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City of Somerville launches Conway Park

Built on the site of a defunct lead smelting operation, new story-telling park chronicles the city's unique and diverse cultural heritage.

City of Somerville launches Conway Park

Boston, MA, 14 November, 2002—The City of Somerville, Massachusetts and Sametz Blackstone Associates, a leading communications practice, announce the opening of Conway Park, a storytelling park designed to celebrate the history and heritage of Somerville. A former brownfield site from a defunct lead smelting operation, the new park features an environmental design program that chronicles the compelling stories of real working individuals, families, and community members—connecting Somerville's residents to their city's unique and diverse cultural heritage, creating experiences for both children and adults, and building civic pride.

The new park integrates story-telling exhibits with athletic facilities, a tot lot, seating, and a water-play area. Sametz Blackstone Associates reconciled several previous design approaches with input from the community and civic leaders to create the unique park experience. The environmental graphics of Conway Park pay tribute to the vitality, endurance and stamina of the people of Somerville—revealing patterns of familial, social, commercial, industrial, and political continuity. The visual language for the park features an extensive installation of interpretive signs, color, and iconography that articulates important moments in Somerville's history. Integrating lighting structures, pavers, and exhibit signs, the park attracts, entertains, educates, and engages families and children.

The opening celebration for the park was presided over by Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay. "The City's guiding principal is that parks and open spaces are for everyone and are essential for a healthy community."

The sheriff of Somerville urged residents to "...take their time to read the exhibits, even if only one sign at a time, each time you visit. This is a great opportunity for everyone of us to help keep Somerville's history alive."

"Conway Park has been designed to inspire appreciation for the rich and surprising history of the site and the city as a whole," said Will Cook, a Design Director at Sametz Blackstone. "We are delighted with the results—people of all ages playing, learning, recreating, and experiencing the deep cultural wealth of their own community." Conway Park is an important component of a larger communications initiative that Sametz Blackstone is developing for Somerville Avenue to raise awareness of the area and build community. New signage, street furniture, and environmental communications are in the works.

About Sametz Blackstone Associates

Sametz Blackstone Associates provides communications counsel to leading corporate, academic, and cultural organizations. A 24 year-old global practice located in Boston's historic South End, Sametz Blackstone integrates strategy, design, and technology to develop and produce compelling communications that help evolving organizations navigate change. Clients are centenarians and start-ups—around the block and around the world: the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Ballet, The New England Aquarium, Perceptive Informatics Inc., Goodwin Procter, Scudder Investments / Deutsche Bank, the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Harvard University, Yale University, and MIT. Further information is available at www.sametz.com.

About The City of Somerville

The City of Somerville's was known for its rolling hills and expanses of farms, where key events in the American Revolution, and early American history occurred. During the nineteenth century the character of Somerville changed; industrial production expanded and its working class population grew rapidly. Since its incorporation in 1842, Somerville has grown to a population of nearly 74,000. The City of Somerville is a small business and residential haven of approximately four square miles. It is ideally located adjacent to Boston—one and a half miles from the city's financial and commercial districts.