Ten Principles for Creating A Successful Hemming Plaza

2. Attractions and Destinations


Hemming Park once included destinations such as a tourist bureau and a comfort station, which attracted a diverse collection of visitors to spend time in the public space.

Any great square has a variety of smaller "places" within it to appeal to various people. These can include outdoor cafés, fountains, sculpture, or a bandshell for performances. These attractions don't need to be big to make the square a success. In fact, some of the best civic squares have numerous small attractions such as a vendor cart or playground that, when put together, draw people throughout the day. Project for Public Spaces often uses the idea of "The Power of Ten" to set goals for destinations within a square. Creating ten good places, each with ten things to do, offers a full program for a successful square.

Historically, Hemming has been the home to a gazebo, a fountain, monuments, shaded seating areas, a comfort station, and a tourist bureau.  All of these attractions combined to make the park an everyday destination.  As of right now, this principle appears to have been omitted in the Hemming Plaza committee's list of short term improvements.  In reality, making sure the park has attractions within it that appeal to various people may be one of the most important considerations for any plan to improve the space's conditions.  Before any plan is funded that results in the removal of trees or relocation of benches, it would be a good idea for the City Council to make sure that a short term plan include the addition of attractions as opposed to the continued removal.