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INTRODUCTION Density, public health and safety, quality of life, and sustainability are some of the most confounding issues that major cities face today as they expand in population and area. How do we bring urban populations closer together in the public realm, while still providing space for the individual psyche and also increasing the overall sense of positive connection to the natural world and to each other? Robust natural landscapes have sometimes been considered a luxury within a functioning city, but more and more they are being recognized for the vital role they play in making cities livable. The story of Corktown Common relates how a landscape built of necessity was also designed to deliver myriad public benefits, including enhanced urban ecology and sustainability.

INTRODUCTION In planning the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, former First Lady Laura Bush presented a very clear vision of what the Center should epitomize: “Because George was the first president of the new millennium, I wanted it to be forward and modern.” 1 For the president and Mrs. Bush this meant making the building and landscape environmentally responsible, beautiful, and welcoming. In particular, their love of native Texas landscapes was an important framework for transforming the project’s urban site into a park that was sustainable and experientially rich for visitors. Sustainability was addressed from the start with smart planning that privileged contiguous parkland over impermeable surfaces and structures. Simultaneous consideration of every landscape component—-stormwater, plants, soil, topography, and more—netted cohesive natural systems that are better able to succeed with short-term establishment and provide enduring long-term health, the ultimate goals for a sustainab...