Issue Papers

Parks

We all know that parks are important to people. Not only do parks provide a respite from the noise and bustle of traffic and crowds in cities and towns but they also provide a stage for a whole range of social activities.

PPS is widely recognized for its success in revitalizing problematic public parks such as Rockefeller Center's Exxon Park, and Bryant Park, both in New York City and formerly overridden with drugs and crime. In general, PPS's approach to such problems has been to bring activity into a space, including economic activity. PPS understands how important it is that a park contribute to the safety, stability and vitality of the surrounding neighborhood. It is the people and activities in the park which contribute to a park's positive or negative impact on the community.

Without an understanding of a park's actual functions and problems, both design and management mistakes can be made time after time which effect both the use and the cost of running a park. Understanding park use can be a relatively simple and inexpensive project when compared with the costs of making inappropriate or inadequate improvements. With an understanding of a park's use patterns, management is able to make more informed decisions on issues such as how to maintain areas in a park which are underused or overused and need special attention, which facilities are appropriate for current uses and should be upgraded, why people come to a particular park, what activities they engage in, when it is used and for how long, and what types of design elements support these activities. PPS has developed a unique user analysis method to provide this type of information to park planners and managers.

For more on parks, check out the Urban Parks Online web site. The site is part of our national initiative to educate public, private and nonprofit leaders about the importance of parks in civic life; promote interdisciplinary problem-solving through annual institutes and customized workshops, and best practices about effective strategies; and help implement better practices through targeted technical assistance.  This effort is funded by the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds.

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