Family Area

The Moore Square design, as the outcome of a broad community participation process, demonstrates a deep understanding of a familys recreation needs and the City of Oaks commitment to bringing nature to children. The proposed naturalized family recreation area contains the crucial trio of natural play areas, a caf kiosk, and family bathrooms in close proximity to each other. Memories will be sown for todays children to share as grandparents with the next generation of Moore Square users. They will share a lasting love of place and associated historic cultural value will evolve over time. Urban squares oer children the daily benets of direct experiences with nature: the motivation to explore, discover, learn about their world and engage in health-promoting physical activity. Urban squares are places of democratic expression, where residents of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs can mingle, interact, and enjoy a shared feeling of inclusion and belonging with the place they call home. They oer a vehicle for childrens participation in community development, citizenship, and democratic processes. Long-lasting pride of place evolves from vivid childhood memories of meaningful experiences associated with nature and bold landscape forms.

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View of childrens natural play area in tilted lawn

Make it family friendly to accommodate the young families moving downtown.

Comment from particpant in Moore Square Master Plan Planning Workshop #1. September 09, 2010

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Childrens natural play areas

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Tree protection in Sherwood Forest, England Wooden decks in childrens natural play area

CENTRAL LAWN

PLAY MOUNDS

CENTRAL LAWN

ED I LT N T N G L AW PUBLIC AC I F H T R RESTROOMS NO

PLAY AREA FOR SMALL CHILDREN CAF KIOSK GRANULAR SURFACE WITH MOVABLE SEATING

NATURAL PLAY AREA

SOUT

H FA CING L AW N

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Adjacency of caf kiosk to childrens natural play areas and public restrooms

Natural Play
In the childrens play environments a richly articulated landscape becomes the central play element. There are three areas: one area is a contained space designed for small children in which the play elements are scaled to the size of a toddler and include rocks, sand, and grove terraces. In the larger child play area on the south side of the tilted lawn, rocky outcrops and robust native planting create opportunities for adventurous, exploratory play. In the third childrens play area a series of miniature topographic mounds are intended for informal play and seating by both children and adults. The smaller scale areas located on both sides of the northeast Moore Square entry provide an intimate environment of natures textures, shapes, colors and smells where young children can explore and make their own discoveries. Broad, comfortable decks, raised to protect tree roots, provide comfortable, dry play surfaces. Because the areas are enclosed by either natural boundaries or fencing, parents can relax and rest assured that their children cannot wander o.

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View of childrens natural play area from grove terrace near Person Street

Moore Square ought to be a place for kids.

Comment from particpant in Moore Square Master Plan Planning Workshop #1. September 09, 2010

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Concept of natural play areas on tilted lawn

Tilted Lawn Family Restrooms Caf Kiosk

Stormwater Cistern

Utility Vault

Conceptual diagram of stormwater infrastructure and utilities located within the tilted lawn

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Opportunity for family restrooms embedded in tilted lawn

The public restrooms embedded in the tilted lawn serve the caf kiosk and park users and provide an environmental lesson on rainwater collection. Adjacent to the restrooms and changing area is a natural play area, oering school-aged children an exciting three-dimensional, natural playscape. Endless play opportunities stimulate imaginations and exercise bodies thereby helping children acquire the recommended 60 minutes a day of physical activity and other desirable child development eects. For example, recent research shows that a walk in the park can even improve attention functioning and support academic achievement.

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The new public restrooms located within the tilted lawn landform could become a new source of civic pride and an emblematic symbol of Raleighs commitment to sustainability and creating world class public spaces.

a b
CISTERN 40 x 20 x 10 NEW FORCE MAIN #2 BIO RETENTION #2 2400 SF NEW PLUMBING NEW DROP INLET NEW PUMP #2 EX. INLET FORCE MAIN DRAINAGE ZONES

NEW FORCE MAIN #1 BIO RETENTION #1 2400 SF NEW PLUMBING NEW DROP INLETS NEW PUMP #1 EX. INLET (to be enlarged)

