Garrett Park is a hidden gem of green space nestled in the heart of the South Baltimore neighborhood of Brooklyn and boasts spectacular views of the city’s harbor. The land for Garrett Park was donated in 1925 and developed into the central hub for Brooklyn residents and organizations. Today, the Greater Baybrook Alliance is energized to rebuild the park as an exemplar of placemaking and community building.

Rejuvenated interest in the revitalization of Garrett Park has prompted community projects such as the park’s Neighborhood Lights event, community-organized park clean-up events and after-school sports leagues for local children.

A Comprehensive Approach to Conservation

Garrett Park not only offers a place for children and adults to find healthy recreation opportunities and therapeutic nature experiences, but it also provides a suite of ecosystem services. Located next to the Patapsco River, the park plays a crucial role in stormwater retention, protecting the watershed from excessive flooding and polluted runoff that threatens the water quality of the river. Garrett Park’s tree canopy and plantings also help control erosion while offering crucial habitat for urban wildlife. The Brooklyn neighborhood, in collaboration with the Conservation Fund, is exploring opportunities for green infrastructure in the Garrett Park revitalization plan to maximize the ecosystem services that the park can provide.

Why This Project Matters

The Brooklyn neighborhood sits on the edge of the Patapsco River and confronts the same environmental challenges — flooding, rising waters and water pollution — that many low-lying communities face under the pressures of climate change. Ecological resilience is crucial for Brooklyn given the economic and community development challenges it is fighting to overcome. Neighborhood residents have banded together to form Friends of Garrett Park, a group that has begun to utilize this park project as a catalyst for realizing the triple-bottom-line community benefits of a healthy environment, economy and society.

In partnership with the American Planning Association and Design for America, Friends of Garrett Park developed a community action plan that details its vision for the Garrett Park revitalization process. TCF and the Greater Baybrook Alliance are working together with several local organizations and institutional partners to return the park to its former glory as a treasured hub and asset of the community — A Park With Purpose.

Additional Partners

• City of Baltimore
• Enoch Pratt Brooklyn Branch Library
• The National Aquarium
• Blue Water Baltimore
• The Boys and Girls Club
• United Workers
• Maree Farring Elementary/Middle School
• Ben Franklin High School
• Concerted Care Group
• The Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition
• Baltimore City Youth Fund
• Chesapeake Arts Center
• Greater Baybrook Alliance