www.urban-forestry.com 21
the adjacent streets on their way to downtown markets and slaughterhous-
es. The native oaks, ash, and yellow poplar trees flourished in the protect-
ed park and quickly provided people a shady respite from the bustling,
dirty downtown.
Over time, this gem of a greenspace unfortunately lost its brilliance and
was in dire need of "resetting" to once again sparkle in the city's crown.
Beginning in the Great Depression through the 1960s, the surrounding
neighborhood steadily declined, drug use and violent crime increased, and
the park rapidly became stigmatized and neglected.
The park was so shockingly dangerous that it attracted the attention of The
New Yorker, which ran an Annals of Crime column in 2009 on its routine
murderous violence. That same year Washington Park's surrounding Over-
the-Rhine neighborhood was named the most dangerous in America.
Still, in 2007, recognizing the value of the neighborhood's historic buildings
and the negative impact of the criminal element on the business district,
the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) and the City of
Cincinnati began a number of projects to turn the neighborhood around,
ultimately leading Washington Park through a $48M renovation that would
transform the neighborhood, turn a 6-acre (2.4 ha) neglected park into an
8-acre (3.2 ha) urban oasis, and become the poster child for proper and
comprehensive mature tree preservation.
Washington Park and the Seven Steps to Success
Construction work began in 2011, but the tree protection work began in
2010 (as it should) and followed the seven steps to success.
Washington Park Experience
Washington Park has new walkways, fountains, a dog park, playgrounds, and performance pavilions, but the old trees make it a truly
special public space.
