As spring weather sets in, people are shedding their winter coats and taking to the outdoors. In every city I've ever lived in, I've sought out neighborhoods with public green spaces nearby. But not all parks are created equal. What makes some parks so full of life and activity while others sit desolate, shunned by all but criminals and the truly desperate?
Huge areas of green space surrounded by great museums, public monuments, and other institutions, like the National Mall in Washington, DC or the 843 acres of New York City's Olmstead and Vaux-designed Central Park, are undoubted treasures, but most cities are too built up by now to green that much space. And that's okay. When we are challenged to think creatively, truly innovative solutions can be found. For example, just by closing one street, a city can create a linear park. Getting around on foot or bike is much more pleasant when you're traveling through greenery -- and properly planned, it needn't create traffic nightmares for cars, either.
The most successful parks include at least some of the following features:
Everyone is welcome. The best places are those where young and old, new people, neighborhood regulars, and the whole panoply of characters that cities have on offer can gather to rest, play, and reflect. Places where you can pass the time by yourself, with friends, or chatting with a convivial stranger; places where you can read quietly or let off steam.
Safety and cleanliness. A great park has well-lit areas at night and as few hiding places as possible during the day -- people feel most relaxed when they can see and be seen. Food stands are welcome, provided there are enough trash containers and recycling bins. Clean restrooms are a must. Playgrounds should have soft surfaces underfoot, like cork or wood chips.
Seating. There needs to be a mix of comfortable seating -- and if the chairs and benches are attached to the ground and can't be moved into the sun or the shade, there should be enough of them in enough places so that people can make a choice.
Retreat. Tall trees create a canopy, offering both shade and a buffer from street noises. Lots of nature and green compels us to slow down and de-stress.
Activities. Parks should offer a mix of activities, whether they are bird watching or skateboarding, pet walking, bike riding, roller-blading, rock climbing, fishing, or reading a book. Ideally there should be a playground for kids and, space permitting, fields for ball playing and other high-energy activities.
Accessibility. A successful park is accessible from all sides. New York City's Bryant Park is one of the more successful outdoor places because it's so easy to enter and exit it -- and it's clearly visible from the street. Convenient parking and access by public transit is important too.
Art. Public art always enhances a space. Whether it's permanent sculptures or temporary visiting exhibits. Mixing art, design and creativity is fun and educational. Performing arts -- concerts, plays, and films -- are wonderful attraction for parks as well, especially on warm evenings.
Landscape. Space permitting, expansive lawns can be as welcome a feature as formal gardens; artfully planted copses of trees can make a downtown park feel like a rural retreat.
Water. Water features, such as a fountain, a pond, or a waterfall bring another element of harmony and beauty. The sound of moving water is always calming.
With the help of Steven Pedigo, my colleague at the Creative Class Group, I've scoured the world for playgrounds old and new, large and small. All of them incorporate at least some of the above elements, but most importantly, a visit to any one of them leaves you feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.
Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park, Austin Texas
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Spring fed, more than 900 feet long, and with a natural rock and gravel bottom, the Barton Springs swimming pool is one of the best-known features of Austin’s vast Zilker Park. Created by damming up Barton creek, stairs and ladders provide easy entry and there are even diving boards. Though crowded, it is the closest thing that city dwellers are likely to find to the proverbial old swimming hole.
Photo credit: Flickr user roger mommaert
Spring fed, more than 900 feet long, and with a natural rock and gravel bottom, the Barton Springs swimming pool is one of the best-known features of Austin’s vast Zilker Park. Created by damming up Barton creek, stairs and ladders provide easy entry and there are even diving boards. Though crowded, it is the closest thing that city dwellers are likely to find to the proverbial old swimming hole.
Spring fed, more than 900 feet long, and with a natural rock and gravel bottom, the Barton Springs swimming pool is one of the best-known features of Austin’s vast Zilker Park. Created by damming up Barton creek, stairs and ladders provide easy entry and there are even diving boards. Though crowded, it is the closest thing that city dwellers are likely to find to the proverbial old swimming hole.
Photo credit: Flickr user roger mommaert
As spring weather sets in, people are shedding their winter coats and taking to the outdoors. In every city I've ever lived in, I've sought out neighborhoods with public green spaces nearby. But not ...
