Horace Bushnell Promenade
The Horace Bushnell Promenade, part of the Intermodal Triangle Project, is a beautiful, sustainable walkable public space in Downtown Hartford. It is the first expansion of Bushnell Park in over 150 years. It is a tribute to the Reverend Horace Bushnell, the greater of Bushnell Park. The Promenade was conceived and designed by us and the design team.
The Promenade is 30 feet wide and just over 1/2 mile long. It is a total of 2 acres of sustainable, walkable new public space. It has 80 new trees, 30 new benches, 36 sustainable rain gardens, 60 energy efficient pedestrian and roadway lights and created 15 foot shorter, wider, safer, crosswalks.
This component of the Intermodal Triangle Project transformed the northern perimeter of Bushnell Park into a green pedestrian promenade that is a major piece of the structural framework for The GreenWalk from Union Station to Main Street.
BEFORE & AFTER
The Promenade includes a brownstone perimeter wall for sitting and leaning; new street trees for shade and foliage; environmentally friendly planters that serve as rain gardens; energy efficient pedestrian and roadway lighting; new benches, bike racks, and street furnishings; and six new or enhanced brownstone gateways into Bushnell Park, marked with bronze plaques. People walking along the Promenade enjoy enhanced views of the park lawns and landscape; of the pond and its fountains; of Trinity Bridge and Memorial Arch, the Corning Fountain, and the State Capitol; and of the Travelers Tower and the downtown skyline.
The Promenade provides a safe, comfortable, historic and attractive walking environment for everyone, including children and seniors, visitors, workers, and residents. The Promenade is used in all four seasons, weekdays and weekends, day and night. Bushnell Park North is a street that starts at Asylum Street and ends at Gold Street – it combines Ford Street, Jewell Street, and Wells Street into a single name, while retaining the historic names as references on the street name signs.
FACTS & FIGURES
The first expansion of Bushnell Park in 150 years
A tribute to Reverend Horace Bushnell, creator of Bushnell Park
Conceived and designed by the iQuilt Partnership’s design team
Executed by the City, GHTD, and their engineers and contractors
Runs for half a mile from Union Station to Tower Square
30 feet wide, half a mile long (2700’)
2 acres (81,000 s.f.) of sustainable, walkable new public space
80 new street trees
30 new benches
36 new sustainable rain gardens
60 new energy efficient pedestrian and roadway lights
15 shorter, wider, safer, crosswalks with protective bollards
Horace Bushnell Promenade Rain Gardens
The 39 rain gardens along the Horace Bushnell Promenade are a form of “green infrastructure.” Each one captures rainwater, snow, and sidewalk runoff to help keep the Connecticut River clean.
The paving and walkways of the Horace Bushnell Promenade are intentionally sloped to direct stormwater into an adjacent rain garden. The captured water then percolates downward to be absorbed into the subsoil, where it is naturally cleansed through a process called “biofiltration.” The clean groundwater eventually flows downward into the aquifer, nature’s underground reservoir. The typical rain garden plants, often found in wetlands, are selected for their ability to absorb excess water and for deep roots which promote filtration. By capturing the urban runoff and enhancing filtration, the rain garden prevents pollutants from traveling through the gutter and stormwater sewer system into the Connecticut River. The more area of rain garden, the greater the quantity of stormwater that is captured and cleaned.
