Dog Run Resurfacing Project at Washington Square Park

By Joy and Brian Pape

A planned upgrade to Washington Square Park’s dog runs replaces the existing gravel surface (left) with synthetic turf, as shown in the rendering (right). Credit: Washington Square Park Conservancy.

Dog runs are rarely easy. There’s often not quite enough space and finding a surface that works for everyone is a genuine challenge. It’s a dilemma familiar to dog owners and NYC Parks alike.

Washington Square Park has long welcomed dogs and their people. As the Washington Square Park Conservancy notes on their website: “Canine culture has a home in Greenwich Village at Washington Square Park. During the park’s open hours, all leashed dogs and their owners are welcome anywhere in the park, except fenced garden beds. Washington Square Park also is home to two well-loved dog runs for the community’s furriest visitors to socialize off-leash.”

Despite that warm welcome, many owners have quietly drifted to other parks, particularly those with hard surfaces, to avoid coming home muddy. Every dog run in Hudson River Park has a hard surface, though these types of runs have their own critics, with some owners calling them unnatural and difficult for dogs to play on. Natural grass is not a realistic option given the maintenance demands of a high-traffic urban park. At the same time, the small grassy areas in other Greenwich Village parks are heavily worn and typically restricted from animal use due to sanitation concerns.

These concerns prompted a conversation at the Community Board 2 Parks & Waterfront Committee, where Will Morrison, administrator of Washington Square Park for NYC Parks and executive director of the Washington Square Park Conservancy, presented on the topic at the March 2026 meeting. The centerpiece of the presentation was a proposal to replace the gravel surfaces in both dog runs with synthetic turf. The combined area is 4,952 square feet, the same footprint as today. Existing water features, furnishings, concrete pads, and drainage infrastructure would remain in place. The change responds to persistent complaints that gravel is difficult to clean, expensive to maintain, and leaves dogs noticeably dirty. Synthetic turf would allow spot cleaning and scheduled professional cleaning in place of the current biannual gravel tilling.

The chosen material is a pet-friendly synthetic turf by SYNLAWN, produced using a “stitch and backing” method that contains no rubber pellets, an important distinction given documented health concerns around surfacing products that use synthetic or rubber infill. The same SYNLAWN product is already installed on the play mounds adjacent to the large dog run, where children have played on it for years. Several other city parks use it as well, including Madison Square Park, the Tompkins Square Park small dog run, and Domino Park in Brooklyn.

The CB2 committee agreed to produce a resolution in support of the initiative. Because the project modifies park surface infrastructure within a historic district, it will also require approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Funding is currently being raised by the Conservancy to help bring these cleaner, more comfortable runs in Washington Square Park to life.