City Park
The Transit Center will feature “City Park,” a public 5.4-acre rooftop park. The 1,400 foot long elevated park will feature a wide range of activities and amenities, including an outdoor amphitheater, gardens, trails, open grass areas, and children’s play space, as well as a restaurant and cafe. In addition to being a generous amenity for the quickly developing Transbay neighborhood, City Park will double as a “green roof” for the Transit Center, one of many environmentally-friendly building features. A landscaped “green roof,” also known as a “vegetative” or “living” roof, offers significant environmental benefits. It will shade much of the ground-level sidewalk when the sun is strongest and provide biological habitat for flora and fauna and public open space for transit passengers, neighborhood residents, and employees. It also acts as insulation for interior spaces, moderating heat build-up in warm weather and retaining heat during cooler weather. Unlike asphalt paving or dark colored roofing surfaces, planting on the green roof cools the surrounding environment and improves air quality by acting as a carbon sink. As a biological organism itself, the park will help to capture and filter the exhaust in the area and help to improve the air quality of the neighborhood. Just over a quarter mile long, the park design includes active space allowing organized events like concerts and fairs along with quiet areas where visitors can relax in informal natural settings. The vibrant plaza located in the center of the park will receive the largest influx of visitors from the building’s main escalator and elevator which connect to the ground level. Plenty of seating as well as opportunities for retail and food services are expected to be offered on the main plaza. The park’s western end will feature an amphitheater and stage for programmed performances. Botanic displays and open lawn areas will allow visitors to enjoy the park setting. Children will also find places for active and dynamic exploration. These areas will fit seamlessly into the overall park plan and will contain gardens, water features and other elements that offer varied perceptions and experiences for the young and young at heart.
Highlights of City Park include:
- Green roof with sustainable design features
- Public space including both quiet and active areas
- Restaurant and cafe
- Open air amphitheater
- Display gardens featuring climate-appropriate plants
- Children’s play spaces
- Pedestrian bridges connecting surrounding development to the park
- Bike storage to accommodate approximately 600 bikes
- Ten different public access points
