In and Out of LOVE

Park Design

LOVE Park, officially known as JFK Plaza, stands as a testament to modernist landscape architecture. Conceived by Edmund Bacon and architect Vincent Kling, the park features sleek granite benches and expansive paved areas, making it a haven for skateboarders 1. The park's design, with its cascading steps and geometric planters, inadvertently became a perfect playground for skaters, allowing them to perform a series of tricks seamlessly 1.

It's a space only a modernist or a skateboarder could love.

--- Andrew Norton

Despite its modernist roots, the park's features have been emulated in skateparks worldwide, showcasing its lasting influence on urban design 2.

   

Bacon's Influence

Edmund Bacon's vision for Philadelphia's urban landscape was revolutionary, with LOVE Park being one of his most iconic contributions. His design, initially part of his undergraduate thesis, was realized during his tenure as the executive director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission 1. Bacon embraced the park's evolution into a skateboarding hub, even protesting against renovations that restricted skaters 2.

I deliberately skate in my beloved LOVE Park. My whole damn life has been worth it just for this moment.

--- Edmund Bacon

His legacy continues as skaters adapt to the park's redesign, embodying his belief in creative adaptation to urban environments 2.