As spring weather sets in, people are shedding their winter coats and taking to the outdoors. In every city I've ever lived in, I've sought out neighborhoods with public green spaces nearby. But not ...
Allison Miller lives and works in Los Angeles. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has had solo exhibitions at Susan Inglett, New York and ACME., Los Angeles.
I saw Bob Dylan in a hoodie & shades in the Commons in Boston the afternoon before one of his gigs. He looked like he did NOT want any "fan interaction" so I left him alone. Just a nod and a sly smile. One of many cool moments in that park.
I would add one great hang-out locale to the list: the area around the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain.
burton163: I saw Bob Dylan in a hoodie & shades in
This is an excellent summary of what makes a park appealing. My mission is to increase the awareness of how wonderful our "Big Green Gyms" can be for all sorts of activity--structured, planned, casual--for all ages and abilities. We don't really need specialized exercise equipment, either. along the lines of the parkour principle of using what's in the environment, I created an idea video "101 Things To Do on a Park Bench" available on You Tube. But we can use railings, steps, walls and so on too.
Nancy Bruning
Nancy_Bruning: This is an excellent summary of what makes a park
Rana, this blog post is a great resource for anyone who is contemplating how to incorporate new public spaces into the community fabric. I've spoken and written extensively on the importance of community gathering spaces--formal and informal--to the meaning of place. It's helpful to have someone presenting best practices/essential elements for successful outdoor spaces. Thanks for doing the research and sharing it with others.
hp_blogger_Peter Smirniotopoulos: Rana, this blog post is a great resource for anyone
Rana, thanks for asking. Regrettably, I'm well behind in digitizing my print articles, much less posting on-line presentations on the subject I've made at conferences. I'm working on that, however.
The most significant thing I've written on the subject IMO is an essay I wrote for Urban Land in March 2001, entitled "The Meaning of Place." To complement that essay, I enlisted the help of three professionals whose work I respect to each write a short, companion piece: Architect Michael Pyatok of Oakland; Henry Beer, Chairman of COMMARTS in Denver; and an up-and-coming urban economist and demographer from Pittsburgh, Prof. Richard Florida of Carnegie Mellon. Richard's contibution, "A New Sense of Place," was written either just as he was completing or when he was getting ready to publish his seminal work, "The Rise of the Creative Class." I've been very pleased to watch Richard's meteoric rise since that time; I never had any doubts about that from our first meeting.
I am more than happy to share a .pdf version of "The Meaning of Place" with anyone who requests it. My e-mail address is smirn@msn.com. I will, of course, send it to you. Perhaps there's a place on the Creative Class Group website where it could be made available.
hp_blogger_Peter Smirniotopoulos: Rana, thanks for asking. Regrettably, I'm well behind in digitizing
Frederick Maryland has a wonderful park called "Baker Park". Worth an afternoon visit! It has a creek running thru it, downtown shopping and restaurants, a bandshell, a dog park, a carillion, a pool, a playground, a pond with ducks and a fountain, baseball diamond, picnic pavilions and grills, a jogging path, and beautiful old trees. It is truly a treasure!
thepill: Frederick Maryland has a wonderful park called "Baker Park". Worth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4MQUXBx5Uc
I would add one great hang-out locale to the list: the area around the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain.
Nancy Bruning
The most significant thing I've written on the subject IMO is an essay I wrote for Urban Land in March 2001, entitled "The Meaning of Place." To complement that essay, I enlisted the help of three professionals whose work I respect to each write a short, companion piece: Architect Michael Pyatok of Oakland; Henry Beer, Chairman of COMMARTS in Denver; and an up-and-coming urban economist and demographer from Pittsburgh, Prof. Richard Florida of Carnegie Mellon. Richard's contibution, "A New Sense of Place," was written either just as he was completing or when he was getting ready to publish his seminal work, "The Rise of the Creative Class." I've been very pleased to watch Richard's meteoric rise since that time; I never had any doubts about that from our first meeting.
I am more than happy to share a .pdf version of "The Meaning of Place" with anyone who requests it. My e-mail address is smirn@msn.com. I will, of course, send it to you. Perhaps there's a place on the Creative Class Group website where it could be made available.