Parks Perceptions And People

This thesis is a study of the public perceptions of urban community park benefits and the identity they foster among people. It addresses the conjecture that parks, by encouraging self-expression through interaction and use, contribute to the identity of a place(Garvin 2000). Identity is a way of organizing information about the self (Clayton and Opotow 2003) and perception is an experience which is occasioned by the stimulation of sense organs (Dennis 1951). These have practical implications on research. Understanding people's response to their surroundings leads to an understanding of perceptions of self and community. Park benefits are gained through interaction among people and the surrounding environment. Activities which form these benefits include social connections, health of mind and body, restorative setting, recreation and environmental education (Clayton and Opotow 2003; Garvin 2000; Taylor 1999). This research study examines the perceptions of users and designers regarding three classifications of park benefits: Public health; social, and economic (Sherer 2003; More et al 1988). The literature review examines the existing knowledge base of open space and park use and their benefits from established reports, for example, Journal of Landscape Research (JLR) and Trust for Public Land (TPL), with design program data for each park; as extracted from the 2004 Arlington Parks Recreation and Open Space Master Plan, and the Hike and Bike System Master Plan for the City of Arlington, Texas. The study then ties these data to the three park benefits of public health, social, and economic. In so doing, the study also provides an understanding of the elements regarding identity and the environment (Lindholm 2007; Kaplan and Kaplan 1998; Clayton and Opotow 2003). This research uses qualitative data collection and analysis techniques--observable behavior and interviews (Taylor and Bogdan 1998)--with data gathered from interviews with landscape architects and park and recreation professionals involved in three chosen parks in Arlington, Texas. The three community parks selected for the study include a linear community park, a large community park, and a campus community park. These parks are the River legacy Park, Veteran's Park and the Green at College Park, respectively. Data from park visitors was included to determine user perceptions regarding the three park benefits. Data collected from these observations and interviews revealed the qualitative effects of public park spaces on individuals as executed by park designers. The resultant finding measures user perceptions and expands the understanding of the role of landscape architects in fostering that link. The findings appear to agree with the literature reviewed for this research. The public health benefits and economic benefits were identified by park users as the main attractions of the parks studied; these tie into information gleaned from the literature review.

Illustrated with historic and modern photos, this book explores Indiana state parks. Focusing on continuing changes in the natural and built environment, the narrative includes individual histories of each property.

This book aims to understand how the wellbeing benefits of urban green space (UGS) are analysed and valued and why they are interpreted and translated into action or inaction, into ‘success’ and/or ‘failure’. The provision, care and use of natural landscapes in urban settings (e.g. parks, woodland, nature reserves, riverbanks) are under-researched in academia and under-resourced in practice. Our growing knowledge of the benefits of natural urban spaces for wellbeing contrasts with asset management approaches in practice that view public green spaces as liabilities. Why is there a mismatch between what we know about urban green space and what we do in practice? What makes some UGS more ‘successful’ than others? And who decides on this measure of ‘success’ and how is this constituted? This book sets out to answer these and related questions by exploring a range of approaches to designing, planning and managing different natural landscapes in urban settings.

This book is an introduction to landscape architecture for students. Landscape architecture is a visual subject so the book is be illustrated with the author's own drawings.

A study of public recreation space and how urban developers can encourage ethnic diversity through planning that supports multiculturalism. Urban parks such as New York City’s Central Park provide vital public spaces where city dwellers of all races and classes can mingle safely while enjoying a variety of recreations. By coming together in these relaxed settings, different groups become comfortable with each other, thereby strengthening their communities and the democratic fabric of society. But just the opposite happens when, by design or in ignorance, parks are made inhospitable to certain groups of people. This pathfinding book argues that cultural diversity should be a key goal in designing and maintaining urban parks. Using case studies of New York City’s Prospect Park, Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park, and Jacob Riis Park in the Gateway National Recreation Area, as well as New York’s Ellis Island Bridge Proposal and Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park, the authors identify specific ways to promote, maintain, and manage cultural diversity in urban parks. They also uncover the factors that can limit park use, including historical interpretive materials that ignore the contributions of different ethnic groups, high entrance or access fees, park usage rules that restrict ethnic activities, and park “restorations” that focus only on historical or aesthetic values. With the wealth of data in this book, urban planners, park professionals, and all concerned citizens will have the tools to create and maintain public parks that serve the needs and interests of all the public.

The question of how to live in the city and increase the quality of urban life creates new challenges for both urban policies and academic research. Urban parks are important keys for achieving a broader understanding of the urban landscape. Open green spaces in every form are essential for life in our ever more urbanised society and are becoming a vital issue for the liveability of the urban environment.The purpose of the present research is to acquire a more thorough knowledge of the evaluation of urban parks. The study uses statistical analysis methods combined with landscape planning and visualisation methods. The research provides an innovative and sophisticated point of view along with the means to improve the comprehension of people's preferences for alternative urban park scenarios. The results are expected to create an advanced discussion platform and make a contribution towards improving knowledge of the public's perception of urban parks. The investigation was conducted with empirical experiments on two parks in Zurich.The functional component of the research is the visualisation of spatial data using powerful visualisation tools. The theoretical prospect is the achievement of broader knowledge about individuals' perception of open green spaces, focusing on previously unexplored experimental research combining conjoint analysis and visualisation methods.The experiments created for the research are effective for modelling and explaining the signifi cance that people assign to specific dimensions characterising different park scenarios. Two motivations are at the base of the research: exploring the use of conjoint analysis methods to study virtual urban parks and evaluating the use of visual stimuli with conjoint analysis.

The global debate over who should take action to address climate change is extremely precarious, as diametrically opposed perceptions of climate justice threaten the prospects for any long-term agreement. Poor nations fear limits on their efforts to grow economically and meet the needs of their own people, while powerful industrial nations, including the United States, refuse to curtail their own excesses unless developing countries make similar sacrifices. Meanwhile, although industrialized countries are responsible for 60 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, developing countries suffer the "worst and first" effects of climate-related disasters, including droughts, floods, and storms, because of their geographical locations. In A Climate of Injustice, J. Timmons Roberts and Bradley Parks analyze the role that inequality between rich and poor nations plays in the negotiation of global climate agreements. Roberts and Parks argue that global inequality dampens cooperative efforts by reinforcing the "structuralist" worldviews and causal beliefs of many poor nations, eroding conditions of generalized trust, and promoting particularistic notions of "fair" solutions. They develop new measures of climate-related inequality, analyzing fatality and homelessness rates from hydrometeorological disasters, patterns of "emissions inequality," and participation in international environmental regimes. Until we recognize that reaching a North-South global climate pact requires addressing larger issues of inequality and striking a global bargain on environment and development, Roberts and Parks argue, the current policy gridlock will remain unresolved.