Health Sciences Park

In July 2019, Ash+Lime was hired by the Memphis Medical District Collaborative (MMDC) to provide case studies for Health Sciences Park (HSP) in Memphis, TN. This park is surrounded by numerous medical and educational facilities, and located one block from the iconic Sun Studio. It is typically frequented by local employees and students. The scope of work included researching public spaces in similarly-located institutional districts with primarily day-time usage. These case studies were compiled to help MMDC understand the potential of their current plans, avoid unforeseeable pitfalls, and learn best practices from other parks.

This research came at a crucial time for Health Sciences Park. In 2017, the City of Memphis sold Health Sciences Park to Memphis Green Space, a not-for-profit corporation. Soon after, Memphis Green Space removed a Confederate statue from the park. The removal of the statue prompted both support and backlash. It was in that context that MMDC was brought on to provide programming, and help create an environment in which all community members could feel welcome.

While MMDC was already activating the space, they were encountering many familiar obstacles: a modest budget, a fluctuating long term vision, ann imbalance between daytime and evening activity, and limited knowledge of similar case studies. Ash+Lime found strategies that highlight how to successfully target an audience of local daytime workers, emphasize the value of this park to local entrepreneurs, and support a grand plan for the district.

Research

2019