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IN PROGRESS: Roger Williams Zoo Expansion


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Zoo plans $35 million in improvements

http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20...19.31db275.html

Projo also features a virtual tour of the proposed renovations

http://www.projo.com/slideshow_flash/zoo/

what's new about this? i was at the zoo in the spring and most of those places were there. they were only just renovating the polar bear exhibit.

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what's new about this? i was at the zoo in the spring and most of those places were there. they were only just renovating the polar bear exhibit.

New England trail and children's zoo-

Theme of a more up-close zoo experience-

Expanding the living quarters of its three female elephants.

Multi-sensory play zones and a two-story, handicap-accessible tree house-

Freestanding veterinary hospital and animal-care center to replace the facility in the basement of the zoo's administration building.

Those seem like the major improvments. Along with a better configuration of viewing the zoo. One theme I took away from the article was walkability/accesability.

I enjoy the zoo at it's current state. Bringing my two year son really is awsome. The way children open their eyes to the world of wildlife is just so cool. Being able to see that on a larger scale is something I look forward to. I cant wait to see the tree house...

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Zoo plans $35 million in improvements

http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20...19.31db275.html

Projo also features a virtual tour of the proposed renovations

http://www.projo.com/slideshow_flash/zoo/

The zoo definately needs an upgrade. I take my kids there every spring; it was getting stale. The layout of the zoo is not condusive - you have to backtrack sometimes to see all the animals. This past year was espically boring with the closure of the polar bear exhibit. The Marco Polo Trail wastes some space - there's never anything at the "Venitian Plaza" when you first walk in. The Wetlands Trail is just OK - I wish there was some exhibits along the way. Where theyt show the dinaosars they should use that space better and have a few more full-time exhibits.

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the wetlands trail was closed a few times this year because it was, well, too wet...

I think this is great news - I'm all for improving an already great facility that attracts people to the city.

As far as it being stale, I couldn't agree more - we didn't renew our membership this year because of that exact reason...

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  • 8 months later...
I would say that a city park like Burnside or Waterplace should absolutely be an immersive experience, and the sounds of the surrounding city add to the quality of the space. On the other hand, I think such outside sounds would be a destraction from the primary focus of a zoo.
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I would say that a city park like Burnside or Waterplace should absolutely be an immersive experience, and the sounds of the surrounding city add to the quality of the space. On the other hand, I think such outside sounds would be a destraction from the primary focus of a zoo.
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I could be wrong, but I *think* the noise you hear from RWP Zoo is not I-95, but rather RI-10. Not that it's material to this discussion anyway.

The important point to note, however, is that we didn't build next to the highway - the highway was built next to the park. Throughout RWP, you'll see badges on the sidewalk that say WPA 19xx (insert anything between 1939 and 1941 for the date). Eisenhower's Interstate system didn't exist back then, so it's tough to blame city planning for the park's location.

Having said all that, I've never honestly been bothered by the road noise from the highway. I think the biggest deterrent to people going to the zoo is the neighborhood and the appearance of the park in general. Wash Park/Elmwood isn't exactly known as a good neighborhood (even though it's one of the city's safest areas), and the sheer volume of trash on the ground in RWP is honestly disgusting - having lived on RWP for over a year, I was always amazed that the city let the park continue to look like that.

Edit: The one thing I should note while bashing the park was that the city's response and tree cleanup after the massive wind/lightning storm a while back (the one that blew up the port) was nothing short of amazing. I counted over 100 trees downed during that storm, and the city had the bulk of it cleaned up within three days. It really was impressive.

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With the issue of noise, I think the primary focus for a zoo should be the animals it contains. Is the noise affecting them? If so, then something should be done. If not, then the humans should deal with it. The animals do, and they live there full time.

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