BE: What were some of the soil selection parameters for the berms? For example, is there any clay in the soil? Was a soil search necessary to find the right mixture?

MVV: We worked with our geotechnical engineers and soil scientists to determine the ideal horticultural soil and “bulk fill,” meaning the soil, rock, or aggregate used to reach a required height. In the case of the berms, only the first 24 inches consist of planting soil—which includes some percentage of clay, like most soils in the park, and was optimized for the plants we had in mind. Because the slope is so extreme, the earth is reinforced with layers of textile grids that keep the soil in place.

BE: Same question for the grass. Also, it was beyond charming to see happy animals grazing on the grass, acting as natural ‘lawnmowers.’ But a casual observer has not seen the animals recently; how is the grass (and the park at large) maintained? 

MVV: The plants were also selected to increase stability and limit erosion. We began with warm-season grasses and native forbs on the first berm and later turned to a cold-season mix of fescues, bluegrass, and autumn bentgrass. 

The berms and their plantings, like the rest of the park, are maintained by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, which is a non-profit controlled by the City of New York. The horticulture staff at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, led by Rashid Poulson, are an amazing crew that are individually tasked with caring for their own portions of the landscape. The maintenance budget is supplied by the park’s revenue-generating commercial developments, such as the 1 Hotel, which ensures that the landscape will be properly cared for in perpetuity.  

BE: In the international sweep of the design impact of Van Valkenburgh and Associates, are there other notable parks that have used the berm concept?

MVV: Berms like those at Brooklyn Bridge Park have not been replicated anywhere else in our work, but many of our projects use constructed topography to create more comfortable environments for people: Gathering Place in Tulsa, Hudson River Park and Teardrop Park in Manhattan, Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, among others.