WSJ Looks at Park Building

By Eric Richardson
Published: Friday, July 06, 2007, at 02:19PM

Eric Richardson

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — At the end of last week the Wall Street Journal ran an interesting look at park construction taking place across the country. The story doesn't mention Pershing Square's potential redesign, but the discussion that process will entail fits perfectly.

Cities across the country are investing in parks to make themselves more attractive, and as they do so they're getting into heated discussions on what a park should contain.

But even grass and trees can be complicated. Citizens and planners across the country are getting tied up in a larger debate about what a park should be -- one that often pits people who believe in peace and quiet and the soulful contemplation of nature against those who prefer zip lines, Frisbee golf and hang-gliding.

In the Twin Cities, some residents don't agree with the decision to build a public sports field with artificial turf. Park builders in Dallas are trying to find room in one new project for a backgammon area. And an effort to rehabilitate Manhattan's Washington Square Park has been met by three lawsuits so far -- including an attempt by preservationists to keep the city from moving the central fountain about 15 feet to the east. "You'd think we were proposing to build a nuclear waste dump," says Adrian Benepe, the city's commissioner of parks and recreation.

It's a good read, and definitely worth taking a few minutes on.

I've long been of the opinion that all I want in a park is some shade and space to throw a frisbee around. Don't overprogram. Go simple and traditional and let people imagine their own uses for the space.

Thanks to David Kennedy for pointing the story out to me.

Comments

amie writes:

I'm all for any of it...frisbee and hang-gliding, or peace and meditation. Just not drug-dealing, homeless pissing, prostitute in bathrooms action, tagging, and smashed booze bottles. Oh, wait, I am in Los Angeles--these are actions are the right of the citizens and protected by the ACLU. Even though for a law-abiding citizen it takes the police two hours to get to you if you call them, if they show at all. But I guess the rights of law-abiding citizens don't really matter to anyone in this town (unless you are in west Los Angeles bordering Beverly Hills--this seems to be where all the cops hang out giving traffic tickets). I know it is not the cops' fault, it's a city (and a country) with it's priorities all screwed up. Now as for parks, they are great in theory and design and should be a great way for communities to come together, but in practice...

# on Jul.08.2007 AT 08:45 AM

Whitman Lam writes:

I don't get what's up with Cornfield Park in Chinatown. I pass by there everyday and see anywhere between 3 to 30 people.

Look at the abundance of space !! Let's have a summer carnival or something. Are we putting that huge space to good use ?? Apparently not.

# on Jul.08.2007 AT 11:26 PM

Urban Bruin writes:

Whitman: We go to the park often with our dogs after work and just recently took some family friends and their 3 young children to that park. Each time we are there we see lots of people at the park. Families, soccer games and neighborhood folks getting in their mile jog around the track. Clearly the park is in good use and does not need a carnival to interrupt its tranquility.

It is a great place to take a step back from all the activity of downtown and it has great views of downtown from the hilltop telescope.

# on Jul.09.2007 AT 10:20 AM