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Monthly Snaphots

You know a park is a great place when people feel comfortable displaying affection for each other.

I

t's easy to dismiss public displays of affection as simply a habit of starry-eyed lovers. But the truth is, witnessing affection in public tells us something profound about the place we are in. Think about it: How often do you see two people smooching in a parking garage? It's an unlikely occurrence because people tend to display affection only in places where they feel comfortable and at ease. That's why public spaces where we spot lots of kissing couples usually get very high marks from us.

Parks, more than other types of public space, allow people to come out of their shells and express themselves. So for our tail-end-of-summer tribute to parks, and in the spirit of this special parks issue of Making Places, we present a gallery of our favorite images depicting affection in parks.

Registered users of the PPS Image Database can view a slide show with more images of affection in parks.


These lovers in New York's Bryant Park (who won't be kissing during Fashion Week), are on the young side...


...but comfortable public spaces bring out the expressiveness of people no matter their age.

Continue slide show

Special Parks Features:

The World's Best and Worst Parks

PPS names the parks--both superb and shameful--that stand out from the rest. Which places do you think should make the list?

PPS Programs for Great Parks and Squares

Our placemaking services revitalize important community gathering spaces.

Six Parks We Can All Learn From

People everywhere are searching for ways local parks can better serve their communities. In the pursuit of great parks, here are six places to learn from.

Five Parks That Would Benefit Most From a Turnaround

Observing the world's best parks is inspiring, but learning from the missed opportunities of underperforming parks can be even more helpful in creating great public spaces.

Parks for the Future

PPS President Fred Kent frames the debate on contemporary park design and landscape architecture.

Which Direction for Our Parks?

Recent trends show a strong new focus on parks as public places that enhance almost everything about their communities. At the same time, interest grows in parks that have been designed as aesthetic objects. Which represents the future?

Placemakers in Parks

Many of the world's best parks wouldn't be the places they are today without the efforts of these dedicated individuals.

Chicago's New Millennium Park

Jay Walljasper tours Chicago's new blockbuster park, and walks away believing it will become a great public place in spite of its design.

When Bad Things Happen to Good Parks

New York's Bryant Park, a tremendous comeback story, is endangered again – this time by encroaching privatization.

Regular Columns:

Park Talk

A look back at this summer's Great Parks/Great Cities conference in London. Plus, parks in the news.

News from PPS

Announcing the October round of PPS training courses; the 2005 Rudy Bruner Awards; and more.

The Place Poll

Be a part of our new feature, "My Favorite Place." And don't forget to tell us what you think of the latest batch of nominations from Great Public Spaces.

Monthly Snapshots

You know a park is a great place when people feel comfortable displaying affection for each other.

Public Voices

Readers share their thoughts on the Seattle Public Library and the state of contemporary architecture.


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