Within an urban design study for four Bronx institutions: New York Botanical Garden, Bronx Zoo, Fordham University and Montefiore Medical Center, HM White collaborated with Cooper Robertson & Partners on a series of public open space and roadway improvement projects to enhance the image and legibility of a cultural district. One of the study’s most visible projects was the historic Mosholu Parkway landscape renovation.

By reclaiming unused pavement and adding more than 3 acres of parkland, the roadway was made more efficient. Linear infiltration zones at pavement edges emerge as “green sponges” that extend the landscape and solve flooding issues. Intersection design improvements help restore the Parkway’s “architecture” while enhancing surrounding park woodland and improving the pedestrian and bikeway circulation network. The design evolved from tracing the Parkway’s historical development, defining drainage problems, assessing vegetation conditions and landscape quality and management issues. Through selective species editing, a new landscape design builds upon its landscape architectural history. Continuous drifts of flowering Cherry trees have been woven into woodland edges to establish a memorable seasonal display and reinforce its landscape character.