The citizens of Oakland Park and the administrators who serve them are in the midst of a conscious and strategic refashioning of their communal facilities and open space. As noted in the city’s Landscape Guidelines, “Oakland Park is looking to re-invest in its aging infrastructure, expand its parks and recreation opportunities, and offer improved neighborhood services to re-invigorate the City.”
This exercise began many years ago but failed to take off largely because of the economic conditions which arose in 2008. But circumstances and times have changed. Now the process is fully underway and there is momentum. Proposing a civic center and a library, to offer the community energetic and stimulating spaces to gather, learn and become a tighter knit community.
As this process has unfolded in the last few years, members of the community have come to realize that this collective rebuilding of physical places has influenced the way they and those outside of the City think of Oakland Park. To bear witness to this emerging self-awareness, community leaders consciously seek a distinctive character for their community building projects.
