PATCH Portland Parks and Recreation launches an initiative to transform underperforming landscapes into ecologically healthy and beautiful natural spaces PHOTOS COURTESY OF PORTLAND PARKS AND RECREATION By Mike Abbaté, FASLA 40 Parks & Recreation P arks are places for transformation, both personally and ecologically. They are our society's greatest tool in responding to the parallel crises of global climate change, ecological decline and human health. Sometimes, new parks can be grand green infrastructure projects that transform old brownfields and abandoned urban wastelands. Outstanding examples exist: Hunter's Point South in Queens, New York; Corktown Common Park in Toronto, Ontario; or even the 100-mile-long Chattahoochee RiverLands project, which seeks to reimagine Metro Atlanta's relationship with the Chattahoochee River. | M A R C H 2 02 1 | PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G