Photos courtesy Mery Bingen
Threat
Today, El Monte is threatened by lack of public (and professional) awareness as well as by lack of maintenance and, unintentionally misguided interventions.
The history of the profession of landscape architecture in Puerto Rico is one of untold stories and unsung pioneering individuals. El Monte鈥檚 heritage is no different. Even though El Monte lies within densely populated metropolitan San Juan, the site鈥檚 seclusion further fosters its 鈥渋nvisibility鈥 as a historic designed landscape. This lack of recognition of the site鈥檚 heritage is largely due to the incomplete documentation of the gardens and open spaces鈥攂oth of the initial plans and the alterations that have occurred over time鈥攚hich hinders the landscape preservation and planning processes. Moreover, minimal maintenance of the grounds has let to over-maturity and decay. Overgrown vegetation and fencing now block its vistas and the ephemeral yet significant vegetative features that are so important to El Monte鈥檚 sense of place.
Boston City Hall Plaza
Boston, Massachusetts
Estates Drive Reservoir
Oakland, California
Heritage Plaza
Heritage Park
Fort Worth,
Texas
Kaiser Roof Garden
Kaiser Center
Oakland,
California
Lake Elizabeth
Allegheny Commons
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Manhattan Square Park
Rochester, New York
Mill Creek Canyon
Earthworks
Kent, Washington
Miller Garden
Columbus, Indiana
El Monte
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico
Pacific Science
Center Courtyard
Seattle, Washington
Parkmerced
San Francisco, California
Peavey Plaza
Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis,
Minnesota