The 308-acre Dorothea Dix Park wants to be a model for civic space If you?ve ever wondered how different cities? signature parks, like New York?s Central Park or Chicago?s Lincoln Park, would look if they were designed in the 21st century, keep your eyes on Raleigh, North Carolina.
Dorothea Dix Park, currently taking shape on a former mental hospital campus adjacent to the southern city?s growing downtown, may be the nation?s most exciting park project right now. It?s being described as the Central Park of North Carolina?and it?s not hard to see why.
How many cities get to build a new, 308-acre downtown park on protected land that?s mostly been spared the last century of urban development and redevelopment" How many get to do so after projects like the High Line, Beltline, and others have showcased the promise and peril of contemporary parks as engines for both redevelopment and displacement" In February, the city council approved a new master plan for the Raleigh park from Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the landscape design firm behind Brooklyn Bridge Park and Maggie Daley Park in Chicago. It features a multifaceted design incorporating community spaces, botanic gardens, water features, and secluded woods.

The Ridge: Set on the high point of the Dorothea Dix Campus, the Ridge would be the activity center with restaurants, activities, and observation decks looking at the city skyline.

The Creek: This section of ...