Urban Parks in the United States

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

Group portrait at Levee Park, Winona, Minnesota

Urban and regional parks often serve as memorials for their communities.
They might be named in honor of an individual, like Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois, or of a group, like the innumerable "Veterans Memorial Parks" found across the United States, or Freedom Park in Charlotte, North Carolina.
They might contain a statue, monument, or artifact commemorating a person or event. Civil war cannons, tanks from one of the World Wars, and even retired airplanes can be found in parks across the US to honor veterans and remind their communities of residents who served their county.
Some parks contain plaques of dedication or informational displays to educate visitors about a person or historical event related to the location or community of the park.

Urban Parks in the United States

Parks as Memorials

Parks as Memorials