Flushing Meadows–Corona Park

===Layout===
The layout of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park retains much of Gilmore D. Clarke and Michael Rapuano's Beaux-Arts planning from the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs.<ref>{{harvnb|Historic Preservation Studio|2015|p=71}}; {{harvnb|Strategic Framework Plan|p=17}}; {{harvnb|ps=.|Unisphere|1995|pp=3–4}}</ref><ref name="NYTimes-FMCP-PastFuture-2001">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/26/realestate/a-queens-park-s-past-shapes-its-future.html|title=A Queens Park's Past Shapes Its Future|last1=Dunlap|first1=David W.|date=August 26, 2001|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 3, 2017|archive-date=July 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726024551/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/26/realestate/a-queens-park-s-past-shapes-its-future.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The northern section of the park, the former fair grounds,<ref name="NYTimes-QnsPkRising-1936"/> revolves around large paved pathways which during the fairs led to focal points such as pavilions, fountains and sculptures. The [[Trylon and Perisphere]], and later Unisphere, were placed at the main axial point.<ref name="NYCPk-FMCP-Unisphere" /><ref name="NYTimes-FMCP-PastFuture-2001" />{{sfn|Strategic Framework Plan|pp=15, 18}} The Unisphere and [[Queens Museum]] currently sit at the west end of the main promenade. Near the center of the promenade (called [[Herbert Hoover]] Promenade on the north side, and [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] Promenade on the south side) are the Fountains of the Fairs, which sit in the median of the paths. At the far east end is the Fountain of the Planets, originally called the Pool of Industry.{{sfn|Strategic Framework Plan|pp=15, 18}} This layout was used to guide fair goers to exhibits.<ref>{{harvnb|Historic Preservation Studio|2015|p=71}}; {{harvnb|ps=.|Strategic Framework Plan|pp=15, 18, 21}}</ref> The layout was based on [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini]]'s plan for [[St. Peter's Square]] in [[Vatican City]].<ref name="NYCPk-FMCP-Unisphere"/>{{sfn|NYC Parks Tomorrow's World|2015|p=3}} The main promenade, measuring {{convert|2500|ft|m}},{{sfn|Wood|2004|p=19}} was provisionally called the "Cascade Mall" during its construction,<ref name="NYTimes-QnsPkRising-1936"/> and later named the "Constitution Mall" during the first fair.{{sfn|Wood|2004|p=19}} Many former exhibit and pavilion sites have since been replaced with soccer fields ([[artificial turf]] or dirt and grass), while others have been left as open grass fields.{{sfn|Historic Preservation Studio|2015|pp=46–47}}

