Zonolite / Nickel Bottom Park
Location:
Atlanta, Georgia
Size:
14 acres
Status:
Construction completed 2013
Collaborators:
Southfork Conservancy, Zonolite Community, Lindbergh LaVista Corridor Coalition
Features:
Hydrologically intensive landscape, bioswales, regenerated wetlands, environmental remediation, community gardens
Zonolite / Nickel Bottom park reclaims an Urban Brownfield. Community inspiration to build a food garden and walking trails along the South Fork of Peachtree Creek led the South Fork Conservancy, Lindbergh LaVista Corridor Coalition and Zonolite businesses to plan for improvements to 14 acres of DeKalb County park land in collaboration with the EPA and its remediation of Brownfield areas.
Community garden, rain gardens and creek walking trails draw people in to a regenerative park experience. Creek trails link to nearby Emory University, in-town Atlanta neighborhoods and businesses. Paths and raised beds in the food garden slope gently to the rain garden where storm water ponds in a planted native lowland garden.
The railroad built c. 1895 altered the path of watershed drainage to the Creek. This 1928 Atlas map from Emory University, and B&W aerial photos show the evolution of the natural and man-made drainage flowways and of South Fork Peachtree Creek. The straight man-made flowways on-site naturalized over the years.
