Boulevard – the contemporary, connected community in Dublin, California – has announced an innovative system of 15 pocket parks programmed for diverse uses, including an outdoor co-working space named The Office equipped with technological amenities. Other themed parks include The Kitchen, The Lounge, The Library, The Gym and The Retreat. The result is a network of active urban areas that redefine the forms and functions of parks in an urban masterplanned community. Boulevard recently opened The Playground, a fun and safe tot-lot.
Other pocket parks will open throughout 2019 and 2020, including the linear Greenbelt which links neighborhoods to the parks and to the Iron Horse Trail adjacent to the community. The Boulevard masterplan is by Brookfield Residential and Lennar. It serves the demand for new homes in Northern California’s Bay Area with a planned 1,750 single- and multi-family homes. No front door at Boulevard is more than a five minute-walk from one park or another. Multi-use trails of decomposed granite and colored paving weave through these spaces, creating a consistent look and feel. Design highlights are below.
Image © Gates and Associates
The Office
The Office is an approximately 5,000-square-foot, outdoor work area. It includes built-in electricity, individual work desks, an office meeting table, a tech station with high-top bar table, and of course WiFi. (All Boulevard pocket parks have free WiFi.) The Office even includes a tall wall suitable for projecting presentations. It can accommodate up to 30 people at a time. The outdoor furniture of The Office is ergonomic and the park is directly across from The Rec Center, Boulevard’s social hub which includes indoor co-working space (The Loft), a conference room, indoor and outdoor lounges and other spaces complementing the park system.
The Lounge
This 6,200-square-foot outdoor living room is an extension of residents’ private backyards: a place to read a book by oneself or sit with friends under shade structures, or next to a double-sided fireplace. The ergonomic, European-style furniture of The Lounge includes wavy, organic-shaped concrete benches. A small kids area is to the side.
Image © Gates and Associates
The Kitchen
At 10,750 square feet, The Kitchen is one of Boulevard’s larger pocket parks. It includes two BBQs, large, family-style dining table, and a dry sink suitable for keeping beverages.
The Playground
Perhaps the most traditional pocket park at Boulevard, The Playground is 4,800 square feet of play structures, tables and chairs, and shading. Although created for children and their parents, The Playground shares the color schemes and paving design of the entire park network.
Image © Gates and Associates
The Hangout
At 10,670 square feet, The Hangout takes “passive open space” to a new level with a circle of hammocks and Adirondack chairs on a lawn.
The Gym
The Gym is one of several spaces offering exercise or play. Its 6,400 square feet include fitness equipment and artificial turf suitable for fitness activity. Other exercise spaces are The Lawn, which offers both a yoga lawn and a stepped lawn suitable for group classes. Source and images Courtesy of Gates and Associates.
Image © Gates and Associates Image © Gates and Associates 
Image © Gates and Associates Image © Gates and Associates