The southern portion of the park is largely occupied by Meadow and Willow Lake.<ref>{{harvnb|Historic Preservation Studio|2015|pp=49–50}}; {{harvnb|ps=.|Strategic Framework Plan|pp=15, 18, 21}}</ref> The two lakes, along with the Pool of Industry/Fountain of the Planets in the former fair grounds, are fed by the [[Flushing River]], which flows north through both lakes and underneath the fountain as a [[subterranean river]] towards [[Flushing Bay]].{{sfn|Strategic Framework Plan|p=37}} The two lakes are connected by a narrow channel, forming a peninsula in between the lakes.<ref name="NYTimes-FMCP-PastFuture-2001"/> During the 1939 Fair, Meadow Lake was temporarily named "Fountain Lake" and "Liberty Lake".{{sfn|Wood|2004|p=13}}<ref name="NYTimes-FineParkFromFair">{{cite news|last1=Loeb|first1=August|title=Fine Park From Fair: Flushing Meadow's New Play Area Will Be 'Second to None'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1940/10/27/archives/fine-park-from-fair-flushing-meadows-new-play-area-will-be-second.html|access-date=April 27, 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 27, 1940|archive-date=April 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407073524/https://www.nytimes.com/1940/10/27/archives/fine-park-from-fair-flushing-meadows-new-play-area-will-be-second.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The land around Meadow Lake contains much of the park's true "parkland", with open grass, picnic and grilling areas, and baseball and cricket fields.<ref>{{harvnb|Historic Preservation Studio|2015|p=46}}; {{harvnb|ps=.|Strategic Framework Plan|p=21}}</ref> During the fairs, the land on the north shore and part of the eastern shore of the lake was used as an amusement area,<ref>{{harvnb|Cotter|Young|2014|p=13}};  {{harvnb|ps=.|Wood|2004|p=108}}</ref><ref name="Kadinsky2016" /> with large parking lots added on the east and west shores for the 1964 Fair.{{sfn|Cotter|Young|2014|p=13}}<ref name="Kadinsky2016" /><ref name="NYTimes-UnwantedRelics">{{cite news|last1=Alden|first1=Robert|title=A LEGACY OF FAIR: UNWANTED RELICS; Exhibitors Are Required to Raze Pavilions, but 13 Have Gone Bankrupt|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E05EFDE173EE03ABC4952DFBE66838E679EDE&legacy=true|access-date=April 27, 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 11, 1965|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107032032/https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E05EFDE173EE03ABC4952DFBE66838E679EDE&legacy=true|url-status=live}}</ref> The lots were removed and converted to parkland after the 1964 Fair.<ref name="NYTimes-UnwantedRelics"/> The Willow Lake area of the park is a [[nature reserve]].{{sfn|Strategic Framework Plan|p=21}} The area around Willow Lake originally also contained sports fields and park trails,<ref name="Kadinsky2016"/><ref name="NYTimes-QnsPkRising-1936"/><ref name="NYDaily-WillowLake-Fishy-2014">{{cite news|last1=Colangelo|first1=Lisa L.|title=Something is fishy in Flushing Meadows Corona Park's Willow Lake where scores of fish are dying|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/dead-fish-spark-mystery-willow-lake-article-1.2019788|access-date=April 27, 2017|work=[[New York Daily News]]|date=November 24, 2014|archive-date=April 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407073502/https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/dead-fish-spark-mystery-willow-lake-article-1.2019788|url-status=live}}</ref> until it was fenced off and turned into a preserve in 1976.<ref name="Kadinsky2016"/>

The park is entirely circumscribed by highways constructed by Robert Moses. Its eastern boundary is formed by the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678). The south and west ends of the park are bound by the [[Grand Central Parkway]], with the [[Kew Gardens Interchange]] situated at the southernmost point. The northern edge of the park is bound by the [[Limited-access road|expressway]] portion of Northern Boulevard ([[New York State Route 25A]]) which connects the Grand Central and the Whitestone Expressway. The park is bisected by the [[Long Island Expressway]], at the approximate south end of the former Corona Ash Dumps, which separate the northern and southern halves of the park. Jewel Avenue and its interchange with the Grand Central further separate the southern section into two halves, with Meadow Lake to the north of Jewel Avenue and Willow Lake to the south.<ref name=30YrsP64-HPSP126-SFPP14>{{harvnb|30 Years of Progress: 1934–1965|p=64}}; {{harvnb|Historic Preservation Studio|2015|p=126}}; {{harvnb|ps=.|Strategic Framework Plan|p=14}}</ref> Access to the park is limited due to a lack of public transportation reaching many areas of the site, and presence of the highways at the perimeters of the park separating the site from local neighborhoods. The park also has very few formal entrances from local neighborhoods; this is a vestige of the World's Fairs, where access was controlled.{{sfn|Strategic Framework Plan|pp=13, 39}}<ref name="ChiTribune-FMCP-Wasteland" />

Studies by various groups have separated the park into a different number of sections. A study by the [[Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation]] divides the park into three areas: the "historic core" (former World's Fair grounds), Meadow Lake, and Willow Lake.{{sfn|Historic Preservation Studio|2015|p=}} The Flushing Meadows Corona Park Strategic Framework Plan divides the park into a total of seven "zones": the Marina along Flushing Bay (containing the [[World's Fair Marina]]), the "Sport Center" (containing [[Citi Field]] and the [[USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center|USTA]]), "West Park" (a small section extending west of the Grand Central Parkway and the fair grounds, housing the [[New York Hall of Science]] and the [[Queens Zoo]]), the "Recreation & Garden Botanical Area" (extending east of the fair grounds along the [[Kissena Creek]] corridor, housing the [[Queens Botanical Garden]]), the "Historic World's Fair Core Area", Meadow Lake, and Willow Lake.{{sfn|Strategic Framework Plan|p=21}}