For nearly 200 years, Queens Square has been the heart of downtown Cambridge. This urban plaza forms a key linkage in the open space system of the city, joining the Cambridge Main Street Bridge and the Grand River to the east and Memorial Park to the west. Restoring the site was a priority for the City of Cambridge, especially because Queens Square is one of the key public spaces near the Grand River. This made it a target of the Back to the Rivers Plan, an initiative that strives to enhance connection to the waterfront, encourage civic participation and improve quality of life for residents and visitors to Cambridge. Canada’s Sesquicentennial was also an important consideration – not only would Canada 150 funding make the project possible, but it would be appropriately symbolic to re-dedicate the Centennial Fountain 50 years after it was first built.  The main goal of the project was to respect the Square’s original design intent, while improving the functionality and aesthetics of the site. In addition to repairing the concrete fountain and replacing surfacing and structures, the design team worked to increase accessibility and ease of pedestrian circulation by manipulating the grading and site layout.

Publication:

Landscapearchitect.com – Queen’s Square Restoration