打造社区弹性:一座公平性的花园转型丨美国芝加哥丨MKSK,Inc.

Celebrating Community Resiliency: An Equitable Garden Transformation｜MKSK, Inc.

项目陈述

Project Statement

Winthrop家族历史花园是一处经过重新设计的社区空间，设计旨在致敬那些在种族隔离时期帮助塑造Uptown文化多样性的黑人家庭。花园颂扬了他们在逆境中的韧性与团结，并在今天通过聚合、教育和赋能社区来延续这一强大的精神。在短短五个月内，通过快速的社区参与、设计、资金筹集和建设流程，花园完成了翻新与转型。自开放以来，这片以社区为中心的公共空间成为了社区的“心脏”，通过邻里项目、活动、本地食品生产、教育和聚会持续为社区注入活力。

The Winthrop Family Historical Garden is a reimagined community space celebrating the rich heritage, resiliency, and legacy of Black families who helped found the Uptown’s cultural diversity despite racial segregation. The garden honors this powerful legacy of unity in the face of adversity while bringing together, educating, and empowering the community today. Through an expedited engagement, design, funding and construction process, the renovation and transformation of the garden was realized over just five months. Since opening, this community-centered public space and ‘heart’ of the community has provided positive activation through neighborhood-based programming, events, local food production, learning, and gathering.

▲灵活的多功能空间：花园设计包含35个社区种植区、园艺存储设施、多个公共广场、一处售卖亭以及一个表演区域，Creating a Flexible Space for Various Uses: The space’s layered design features 35 community garden plots, garden storage, several communal plazas, a vending shelter, and a performance area. © MKSK

项目说明

Project Narrative

芝加哥Uptown社区以其丰富的历史和多元文化交融而著称。然而，在二战前，土地契约和种族隔离政策将北Winthrop大道4600街区划定为Uptown唯一允许黑人家庭居住的区域。正是这种种族歧视和隔离政策，使得居住在Winthrop大道的家庭之间建立了紧密的纽带。他们彼此称为“Winthrop大道家族”，共同生活在彼此关爱中。口述历史显示，这些家庭对街区的回忆充满温馨与喜悦。尽管早年的居民如今只剩下极少数，这个大家族依然以“Winthrop大道家族”之名保持联系并定期聚会。

这种关于社区建立、成长、韧性与坚毅的动人故事，启发了Winthrop家族历史花园的创立。2000年代中期，通过社区参与，将4600街区的几块空地转变为社区绿地的构想逐渐成形。在Uptown United的推动下，以及地方领导人和志愿者的努力下，花园于2009年秋季正式落成。然而，20年后，这片花园因无人维护而杂草丛生，不再满足社区需求。同时，虽然花园以Winthrop家族命名，却未能有效讲述这个名字背后的深远意义。

2022年疫情后，社区对本地食品生产和共享空间的需求激增，促使花园进行翻新与再设计。这次改造成为一个契机，不仅讲述了Winthrop家族的故事，还通过设计将社区文化形象化：个体如同交织的线条，共同编织出一幅以历史传承与多元文化为根基的织锦。花园的色彩与图案灵感来自当地艺术家Mauricio Ramirez创作的壁画《Uptown in Bloom》。社区花园的种植区不仅提供本地食品生产的空间，还围绕中心聚会场地，支持社区活动与教育项目的开展。

2022年的花园重新启用仪式吸引了原Winthrop家族成员，他们齐聚一堂，回忆在这片街区成长的童年，并分享了他们共同生活在Uptown社区中的感人故事。如今，Uptown United作为支持组织，定期在花园中举办社区活动，并负责种植区的管理和日常维护。无论是参与社区工作坊、种植夏季蔬菜，还是欣赏本地音乐与美食，Uptown居民都可以在花园中了解Winthrop社区的历史传承，同时体验如何通过共同行动实现真正的社区力量。

▲庆祝历史街区的文化遗产：Winthrop家族花园位于芝加哥市中心以北6英里历史悠久的Uptown广场，这片区域被指定为芝加哥地标历史街区，Celebrating A Historic District’s Cultural Heritage: Located 6 miles north of downtown Chicago, Winthrop Family Garden is located in Historic Uptown Square – a Chicago landmark designated district. © MKSK/Uptown United

▲场地规划：编织多元文化的社区遗产。花园的设计象征着Uptown社区居民丰富多彩的文化织锦，通过多样性凝聚出更加团结的社区，Site Plan: Weaving Together the Heritage of a Diverse Community. The garden design represents the colorful and diverse tapestry of the Uptown community residents, woven together to form a strengthened community. © MKSK

▲友好包容的设计：设计充分利用现有的路网，旨在打造一个包容、公平的公共空间，促进社区的聚集和交流，Welcoming and Inclusive Design: The design utilizes an existing collection of angled pathways to foster an inclusive, equitable common ground for community to gather together. © MKSK

