Robert E. Freeman Park is at the corner of two major streets in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. This pocket park with a small fountain sculpture in the middle of it showcases an imaginative use of a space that would otherwise be empty or uninspiring.
A Memorial to Robert E. Freeman
After it displaced a residential house in the late 1800s, a five-story masonry commercial building resided in the spot where Robert E. Freeman Park now sits. The building fell into disrepair after World War II, which compelled the Providence Redevelopment Agency to buy the building and tear it down in order to create a pocket park.
The park was completed as a memorial to Robert E. Freeman (1948-1992), who played several roles in the public and private sector. A dedicated urbanist, the last role he held was as executive director of the Providence Foundation, where he was committed to revitalizing the downtown Providence business district.
Robert E. Freeman Park is just a few hundred square feet in size, but it contains a distinctive fountain sculpture with benches and tables spread across it. These features along with the identity that the Robert E. Freeman Park name represents have created opportunities for surrounding business and allowed it to cultivate a great deal of activity. Doing so highlights what an imaginative approach to such spaces can enable for stakeholders and communities.
Imagining Something More
Countless corner spaces like the one where Freeman Park resides don’t provide audiences or neighbors with a reason to visit or connect with what’s there. What would otherwise just be a building in disrepair or another downtown Providence corner has instead become something much more.
By imagining something more for the space in a way that actively engages audiences and cultivates activity for surrounding businesses, Freeman Park has been able to revitalize the area in a way that directly and indirectly benefits many different individuals and organizations.
