As architects, planners and citizens embrace sustainability and preservation at an urban scale for improved social conditions and interactions, they begin to re-evaluate the urban fabric: building, infrastructure and open space to inform the dialogue. This thesis seeks to explore and re-evaluate the potential of the urban public park: edge, access, program, and interaction with neighboring community to preserve and sustain itself, to positively affect the larger city. An ideal case study for this evaluation is Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, the third oldest urban public park in the nation.

In this park, issues of surrounding neighborhood crime and infrastructure disinvestment, along with historic structure and park edge erosion can be examined. An evaluation of their interdependence with proposal to connect urban fabric to park and vice-versa will protect the future park: a more accessible, inclusive and well-preserved place for active and passive recreation and catalyst for a vital neighborhood.