Resilience, Remediation, and Recreation
Alethia Tanner Park transforms a former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad yard into a vibrant public space that celebrates history and fosters community. Located in Washington, D.C.'s Eckington neighborhood, historically shaped by restrictive zoning and racial covenants, today, the park provides an urban refuge with lush plantings, allées, groves, bioswales, and hedges. Named for Alethia Tanner — a formerly enslaved woman who secured freedom for herself and 23 others and founded Black schools and churches — the park serves as a gathering place at the intersection of American history, public life, and urban ecological restoration
The design of the park reflects the energy of the site's previous eras while providing diverse recreational spaces, amenities, and access to nature for the community. Due to its former industrial use, remediation of site soils was necessary. This provided an opportunity to educate visitors through interpretive along a boardwalk that daylights various strategies for cleaning soil, including phytoremediation — using plants in situ — for the removal, remedy, or containment of contaminants. Designed to repair the land and bring the community together, this resilient landscape integrates bioretention and phytoremediation, mitigating environmental impacts while educating visitors through interpretive signage.
The park provides linkage to the Metropolitan Branch Trail, expanding access to Washington's regional bike network and creating a moment of respite and enjoyment along it. A central lawn, playground, dog park, and café foster daily social life, while a steel gantry serves as a stage for summer films and events. A massive street art wall hosts an annual mural festival, embedding creative expression into the park's identity. Community insights informed the design, including a public-led naming process. Alethia Tanner Park is both a place of connection and reflection. Whether hosting an impromptu gathering or a weekly farmers’ market, the park integrates history, ecology, and public space, offering a lasting legacy in a rapidly evolving city.
