A neglected parcel of land on Virginia Drive in Ivanhoe Village is set to transform into a fun-sized urban green space, or a “pocket park.”
Pocket parks serve areas — like Ivanhoe Village — where larger, traditional-sized parks don’t fit. Urban areas and cities across the country, from Philadelphia to Seattle, have used pocket parks for decades to create accessible spaces for community members to gather. The conversations surrounding the possibility of Orlando adopting a pocket park are not necessarily new, but have certainly been reinvigorated.
In 2021, the Ivanhoe Village Design Committee began drawing up plans to make use of an untapped green space in front of a city well. An “overwhelming” number of positive responses from community members fueled the spark behind the project, and proved residents wanted a space they could go to relax, mingle and create a deeper sense of community in Ivanhoe Village. With hopes to bring the pocket park concept to life, the committee partnered with Orlando Utilities Commission and the City of Orlando.
The design plan for the small-but-mighty park includes eye-catching sculptural seating, sheltered spaces for social interactions and a majestic canopy of trees overhead. Vibrant art installations and mood-setting lighting for a chill after-dark experience will only increase the park’s aesthetic pleasure.
The first phase of the project includes a plan to reclaim the front-facing part of the site, and taking the steps necessary to inject it with life. The organization anticipates the beginning of the project’s second phase to come in three or four years, when a permanent surface will replace gravel.
Details for a “Name Our Park” competition are coming soon. To support the vision of the Ivanhoe Village Design Committee, visit the organization’s website.
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