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Municipia: Konferenzna ... : BRINGING A PlECE OF LANDSCAPE INTO THE CITY Page 1 of 13 Municipia Iinfothek I Konferenznachlesen I ECLAS I Content

DESIGN OF URBAN OPEN SPACE: BRINGING A PlECE OF LANDSCAPE INTO THE CITY
Han Lorzing Eindhoven Introduction
/ Througout the centuries, city planners use green open spaces as an integrated part of the urban fabric. They provide a background for recreational activities for which the builtup area does not have enough space. They also contribute to the quality of the environment in the broadest sence, as they regulate the extremes in urban temperature and filter air pollution through the leaves of their trees. They are agreat way to articulate an urban area into measurable entities. And, last but not least, they function as a reminder for the urbanite that the rural areas are never far away. To put it in simple words: urban open spaces are nothing more and nothing less than a piece of landscape in the city.

_~Jand.scapeof patterlls
The green infrastructure of a city can adopt a variety of spatial pattems. These pattems can be extremely important in the way they structure the urban fabric. Some pattems are direct1y inspired by the originallandscape in which the city was built. Others are overtly f!l;armade, showing the .,~d.esil"e create new green infrastructures as part of an overall urban plan..!1 will discuss a number to of archetypical pattems-thatcan be found in different European cities. Morphologically, we can distinguish between: o isolated elements, or "dots"; o linear elements, or "lines"; o area elements, or "zones". For their use in urban planning, it is necessary to translate these rather theoretical pattems into realistic park structures. The dots represent a structure of one or more iso!.ated parks, situated in the mJ!<ll~_Qf1ilLl.lxb~lL~rea with no real physical connection with other parks or with the surrounding landscape. In general, this isolated position does not hinder the everyday recreational use of the park but as we will see later, it definitely limits the possibilities for certain types of routelinked recreation. We find this kind of isolated parks in Medieval downtown areas (especially as 01~_~!2isters and e!1c1osedgardens) and in the nineteenth century urban developments (the early eity parks, s~!y_e(mtrasting in form and material i!1:_their urroundings). Central Park in New s York City is, in spite of its size, an example of an isolated urban park (of eourse, isolated refers by no means to 'isolated to the public'; the essence is that it is isolated from other parks). On a mueh smaller seale, the Sarphatipark in the late nineteenthcentury belt of Amsterdam is a another fine example. When we find a number of isolated parks in a eity, we may speak of 'seatterd parks' or a 'patchwork' of green open spaces within the urban fabric. The linear elements can be divided into isolated (or singular) linear elements and more eomplieated pattems eonsisting oftwo or severallinear elements. In the former situation we find a long and narrow green spaee eutting through the urban fabrie like a ribbon': in many eases these http://alt.munieipia.atlinfotheklkonferenzlec1as/e _09 .htm 10/27/2000

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Municipia: Konferenzna ... : BRINGING A PlECE OF LANDSCAPE INTO THE CITY Page 2 of 13 elments take the shape of a green-lined River in Northeastern London, the Isar serve as examples of a ribbon-lik~~en by exception; they represent a classical century as part of a large urban lay-out river meandering through a city. The course ofthe Lee River through Munich and the (old) Danube in Vienna can structure. In our times, ribbon solutions are created only solution, developed in the late nieteenth or early twentieth around an existing river.

