Elizabeth Caruthers Park
Portland, Oregon
Located in the heart of a newly developing district of Portland on the Willamette River, the Elizabeth Caruthers Park is a 2 acre civic space that will serve local residents, burgeoning businesses, and the nearby Oregon Health and Sciences University community alike. As a unique piece of green landscape set in high density surroundings, the park is designed to be flexible, and responds to the desire that it serve as respite from the urban environment as well as a place for community gatherings and urban festivals and events.
At the center of the park, a generous lawn and sloped landform provide views of the Willamette River corridor, and are designed to be used for passive recreation as well as formal performances. An Urban Garden composed of flowing perennial and shrub beds is located at the downtown side of the park near connections to public transit, and includes a community gathering area, environmental play and interactive fountain, and a garden retreat. A naturalized woodland envelopes the southern and western portions of the park, offering a place for quiet exploration on boardwalks that traverse the landscape. Richly planted storm water infiltration basins in this area collect and treat water from the entire site. The woodland also includes an environmental art installation, “Song Cycles” – wind activated, bicycle wheel inspired sculptures that create a chorus of chimes in the tree tops. These pieces heighten the sense of visual and auditory discovery in this small gem of a park. The park opened in 2010.
At the center of the park, a generous lawn and sloped landform provide views of the Willamette River corridor, and are designed to be used for passive recreation as well as formal performances. An Urban Garden composed of flowing perennial and shrub beds is located at the downtown side of the park near connections to public transit, and includes a community gathering area, environmental play and interactive fountain, and a garden retreat. A naturalized woodland envelopes the southern and western portions of the park, offering a place for quiet exploration on boardwalks that traverse the landscape. Richly planted storm water infiltration basins in this area collect and treat water from the entire site. The woodland also includes an environmental art installation, “Song Cycles” – wind activated, bicycle wheel inspired sculptures that create a chorus of chimes in the tree tops. These pieces heighten the sense of visual and auditory discovery in this small gem of a park. The park opened in 2010.