Legacy in Landscapes: Christian Zimmerman

For nearly three and a half decades, Christian Zimmerman, Prospect Park Alliance’s Vice President of Capital and Landscape Management and a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architecture, has overseen the dramatic transformation of Prospect Park after decades of deterioration and decline, stewarding this world-class landmark and beloved community destination. Among many accolades for his work during his ongoing tenure, Christian Zimmerman has most recently been awarded The Olmsted Network’s 2024 Olmsted Stewardship Award in celebration of his work to tirelessly restore Prospect Park’s landscapes, introducing the next generation of landscape architects to famed park designer Frederick Law Olmsted. 

A walk through Brooklyn’s Backyard, complete with the sounds of soothing waterfalls, chirping birds and scenic vistas, is an experience beloved by millions of park visitors each year – in large part thanks to the Alliance’s Design and Construction and Landscape Management teams’ work to restore Prospect Park’s landscapes and historic structures.  With an award-winning team of architects, landscape architects, horticulturalists, arborists, ecologists and other professionals, the Alliance is constantly working to make the park more vibrant, accessible and resilient to climate change.

Over his nearly 35 years at the Alliance, Zimmerman has completed countless impactful projects to make the park the place that our community holds so dear, including significant capital projects including the restoration of the Ravine (Brooklyn’s last remaining upland forest) and the 26 acres of Lakeside, including the LeFrak Center. One of his more cherished accomplishments was the mid-1990s restoration of the Ravine, including its network of waterfalls, ponds, streams and shoreline that brought the park’s watercourse back to life.

Christian Zimmerman holds up a historic view of Ambergill Falls, used to recreate this section of the watercourse. The restored falls are behind him. c. Prospect Park Archives, 1997 (left). Restored Ambergill Falls c. Elizabeth Keegin Colley (right).

“Prior to this reconstruction, the watercourse didn’t function properly, and people were somewhat afraid to go through the Ravine,” Zimmerman explained. “Restoring the woodlands while simultaneously reconstructing the watercourse really changed how people engaged with the park. When we re-opened it up to the public, the transformation was stunning. We even brought back a waterfall that hadn’t existed for decades, shares Zimmermman of the Ambergill cascade, once seemingly only a stream after falling into disrepair, and now a visible waterfall of about 10 feet. The team reshaped the Lullwater, brought back the Binnen Pool, which had also not existed for decades, as well as a number of rustic bridges, making Prospect Park’s woodlands and watercourse the peaceful and inviting respite it is today for our community of people, plants and wildlife.

On his role leading the Alliance’s capital and landscape management work, Zimmerman reflects “It’s all really humbling. To have the opportunity to work on this vast network of projects here in this one space. You don’t get that opportunity often as a landscape architect, and I feel that my role is very unique. Working for a park in this capacity is special, and being able to steward and take care of one place, as opposed to many firms where projects are very spread out, is unique. I’ve gotten to spend my entire career bringing one beloved place back to life – which I don’t take lightly.”

LeFrak Center at Lakeside, which opened to the public in 2013 c. Michael Moran

Zimmerman has seen how vital our park is as the backdrop to life’s moments, both celebratory and sorrowful. “We often talk about the pandemic in recent history, and how important Prospect Park was to our community during this time, but we’ve also seen for generations how the park is essential in getting our community through difficult times. It was heart wrenching and moving to be here during September 11. So many in our community wanted to be among people in their city, but quietly. The park’s landscapes gave people that place to find comfort near one another but not with each other. We saw then, and we continue to see now, each day, just how important this space is to people. Prospect Park gives people solace. It reminds me of how important it is to be taking care of this space, and I feel lucky to be able to do this. I don’t take it for granted.”

Along with leading the team in the restoration of park landscapes, Zimmerman instills a sense of mentorship in his work each day, teaching the next generation of architects and landscape architects to help continue the Alliance’s legacy. “There are cycles of history, and there are times within this park’s history that there were periods of neglect, and then an era of renewal and recovery. I was fortunate enough to come at a time when there was a renaissance with the founding of the Alliance. Since then, we’ve had this period of stability and renewal and we need to keep that going. I see one of my responsibilities as making sure the legacy of the Alliance remains moving forward, ensuring the Alliance  will continue the great work we’ve accomplished.”

As he looks toward the future of Prospect Park, Zimmerman is excited for the upcoming restoration of the Vale in the park’s northeast corner and the restoration of the Lakeshore of Brooklyn’s only Lake. “I’m most excited by the fact that this long-term project will benefit so many people and neighborhoods and truly set up for the future of the park.” The multi-phase project, which is in the design phase of Phase 1, will make this 60-acre lake more resilient to severe storms and flooding,  reduce the use of city water in our watercourse,  improve the park’s ecology and the visitor experience. “This project collectively represents all that we do: historic restoration, environmental resilience, and so much more.  We are addressing climate change, increasing wildlife habitat, and providing essential accessibility improvements—it touches everything.”

On the future of the park, Zimmerman shares that at the culmination of large restoration projects or the establishment of new landscapes, he’s often asked about what could be next now that the work is “done.” “The park is never finished,” he reflects. “I have countless projects left in mind to do, and to re-do, as the park continues to change. There is no ‘it’s done’ moment as the stewards of the park–—there are endless opportunities.”

Learn more about the Alliance’s capital projects and improvements underway in Brooklyn’s Backyard.