LANDSCAPE

CITY PARKS

APOORVA MEENA 2014UAR1132

KIRTIKA SHARMA 2014UAR1681
KRATIKA KUMAWAT 2014UAR1099
V.D.S ANUSHA 2014UUAR1455
CONTENT
•INTRODUCTION
•HISTORY
•ELEMENTS OF URBAN PARKS
INTRODUCTION
• An urban park, also known as a public park, public open space, is
a park in cities and other incorporated places to
offer recreation and green space to residents of the city.
• Urban Parks refers to specific piece of ground, excluding natural
parks, within the City/town and set apart for use of the general public
• Urban parks are now viewed as an important part of the broader
structure of urban and neighborhood development rather than just
recreation and leisure facilities.
• The design, operation and maintenance is usually done by
government, typically on the local level, but may occasionally be
contracted out to a private sector company.
 HISTORY
HISTORY IN ENGLAND:
An early purpose-built public park, although financed privately, was Princes Park in
the Liverpool suburb of Toxteth. This was laid out to the designs of Joseph Paxton from
1842 and opened in 1843. The creation of Princes Park showed great foresight and
introduced a number of highly influential ideas for parks.
HISTORY IN UN: In the late 19th century, large tracts of land on the outskirts of cities were
purchased by city governments to create "pleasure grounds": semi-open, charmingly
landscaped areas whose primary purpose was to allow city residents, especially the
workers, to relax in nature.
As time passed and the urban area grew around the parks, land in these parks was used for
other purposes, such as zoos, golf courses and museums. These parks continue to draw
visitors from around the region and are considered regional parks.
AIM:
For the provision of open space for the benefit of townspeople and local residents
within an area that was being rapidly built up.
At the dawn of European history, on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, land
was imparked for four non-agricultural uses. The Egyptians made domestic gardens
and temple gardens. The Assyrians also made hunting parks. The Greeks added
public gardens, as meeting and market places protected within city walls. The
Romans continued to make public meeting places, but the other three types of park
became fused in the imperial villa and its progeny. Roman palace gardens, such as
those made by Hadrian and Diocletian, merged the historic objectives of park-
making. Parks were made for domestic pleasure, for exercise, for hunting, for the
fine arts and for celebration of the emperor's godlike status. As such, they became
models for Renaissance villas, in Italy and then throughout Europe, from the
fifteenth to the eighteenth century. North European park and garden designers paid
their respects to this ancestry when they included Greek and Roman statuary in their
designs (Figure 15.4). So do all those gardeners who place concrete casts of Diana,
Flora and Aphrodite amongst the roses of their suburban "villas'. Fragments of
classical park prototypes can be found in modern parks, but they are decayed and
confused, like the statuary. Most urban parkspace is non-domestic garden, non-
temple garden, non-hunting park. Those broad acres of green that look so fine on
planner's plans and tourist brochures offer remarkably scant value to the public.
They provide little to see and very little to do
 COMPONENTS
Co m m o n fe at ures o f mu n i c ipal p a r ks i n c l ude p l aygrounds, ga rdens,
h i k i ng , r u n nin g a n d f i t n e ss t ra i ls or p at h s , b r i d le p at h s , s p or ts f i e l ds
a n d co u r t s, p u b li c re stro om s, b o at ra m ps a n d /or p i c n ic fa c i lit ies,
d e p endi ng o n t h e b u d get a n d n at u ral fe at ures ava ilabl e.
1. Relaxed leisure and passive enjoyment.
2. Active play and physical involvement.
3. Appreciation of views and art works.
4. Preserving and recognizing our history and culture.
5. Hosting exhibitions and outdoor events.
6. Bringing city dwellers into contact with the natural environment.

It is important that a city park is designed to achieve visual variety and interest. This is achieved
through the techniques of using different: a) Forms/shapes b) Materials c) Colours and textures d)
Levels.
It is important that a city park is easily accessible with clear links to the city. This is achieved through
having access by: a) Walking b) Cycling c) Public transport (Consider trains, buses, ferries) d) Private car.
THIRDLY- It is important that a city park provides for a wide range of age and interest groups.
The Urban Park Guidelines
The Urban Park Guidelines will develop a vision
that will consider … • visual and physical access to
parks that enhance mental, physical and spiritual
health • green gathering spaces to improve social
connections and relieve stress • outdoor
recreational opportunities to improve physical
health • low impact development and
environmentally sensitive design to improve health
of the land • interesting and aesthetic design to
create a sense of space• well maintained and safe
spaces to encourage community interaction •
educational opportunities to provide information
on health benefits of parks
 Park classification is determined by the resource’s use,
purpose, size, target area, demographics and location.
There are three (3) park classifications: 1.
Neighborhood parks 2. Community parks 3. Regional
parks

Neighborhood Parks
The neighborhood park is a "walk to" park, generally located along local streets where
pedestrians will not encounter heavy traffic. It serves the population of a neighborhood
in a radius of up to one-half mile and should be easily accessed.

Typical facilities developed in the neighborhood park may include playgrounds, recreation
buildings, multi-purpose sport courts, sports fields, picnic areas, and open space. Additional
facilities may be added, depending on the recreation demands of the neighborhood or
community area.
Community Parks
A community park is designed to serve the needs of multiple neighborhoods and larger
sections of the City and have been described as medium size, typically ten to 40 acres in
size based on national averages. While community parks ought to be accessible via
pedestrian and bicycle pathways, community parks are also expected to meet the needs of
automobile-oriented users with parking lots and easy access to major streets or arterials.
Community parks offer a wide range of programs and facilities for all community
individuals and families ranging from passive to active uses. Just as the neighborhood park
fulfills the recreation needs of the neighborhood, the community park is designed to meet
the recreational needs of the entire community.

Regional Parks
regional parks are generally designed for resource-based activities, location is
dependent upon the availability of high quality natural resources capable of being
developed and used for outdoor recreation. Typical facilities include water-based
recreation sites, camping areas, hiking, nature trails, picnic areas and other
facilities not requiring extensive development. Parking areas are necessary
support facilities and should be designed to minimize adverse impacts upon the
natural environment.