Good public-space design begins with listening to the people who use it. At Overton Park’s Ice Cream Festival in June, A2H joined lead landscape architect Design Workshop to share preliminary concepts for improvements to the Rainbow Lake and East Parkway areas and hear directly from the community.
Neighbors, families, and park supporters stopped by the project boards to review ideas, ask questions, point to places they use, and describe what matters most to them. These conversations gave the project team valuable context about how the park works for people today and what visitors hope to experience in the future.
The concepts under consideration address several well-used areas of the park. At Rainbow Lake, planning has explored ideas involving the lake, pavilion, playground, boardwalk connections, and surrounding landscape. The East Parkway area includes the historic pavilion, playground, and picnic spaces. These ideas remain part of an ongoing planning process and are not presented as final decisions.
A2H is collaborating with Design Workshop and Overton Park Conservancy as the team studies how future improvements can make these spaces more accessible, welcoming, functional, and connected to the park’s natural character. Community feedback is an important part of that work because maps and drawings cannot fully capture how people gather, move through the park, celebrate, play, and spend time outdoors.
Overton Park Conservancy is also inviting online feedback for a limited time, extending the conversation beyond the festival. Input gathered in person and online will help inform the next stage of the planning process.
A2H thanks everyone who visited the display, shared an idea, or asked a thoughtful question. Overton Park belongs to Memphis, and the people who care for and enjoy it bring essential knowledge to decisions about its future.
Related information: Overton Park Conservancy: Help shape the future of the Rainbow Lake and East Parkway areas | Take the Overton Park survey for a limited time
