Urban Parks in the United States

Parks as Memorials

Successful urban and regional parks create identity for the communities around them—as evidenced by the many neighborhoods that share the name of the park at their core, like the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago.
From the late 1800s through today, parks have been a point of pride for a city. Emerging towns in frontier America would boast of their parks in promotional materials designed to lure investors and settlers from the East. The wide array of early postcards depicting local parks is additional evidence of communities' pride in them.
Urban parks are typically open, public places that can hold many people at once. These features have led them to be put to use as formal and informal gathering spaces, for civic or community events, and for planned or spontaneous events. Parks have even been put to unexpected dramatic use in times of crisis as as a place for people to gather and for authorities to provide services to those in need.
Much as early promoters touted many social and economic benefits of parks, advocates today cite impacts like the following:
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Parks attract non-resident visitors who put new dollars into local economies.
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Proximity to parks and open space enhances the value of residential properties and produces increased tax revenues for communities.
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Open space captures precipitation, reduces stormwater management costs, and protects underground water sources that often provide drinking water.
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Trees and shrubs reduce air pollution control costs.
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<li>Parks provide habitat for wildlife.</li>
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Band Concert, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Ill.

Parks at the Heart of Their Communities

Frederick Law Olmsted and Central Park

Types of Parks

Park Design

Park Features and Facilities

Chautauqua celebration in the park, Worthington, Minnesota

Parks both give identity to and serve the communities around them.
People use them in formal and informal ways, for events that are spontaneous and others that are organized. Parks host concerts, festivals, races, and community fairs. People take advantage of their lovely settings to take wedding photos and to hold picnics; they use the recreational facilities to play sports or exercise. Organizations reserve meeting rooms, balls fields, or field houses for group activities and events. Park and recreation boards themselves offer sports leagues and community education courses.
Frederick Law Olmsted's belief that public parks could serve as meeting grounds for people of different backgrounds and economic means has played out in a rich diversity of ways he likely could not have predicted.

Urban Parks in the United States

Community Space

Community Space