Willie “Woo Woo” Wong Playground wins 2022 AIA Regional & Urban Design Award

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Willie “Woo Woo” Wong Playground was recognized with 2022 Regional & Urban Design Award from The American Institute of Architects. The park is the only space dedicated to active outdoor recreation in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

The 2022 Regional & Urban Design program recognizes the best in urban design, regional and city planning, and community development. The best planning accounts for the entire built environment, local culture, and available resources—modeling architecture’s promise and true value to communities.

People

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Matt Arnold
Associate
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David Gastaneta
Associate
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Willett Moss
Partner

Ideas

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Democratic Public Space

ideas

In ancient Greek cities, the agora brought people together in the same space for daily life, including commerce, politics, and social interaction. This was at a time when the European idea of democracy, or “people power” was conceived. There is a direct relationship between people sharing space with one another and caring about one another. Inclusive public space that brings together diverse people from all walks of life is more important than ever for sustaining democracy.

Places

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Willie “Woo Woo” Wong Playground

parks/public space

Willie ‘Woo Woo’ Wong Playground is one of Chinatown’s few historic, significant outdoor spaces. As the only park in the neighborhood for active outdoor recreation, it is used by Chinatown residents of all ages. As one of the nation’s most densely populated urban areas, this renovation of an historical public open space is immensely important.