Access and Equity in Prospect Park: Is Lakeside the new Parkside?

Lakeside (Outline)

Lakeside (Site Plan)

When it opens in fall 2013, Lakeside promises to be a "year-round destination for recreation, relaxation, and events" for Brooklyn residents; it will feature two ice skating rinks, a new boat dock, a cafe, and promenade. A closer examination of the Lakeside site plan reveals something more.

The Lakeside site plan precludes identification of Parkside Avenue and the neighboring Flatbush community on the map. Only a section of the park's entrance at Ocean Avenue and Parkside Avenue is visible and is placed at the lower right corner. Adjusting for size and spatial requirements, the Flatbush community, which borders the park's southern edge, is wholly invisible. Extolling Lakeside's accessibility to Brooklyn residents while omitting an entire community sends a double message about access and equity.

I also wonder about the name of the center itself- Lakeside. Proximity to the lake makes this name apparent and obvious. But is something else being conveyed? The very name shifts attention away from the exterior of the park (Parkside Avenue and the Flatbush community) and focuses it on the park's interior, where residents from Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Prospect Leffert Gardens, and beyond access the space.

The absence of Parkside Avenue and the Flatbush community from the Lakeside site plan reinforces Lakeside's designation as a park facility and not a neighborhood institution. This exclusion is magnified by a non-permeable gate on the park's southern perimeter and reinforces the access and equity that the Flatbush community must strengthen.