Conceptual diagram of stormwater management system

STORMWATER OPPORTUNITIES The Moore Square storm water management concept provides a sustainable approach to the redevelopment of the square by capturing rain water and reusing it on-site. The existing square consists of approximately 60,000 square feet of impervious surface on a 4-acre tract. The proposed design will increase the impervious surface to 111,000 square feet in the interest of accommodating a greater amount of program and use in the Square. Possible strategies to oset this increase in impervious surface include rainwater harvesting, bio-retention areas, and capturing adjacent street storm water for re-use on site. Currently, runo from the existing Moore Square site ows to the adjacent streets and is collected by two storm sewer systems in Blount and Person Streets. The proposed storm water management plan will meet the City of Raleigh regulatory requirements and provide a means for rainwater harvesting to the practical extent possible. Bio-retention areas can be created in the Square to meet water quality and nitrogen loading requirements. Initial investigations include the possibility of two underground detention systems located on the southern side of Moore Square to collect ows from the existing Person and Blount Street storm sewer systems and the proposed bio-retention areas in the Square. The systems could detain runo such that no increase in peak ow rates to downstream systems will result from this project. Ideally, pumping from each of the underground detention systems to the proposed centralized cistern located in the tilted lawn will be meet water use demands (i.e. irrigation) of the Square as needed. Filtration of the run-o would be required before reuse. This concept design is ideal for providing a sustainable approach to the redevelopment of the Square

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Opportunity for family restroom to could provide an educational opportunity in sustainable green infrastructure

Moore Square educational settings include water-related design features to help children understand the hydrologic cycle as the supporter of life, including rain gardens and an educational bathroom. The Squares stormwater collection and re-use strategies can be made visible and interpreted through low key, appropriate graphic displays. Moore Square Middle School will be a direct beneciary of the new educational landscape on their doorstep an educational value shared also with home school groups. 70

Grove Terrace and Caf Kiosk

Among the most beautiful and uplifting areas within Moore Square are the spaces beneath the perimeter oak trees. Currently these expansive areas are covered with beds of mulch accounting for 25% of the total area of the square. The Master Plan proposes a new way to enjoy these special areas with two large granular terraces located near the restaurants on Blount Street and near the proposed caf kiosk. A caf kiosk was recommended by the public and will be a great social and economic generatorattracting visitors to the area and beneting local businesses. The proposed caf kiosk could serve refreshments and pre-prepared food, allowing it to be extremely small in size. Granular terraces will oer a soft surface which accomodates both a high level of use and all0ws water and nutrients to reach the root zone of the trees. Movable chairs, also requested during the public process, will oer visitors the option to create their own seating arrangements, making the social environment of the terraces adaptable to the desires of its occupants and to the shifting sun and shade.

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View of grove terrace and caf kiosk from South

A lunch or dining area would help draw people in the community to one space.
Comment from particpant in Moore Square Master Plan Planning Workshop #1. September 09, 2010

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Witchcraft Kiosk, Bryant Park, New York, NY

Shake Shack, Madison Square Park, New York, NY

The existing kiosk building only accommodates a single use and could be improved to provide a wider range of functions for visitors.

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Existing Kiosk at Moore Square, 2005

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Shake Shack, Madison Square Park, New York, NY

It is critical to the elevation of Moore Square as a world class public space that the site furniture is of excellent quality and adequately spaced and sited.
SITE FURNITURE AND LIGHTING Site furniture elements are primarily comprised of benches, movable chairs, light xtures, and trash receptacles. It is critical to the elevation of Moore Square as a world class public space that the site furniture is of excellent quality, adequately spaced and sited, and communicates a consistent visual language. The collective visual and psychological eect of site furniture in public space is profound and is often overlooked or victim to cost cutting measures. Beautifully designed, thoughtfully placed, and functional site furniture can send a strong message to visitors about the character and quality of public space. These elements are primary generators of a visitors visual experience and his or her perception of the public space. It is widely understood that the existing Moore Square lighting is grossly inadequate and creates unsafe conditions inappropriate for a public space. The Master Plan proposes a new lighting concept that will introduce ample lighting, enhance the beauty of the square, and provide unique lighting opportunities for special events. The proposed high performance lighting will be modest in its visual presence in order to elegantly blend in with the trees and planted groves. The non-point source lighting concept prioritizes the lighting of landscape elements over the drawing of attention to light xtures. It will employ the latest sustainable low-voltage technology and minimize unwelcome lighting trespass to adjacent businesses and trac. The eect of this lighting concept is the generous illumination of the central lawn, pathways, entry plazas, and childrens play areas. This new system will have a digital control which could be centrally located alongside other utility controls.
Proposed concept of Christopher Counts Studio custom-designed bench

Diagram of site furniture

(including linear benches, movable chairs, trash receptacles, and light xtures)

SALVATION ARMY

R G

E T T

S T R E E T

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MARBLES KIDS MUSEUM

Comparison of Seating of Public Squares Moore Square, Raleigh, NC

Moore Square, Raleigh, NC (proposed) Bryant Park, New York, NY Madison Square Park, NY Tompkins Square Park, NY Union Square Park, NY Rittenhouse Square, PA

Linear Feet of Seating per Acre 30 330 818 (incl. movable chairs) 338 219 (not incl. sports courts) 110 171

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