▲重振社区空间：前后对比：借助芝加哥公共户外广场（POP!）计划的资助，花园现已成为一个充满活力且灵活的社区聚会场所，Reinvigorating an Existing Community Space: Before & After. Made possible through the Chicago Public Outdoor Plaza (POP!) Grant the garden now offers a vibrant, flexible space for the community to gather. © MKSK/Scott Shigley

▲花园剪彩与重新启用仪式：2022年10月15日，芝加哥市、Uptown United及Winthrop家族成员齐聚一堂，庆祝花园的重新开放，Garden Ribbon Cutting and Re-Dedication: The City of Chicago, Uptown United, and members of the original Winthrop family celebrate the garden re-opening on October 15, 2022. © Scott Shigley

▲社区活动与项目中心：花园现已成为各种社区活动的中心，例如儿童园艺工作坊和社区非洲鼓乐队等丰富多彩的活动，A Community Hub for Events & Programming: Today the garden is host to a diverse array of community programs and events such as children’s gardening workshops and community drum circles. © Christopher House Uptown/Uptown United

▲生动呈现历史故事：Winthrop家族的故事通过多种艺术形式呈现在大众面前，包括作为背景的家族成员剪影绘画，旨在为历史注入活力，Vibrant and Artistic Historic Representation: The story of the Winthrop families is brought to life in many forms; including silhouettes of the family members painted as a backdrop. © Scott Shigley

▲可持续且具有韧性的设计：花园的可持续设计包括透水铺装和高架种植床，有效帮助雨水管理并减少热岛效应，A Resilient and Sustainable Garden Design: Sustainable design includes porous aggregate paving and elevated planters to aid in stormwater management and reduce heat island effects. © Scott Shigley

▲讲述Winthrop大道的历史：解说标牌和时间轴生动讲述了Winthrop家族的故事，同时将花园的过去、现在与未来紧密联系起来，Storytelling the History of Winthrop Avenue: Interpretive signage and a timeline tell the story of the Winthrop Family while contextualizing the garden’s past, present, and future. © Scott Shigley

▲延续社区的文化遗产：Winthrop家族的部分成员如今仍在花园中拥有自己的种植区，与当代社区成员共同维护这一珍贵的公共空间，A Community Legacy Lives On: Several remaining members of the Winthrop Family have their own garden plots, along with a host of today’s community members. © Scott Shigley

Project Narrative

Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood is known for its rich, dynamic history and its mingling of cultures and customs. However, pre-World War II land covenants and legal segregation listed the 4600 block of North Winthrop Avenue as Uptown’s only block where Black families could live. Partly as a result of this racism and outright segregation, the families who lived on Winthrop Avenue developed a tight-knit bond. They referred to each other as the “Winthrop Avenue Family,” and grew up surrounded by love and care of the members of their family on “the Avenue.” Oral history narratives with contemporary members of the family, reveal only the fondest memories of life on the block, their home. Although only one resident from those decades remain, the result was a large extended family that still gathers and refers to themselves as the Winthrop Avenue Family.

The prevailing stories of community establishment, growth, resilience, and fortitude inspired the original creation and dedication of the Winthrop Family Historical Garden. In the mid-2000s, through community engagement efforts, the idea of transforming several vacant parcels of land into a community greenspace on the narrow 4600 block took shape. The Winthrop Family Historical Garden was dedicated in the Fall of 2009 thanks to the leadership of Uptown United, along with several local leaders and volunteers. Yet 20 years after its initial dedication, the garden had become overgrown, no longer serving the community as originally intended. Furthermore, while the garden bore the Winthrop Family name, it did little to share the story and meaning behind that name.

Neighborhood desires for local food production and communal space following the pandemic in 2022 prompted the need to reinvest in this once beloved space. The development of a new design for the renovated garden held fresh opportunities to share the untold story of the Winthrop families while visually representing the community through the design; as individual threads, woven together, forming a rich tapestry rooted in the neighborhood through its past heritage and rich cultural diversity. Vibrant colors and patterns on the site are inspired by the featured facade mural by local artist, Mauricio Ramirez entitled, “Uptown in Bloom”. Community garden plots shape the space and provide opportunities for local food cultivation in addition to featuring a central gathering space for community programming and activities.

The garden re-dedication in 2022 brought members of the original Winthrop family together to celebrate and reminisce about their childhoods growing up on The Avenue. They shared impactful stories from their lives and the rich purpose they had living together as a community within the Uptown neighborhood. Today, Uptown United serves as a key supporting organization, programming regular community events in the garden and managing the plots and regular upkeep. Whether visiting the garden for a community workshop, planting a new crop of summer vegetables or enjoying local music and food, Uptown residents can learn more about the Winthrop community legacy while carving out the true power of community in their own lives.

Project Credits

Brett Weidl, ASLA, Landscape Architect, MKSK

NeighborSpace, Project Owner

Uptown United, Project Operator

Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Project Operator

Human Scale, Community Engagement, General Contractor

ACGi, Electrical Engineer

Dis-placements, Storytelling Assistance

Maz Maiz Native Land Project, Landscape Contractor

Mauricio Ramirez, Artist & Muralist

Isabella Scott, Artist & Muralist

Paint the City, Artist & Muralist