FIELDS POINT PARK

Fields Point is an entirely human formed peninsula south of Providence. Over the past century, a “terra forming” of the site has continually layered striations of construction debris into an artificial ground in the middle of the Narragansett Bay. Today, material recycling facilities can recycle this debris whether it be concrete, wood, metals or soils. To give scale to construction materials, it takes 150,000 cubic yards (38,000 tons) of concrete aggregate to construct one lane-mile of a four lane interstate highway. It is possible that this site can yield over 1,000,000 cubic yards (250,000 tons) of debris recycled.

In order for the park to be funded by sources other than a financially poor Save the Bay and low public subsidy, a private recycling company was proposed to come on board to develop and maintain the park by recycling its ground. Ideally situated near railroad lines, I-95, and the Port of Providence, the facility is on 7 acres and once built, can recycle 500 to 1000 cu. Yards of material per day. Material output from the plant will first establish the park, then remaining amounts will be sold to various public or private agencies.

The dominant material “building block” are various sized aggregates in gabions and can be used for shore stabilization, pedestrian bridges, and to expand the shoreline to aid in re-establishing salt marshes.

Connectivity on the site occurs in more than expected infrastructural networks like pedestrian links; one example of many is that the trees of the escarpment and other regional forested areas are connected with a new interstitial urban tree canopy through the park.