More goes into building a park than most of us can imagine. While creating a small garden this spring, I began to understand the time, effort and resources that go into making a small spot of beauty and utility within the city. Now multiply that area by over 11,000 acres and you have a clue to the intensity of the design process that goes into Portland’s parks.
The materials, landscape and park features all create something that community members want to recreate in and enjoy. Like most wildlife, humans need places of shelter and beautiful lush greenery to feel relaxed in parks. Water features create comfort and cooling areas during hot summer days. In this TED Talk, Amanda Burden talks about how she reinvigorated New York through parks.
View: How Public Spaces Make Cities Work
Photo courtesy Friends of the Highline