also fits well with the neighborhood. It serves its day-to-day needs well without seeming over-crowded, but can also accommodate larger community events (such as the James Island Connector Run).

FIT

(context) CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL Awareness:

- paths, layout original to site (museum) - history of museum steps is not acknowledged

Identity:

- vegetation suitable to Charleston character

- park has open edges – seems an extension

of the lawns across the street

- types of spaces (microclimates)

appropriate to Charleston climate

SPATIAL Connection to a larger system:

- because it is a district park, it is connected

to the rest of the city by its users

- no physical connections to other open spaces

Scale:

- appropriate to neighborhood, fits well with its patterns and users - not large enough to be a district park

Equitable location:

- good location between College of Charleston and MUSC - good visual access from side streets, houses, but not good visual access from all directions of Calhoun

FUNCTION

FORM

(economic, cultural, ecological)

(physical + spatial) LEGIBILITY Way-finding:

- museum steps seem to serve as a landmark within the park, possibly within the neighborhood (meeting area) - boundary is clear: marked by sidewalks, palmetto trees - easy to see where paths lead at nodes

- can see entire park from museum steps (good vantage point, place to watch) - can see entire park from corner of Rutledge and Bennett - trees not impede views across site

Cultural:

Views:

Signage:

- entrance sign at Calhoun and Rutledge (most public corner) - park rules signs only at southern corners

ACCESSIBILITY ADA Compliance:

- most of site is flat, but surfacing not compliant - no wheelchair access to museum steps - playground may not be compliant

Access:

- clear entries, exits, boundaries

Circulation:

- paths well-marked, multi-use

AMENITIES Facilities:

- no restrooms/food (except special events) - playground, paths for exercise

Seating:

BENEFITS Health:

- seating in sun/shade (well-spaced) - benches rather low (uncomfortable?)

- restorative environment (microclimates) - space for exercise and leisure activities

Social:

- public, open to all - sense of community among dog-walkers (socialization time) - active and passive recreation - preservation of museum steps (history)

Environmental:

- ecosystem services - few opportunities for wildlife (except birds)

Economical:

- impact of property values

OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIFFERENT USE: Maintenance:

- very well maintained (trash, gardens, paths, lawns) - climate appropriate vegetation (except grass species needs to be more wear-resistant) - high quality materials for museum, benches, and brick edging, but paths need more gravel

Safety, Comfort:

- streets well-lit at night, but not interior - perception of safety (open, access to streets)

Adaptability/flexibility:

- multifunctional spaces

- variety of users at different times of day

(exercisers, dog-walkers, cutting through)

- community/city events (ex: James Island

Connector run, College of Charleston students volunteering)

sources.

1

Meeting with Charleston Parks Department. Nov. 8, 2011.

2

Whitelaw, Robert N. S, and Alice F. Levkoff. Charleston, Come Hell or High Water. Charleston, S.C: A.F. Levkoff and Patti F. Whitelaw, 1976. Print.

3

Charleston: Alone Among the Cities. South Carolina Historical Society: ed. Hash and Emerson.

Arcadia Publishing: 2000. Print.

4

Cannon Park. Charleston Parks Conservancy. <http://www.charlestonparksconservancy.org/ our_parks/view_park/cannon_park>

5

“College of Charleston Graduate Students Help Conservancy Beautify Cannon Park.” Cannon Parks Conservancy. <http://www.charlestonparksconservancy.org/programs/view_program_ article/college_of_charleston_graduate_students_help_conservancy_beautify_cannon_pa/>

6

“Cannon Park Plant List.” Charleston Parks Conservancy. <http://www.charlestonparksconservancy.org/programs/view_program_article/cannon_park_plant_list/> 7

“Cannon Park.” Yelp: Real People, Real Reviews. <http://www.yelp.com/biz/cannon-parkcharleston>