Urban Park Eras

As a student in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management I catch a lot of flack about how I don’t do any work and my classes are about studying what it’s like to have fun. While I concede that I am not learning the technical ins and outs of medicine or engineering, I strongly believe in what I am learning: the ins and outs of a functioning society in an environmental context. My classes have dealt with a balance of social and natural sciences and I consider myself lucky to be involved in such an adaptable and relate-able field.

My concentration within PRTM is Park and Protected Area Management which focuses on how the natural world affects our social, economic, and physical wellbeing. I have chosen to use the Journal of Leisure Research for my blog posts for the remainder of the semester. I look forward to delving deeper into my area of expertise, recognizing topics from my classes and applying this knowledge to the articles and research papers I read. I hope to share some of these issues with my class and promote an understanding of the study of recreation and leisure.

The first article that caught my eye was about a book called The Politics of Park Design and how it is the “only comprehensive account of urban park development in the United States.” Written 30 years ago by Galen Cranz, this book starts out discussing the need recognition of parks in cities goes through the four stages of park politics up to present day. 

The first urban parks were called Pleasure Grounds and emerged from the idea that people needed an escape from the filth and crowd of city life. These “antidote” areas were to stimulate minds in an open, natural environment.

In one sense, this is exactly how I feel about the purpose of urban parks in today’s society and I am relieved our American ancestors felt the same way, because without this consideration, parks can be easily swallowed whole by housing or business development.

The second era in urban park development is known as the Reform Era because workers began having more free time and therefore more time for themselves. This was the beginning of playgrounds and swimming pools thanks to urban social workers recognizing the first need to “keep kids off the streets.”

I picture the kids from City of God or mini Green Street Hooligans swinging on swings or swimming in pools rather than beating the crap out of each other or robbing their neighbors.

The Recreation Facility era of the mid-20^th century sort of removed focus from the well-being of people to the well-being of the facility. There was a pride in enhancing and maintaining sports facilities and competitive spirit instead of maintaining green space and recuperation.

I can’t say this is my favorite aspect of the park and recreation field but it is important to note how economically beneficial athletics can be. The real money, however, is in the balance.

The final era, considered up until the book’s publication in 1980, is the Open Space era. This era craved connectivity and open space as a reaction to the facility structure craze for the earlier generation. This type of thing has to do with public squares, vacant lot parks, and corridor parks such as along a river or lake.

If Cranz were writing this book today, I will go out on a limb and deem the modern area the Sustainability era. Concepts of the environment are shifting toward sustaining the current ecosystems we have in an attempt to minimize human impact. I think that the fact we even have green spaces in urban areas attests to a healthier environment and a recent push in environmentalism is benefiting public health, economic stimulation, and social capital.

So that's an introduction to my interests and field of work. In the future I plan to find research and issue articles about things going on in our social and natural world.