The focus of Columbus Square has long been on its two athletic fields, heavily used by adult and youth sports leagues from around the city. The growing community wanted more green space and room for recreational activities that were not “all about sports.”

A community task force was a key part of the preliminary design process. Representatives of the neighborhood together with public agencies established several priorities: add green space for passive recreation, slightly downsize the athletic fields, and make it possible “to walk through the park rather than around it.”