Maker Park

Maker Park resists the disappearance of Brooklyn’s history and industrial waterfront-- and reimagines what a 21st century public park should be. A community fought for ten years for a park promised in a major re-zoning, finally acquiring all the land this year. Williamsburg, Brooklyn changed from an industrial waterfront to one of the country’s most creative communities: home to tech startups, innovative restaurants, craftsmen and artists, and a dynamic residential neighborhood. History, waterfront architecture and industrial artifacts are being wiped away by generic new buildings and the growing community needed more open space. A collaborative pro-bono team including Architects, Landscape Architects, Scientists, Environmental Attorneys, Financial Analysts, Remediation Specialists, Lighting Designers, and Graphic Designers has created a new kind of design for a waterfront park that maintains authenticity and expresses the history that made this neighborhood great, pays homage to the working culture of the waterfront, and reflect the creative ethos of contemporary Brooklyn. The team is working with community groups and city agencies to help make the vision a reality, paying homage to the area’s long legacy of manufacturing, and preserving the neighborhood’s culture of collaboration and making that is so central to its 21st century character.