Thomas Smarr - Managing Challenges in Urban Parks

MHG Meetings

Sponsored By: Metro Hort Group

We seem to be in a renaissance era of new green spaces transforming major cities all around the world.
Many of these parks green spaces are being built in re-claimed areas that provide interesting challenges along with the usual management issues of urban parks. Tom will review some new projects occurring in the U.S. and highlight his experience in managing two “roof top” garden park spaces: Rose F Kennedy Greenway in Boston and the High Line in New York. He will discuss the selection of durable, beautiful plantings and the management strategies that enable success in highly constructed urban spaces.

Tom is a seasoned professional with almost two decades of experience in horticulture, botanic gardens, conservation, and organic landscaping. He holds a master’s degree in urban horticulture from the University of Washington, Seattle. He has worked for institutions such as the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, Seattle, WA; New England Wild Flower Society, Framingham, MA; and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, Boston, MA. He joined Friends of the High Line as the Director of Horticulture in April 2013. He is committed to the preservation of our cultural landscapes through sensible design, horticulture practices, and public education.