Greg Andoll, Architectural Associate at Penza Bailey Architects, recently reviewed a book for AIA Baltimore. The book entitled, "The Accidental Playground, Brooklyn Waterfront Narratives of the Undesigned and Unplanned," authored by Daniel Campo, chronicles how a parcel of land across from Manhattan changed from a ferry terminal to a garbage dump to a gentrified neighborhood park. The author writes vividly about the characters who took over the site while its fate was decided by politicians, businesses and advocacy groups. The site, in particular a massive leftover concrete foundation known as The Slab, became a place where musicians, artists, street performers (fire spinners), skaters and others gathered.

Greg dives further into the "The Accidential Playground." Read full review here.

"What is intriguing about this site is that it enjoyed a level of success that would be the envy of any designer. Yet no designer played a role in shaping it. The Slab was just another piece of leftover infrastructure, undesigned and unplanned that users discovered. They made their own rules and created what they needed.

The Accidental Playground forces us to rethink what a park is and who it serves," said Andoll.