I'm currently writing a piece for my newspaper about a dispute regarding a new plan for a derelict park in a small city (7000 people). To keep it simple: the people who live around the park - and who've been granted an important say in the final plan - oppose against the idea of the landscaping architect of putting a fence (approx. 10 feet high) around the park.
- Landscaping architect says: the fence is necessary to keep out vandalism at night. Plus, it makes a park an even more open place. Within the fence, you can dream away and forget about the world around you. - Citizens say: a fence around the park corrupts it's 'open character', which has existed for 80 years. A fence - which will be closed during the night-time - sends out a hostile signal. The friendly 'please enter and enjoy'-feeling of a park will be gone. As for keeping out vandalism: a fence is likely to attract more vandalism, since it marks the park as a no-go area at night. Which obviously leads to people trying to enter it anyway.
Now, I tend to agree with the citizens, but I know nothing at all about the philosophy of city parks, what makes a park say 'everyone's welcome here', etc. And I also don't know of any great landscaping architects who do. So I'm asking you guys. Do you know if there are any publications about the open/closed charachter of parks? And does it even matter, a fence around it or not? What does it do to your feeling about being in a park? What - in essence - makes a great 'being in the park' experience for you?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 20:36 (seventeen years ago)
Maybe this isn't the point, but can I ask what kind of piece it is you're writing? (Or is the background / "agreement" just about your personal curiosity, and not so much about the piece?)
― nabisco, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 21:19 (seventeen years ago)
This extract from City of Quartz touches on the privatization of public space wrt parks...
http://www.lcc.gatech.edu/~broglio/1101/davis.html
― Stevie T, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 21:38 (seventeen years ago)
No, your question is completely legitimate. I want it to be a more 'abstract' story - pull it away from the conflict between the architect and the citizens, and put the focus on the idea of an 'open character city park'. What constitutes an inviting city park which is accesible to all? I want to take it away from the 'quote laden' actuality, and look into the 'philosophy' of city parks. (I hope this doesn't sound too boring to bother, but this dispute did make me curious, question my own likings and demands of a park I feel good when there)
Since it's obvious both sides (architect vs. the people) are divided so much about this, I started thinking: it's the people who should enjoy being in what was once an idea of an architect, and vice-versa: the architect - who comes about as somewhat an elitist, but can he be blamed for that? - has nothing without people enjoying his plans.
So I'm looking for thruthful or original ideas or feelings about this. From people on ilx, or from experts on this subject (I can't find out who they are, if they exist at all). Some input or ideas can get my own mind going about this, which could lead to presenting original ideas or raise questions about the background of 'park experience' in the article.
(I hope this makes sense, English not being my native language I tend to use alot of words. I'm whitnessing this again right now)
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 21:51 (seventeen years ago)
xpost
best is some sort of short fence or wall - more of a boundary than a barrier - like the stone walls found around a lot of nyc parks - theyre not intended to keep people out the entrances dont have gates etc
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 21:56 (seventeen years ago)
Wau, Stevie T.! Thanks for the brilliant link!
It quotes several pieces I really want to check out for this (like "social life of small urban spaces", by William Whyte: "Whyte points out that the quality of any urban environment can be measured, first of all, by whether there are convenient, comfortable places for pedestrians to sit.").
That piece also heavily emphasises the basis of the real struggle in the community I'm reporting about: the people feel they are being mugged by the local government. The fence - which they protest against so heavily - represents the law. The locking it at night makes people feel it's not their park anymore, but the city council's, who control when and by whom the park is being closed.
Thanks again Stevie, it's exactly stuff like that I'm looking for!
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 22:03 (seventeen years ago)
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/SelGia.shtml
― gff, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 22:05 (seventeen years ago)
Well put, Jhoshea, the difference between 'a boundary and a barrier'. The latter seems to scare people away. And the fence planned around this park - a metal fence, covered in green plants but impossible to look through - seems like a barrier. I can imagine that, once inside, it'd feel more like a private garden then a public space.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 22:05 (seventeen years ago)
gff, that truly is a gorgeous story.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 22:15 (seventeen years ago)
isn't it? you should try to get that read at the public meeting, they'll all cry.
― gff, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 22:16 (seventeen years ago)
I can imagine, it's breathtaking. I can't just throw around literary references in my piece, but this one's heavilly stirring through my collected ideas.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 22:22 (seventeen years ago)
Brooklyn's Prospect Park will be car-free as of January
https://ny.curbed.com/2017/10/23/16520272/prospect-park-permanently-car-free-january-2018
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Monday, 23 October 2017 21:25 (eight years ago)