Boardwalk on the Lebanon Green

The boardwalk near the Lebanon Green serves many purposes to the surrounding community. The retail, lifestyle, and food resources combine to create a multipurpose

public space that can serve many needs. This public space also functions as an area where visitors can relax and enjoy the center of town. For this aspect, it has many benches, greenery, and even a piece of artwork. As a public space, the boardwalk has different positives and negatives that affect the usability and pleasantness of the space.

What attracts people to this plaza is access to the surrounding shops and parking lots. It creates a pedestrian-only street, preventing further traffic and pollution to the center of town. The many seating options can appeal to different individuals, such as the picnic

tables, benches, and even the ledge along the plant zone. There are plenty of trees and plants to add color to the area and create a cheerful environment. The trees also provide shade for people to sit under, since it can get hot in the all-cement boardwalk. Sufficient lighting from the many lampposts, also establishes an appealing public space as it makes the area feel safe at night.

However, the placement of the trees and benches form an awkward separator in the

middle of the plaza. While this arrangement allows for more organized foot traffic alongside the shops, it creates strange pockets of empty space that make the boardwalk feel desolate and unpleasant to inhabit. On one hand the foliage and benches help the public space be enjoyable and are attractive in passing, but the poor positioning

instantly detracts from the overall atmosphere by causing unappealing patches of emptiness. It would be better if the decorative details of the area were positioned as to allow a strip of space along the center of the boardwalk. This would make the space both an efficient passageway and a pleasant area to relax in.

The metal sculpture of two musicians and a dancing couple by Ron Fern is a wonderful addition that makes the boardwalk feel cheerful. There is a liveliness that the sculpture emits, making people feel lighthearted and relaxed. The obvious smiles and dynamic positions of the sculptures adds to the bustling energy of the entire plaza. The faceless nature of the dancing couple helps passersby identify with the sculpture, hopefully filling them with zeal for movement. The dark brown color of the sculpture also helps it fit in with the surrounding trees and flowers. Art in a public space must emotionally complement the surrounding area in order to be effective in enhancing the potential positive ambience.

Since the majority of people who visit the plaza use the space to enter buildings or move through to other areas, it makes sense that the art would be energetic to accompany the constant movement in the boardwalk. If it was used for more stationary activities, such as eating, the art in the space would have to complement the relaxed mood. This sculpture is a perfect fit for the variety of services that this public space offers.