Overview
Groundwork Lawrence works to make Lawrence a cleaner, greener place to live. Its environmental improvement projects focus on making the city’s underutilized outdoor spaces safe, accessible and attractive. Groundwork projects transform vacant and often contaminated open spaces into parks, playgrounds, gardens, wooded trails and pathways, promoting healthy pursuits like walking, running, cycling and gardening. Download a case study of our Urban Land Protection projects and programs.
Urban Forestry
Groundwork Lawrence is increasing the beneficial tree canopy in Lawrence by engaging youth, homeowners and concerned citizens in the planting and maintenance of trees throughout the city. Its annual GreenStreets / Calles Verdes initiative provides free trees to new homeowners who agree, in turn, to care for them. With its new Urban Forestry Coalition, Groundwork is expanding its efforts by focusing on community involvement, tree inventorying, strategic planning and resource development, to ensure the long-term viability of Lawrence’s tree canopy.
Park Development and Design
In partnership with the City of Lawrence, Groundwork Lawrence oversees the design, development and restoration of public parks, trails and open spaces, creating green oases on formerly vacant and neglected land. Groundwork involves neighborhood residents throughout the project lifecycle, from design to stewardship, ensuring spaces that reflect the needs of the community and will be enjoyed and cared for beyond their completion.
Current projects include:
- Merrimack River Trail
- O'Connell South Common
- Rowell Park
- Storrow Park
- Lawrence Rail Trail
Completed projects include:
- Den Rock Park
- 11 Parks on the Spicket River Greenway
- Bourgoin Park
- Campagnone (North) Common
- Costello Park
- Cronin Park
- Gagnon Park
- Howard Playstead
- O'Neill Park
- Methuen Rail Trail
Spicket River Greenway
is a network of green spaces and walking paths linking neighborhoods, schools and parks along Lawrence’s 2.5 mile stretch of the Spicket River. The greenway was completed in 2013. In addition, GWL organizes restoration, cleanup, enforcement, education and advocacy activities to foster community support for the maintenance of the greenway. New/redeveloped parks along the Spicket River Greenway include:
- Dr. Nina Scarito Park
- Misserville Skate Park
- William Kennedy Community Park (Arlington Neighborhood Park)
- Manchester Street Park (Covanta site)
- Ferrous Site
- Oxford Paper Site - Lawrence Gateway Project
- Facella Lot
Site Redevelopment and Brownfields
GWL is building on its long-standing and successful partnership with other community organizations in order to bring change to former industrial sites and brownfields accross the city. These sites have the potential for a variety of uses, including housing, commercial space, and open space.
- Tombarello Site
- Merrimac Paper
- Island Parkside
Open Space, Alleyway and Vacant Land Reclamation
Groundwork Lawrence turns Lawrence’s alleyways into safe, clean and productive spaces using low impact development (LID) methods. Once vacant and hazardous, the Orchard Street and Union/Mechanic Street alleyways are now home to peaceful living habitats and community gardens. Groundwork campaigns for LID on redevelopment projects citywide, including the Island Parkside project now in progress.
- 2017 - 2024 Open Space Plan and Recreation Plan Renewal
- Low Impact Development Alleyway Guide (contact us for a copy)
- North Common Alleyways Inventory
- National Vacant Properties Conference Presentation 2009
- 2004 Open Space and Recreation Plan Overview
- North Canal Restoration and Enhancement Study