Mary Soo Hoo Park
Boston, MA

Mary Soo Hoo Park occupies a small but heavily used area in the heart of Chinatown, Boston. At .06 acres, it remains the first parcel on the Rose Kennedy Greenway and has a tremendous impact on the surrounding neighborhood where any open space is a rare and precious commodity. In the center of the park is an existing forty five-foot high vent structure serving the highway that runs below the park. 

STIMSON engaged in a series of public workshops with the Chinatown Community to build upon these themes and develop key objectives for the park. Residents voiced a desire for seating to facilitate conversations, tables for chess, play space for children, and improved lighting to enliven the often dark, shaded side of the vent tower. Through careful analysis STIMSON developed a series of design themes which celebrate Chinese culture, provide a unique and dynamic play environment and set a new standard for sustainable park design for the City of Boston and the region. 

Recognition
Boston Society of Landscape Architects | Merit Award 2013

Collaborators
The Family of Mary Soo Hoo 
Boston Redevelopment Authority 
Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy 
Massachusetts Department of Transportation 
Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Photography
Jonathan Levitt 
Ngoc Doan 
STIMSON