The more complicated patterns of linear elements form a h~twork' ofI~9.r~~!!(:m,~lJ!.l11(s. They are typically urban designers' solutions, created to control a new urban environment. Famous examples of green networks in urban planning are the designs for Chandighar (India) and Milton Keynes (England). In the Dutch new town ofLelystad and in the Bijlmermeer residential area of Amsterdam, we find the intriguing combination of green 'veins' and bicycleoutes as a more modest network solution. An interesting combination of 'ribbon' and 'network'is offered by the Pa~ILSy~t<::m Boston, Mass, of where in the nineteenth century existing creeks and swamp areas wereput together in a grandiose ensemble that still provides the green backbone for the city. On the area level, we can also determine two different types of patterns. Though both may cover a substantial part of an urban area, the ways in which they function in their urban surroundings differs completely. What they have in common is their origin as showpiece of an urban planning theory. In fact, they represent an urban model that carne to life. The 'belt', to name one ofthese patterns of urban green, has been developed as an expres sion of containment. Greenbelts, as they are commonly known, are a product ofthe prewar times. They played an important role in the early town and country planning. They were created not only to provide a certain amount of recreational space, but also to serve as planning statements. They helped to define the limits of urban growth. No wonder that, in our dynamic era, the greenbelt has fallen from grace. The best known example, the great Greenbelt of London, suffered a fate that is typical for this concept: new developments grew inside and beyond the belt, attracted by the popularity ofthe area. Another group of greenbelts (the 'inner belt') can be found in the older parts of cities, often in situations where bulwarks and ramparts had been rased to make way for a ring of parks between the old downtown area and the nineteenth century extensions. Copenhagen, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg and many other cities have fine examples ofthese 'historical belts'. Finally, the wedge' is a more recent phenomenon. It is also firmly rooted in urban planning theory but, unlik~ the belt, its main purpose is to seperate the 'fingers' of a radially planned city. Although this concept gives just as much 'drawing board feeling' as the belt, the result has proved to be more succesful in the long run. The reason is simple, as the wedge can (in theory) be extended infinitely without giving up its unique position in the urban pattern. Famous green wedges can be found in thoroughly planned cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen. These five patterns are represented in figure 1.

Figure 1: patterns in green urban spaces

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"A-.
Scattered: the patchwork

Linear: the ribbon

Linear: the network

Area: the belt

Area: the wedg e

To give a short characteristic, we might say that the patchwork represents a classical solution in which built-up area and green open space are seen as totally different entities, whereas the network, the belt and the wedge mean typical planners solutions that became popular with the introduction ofmethodical town and country planning from the beginning ofthe twentieth century. The latter three differ greatly in their effects onthe urban environment: thebelt stands for restrictive planning while thewedge and the network stand for a more open-ended way of planning. Finally, theribbon and, to a certain extend the wedge are the solutions that depend largely on the use of natural and patrimonial elements in the urban environment. Summarizing, we might say that thepatchwork, the ribbon and the inner belt are typical for the classic city at the end ofthe 19th century. Thewedge, the (outer) belt and the network are characteristic for the modem, planned cities ofthe 20th century. These archetypes are shown in figure 2.

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~
F igure 'lA: park patterns in the cla ssical city: the patchwork, the ribbon, the inner be~

Figure 28: pat1<pattems in the modern city: the network, the wedge, the (outer) greenbe~

As an example ofpark structures in an existing, modern city, 1 made a schematic drawing ofthe city of Eindhoven. This city of 200.000 (centre of an agglomeration of350.000) is intersected by a river (the Dommel) and one of its contributaries (the Tongelreep). These rivers provide a green environment (ribbon) which widens towards the city's edge into large park areas (wedge) which succesfully bring the landscape into the city. On the outskirts of Eindhoven we find park areas that surround the city (belt); they are forests and moorlands that have never been occupied by urban developments. Like other cities ofthis size, Eindhoven had a number of isolated (neighborhood) parks that function for a limited part oftown (patchwork). Finally, the city is working on a scheme to connect neighborhoods, park areas and surrounding country-side by creating a system ofhigh-quality,3 meter wide bicycle roads.Thisnetwork, which is stiH under construction, wiH run partly through narrow but attractive green corridors. The Eindhoven park structure is shown in figure 3.
Figure 3: The city of Eindho\t' en as an e){ample

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Ribbon

----~elemenlS ~PatchWJrk

elemenls ~NetwOrk
Selt

elemenls

elemenls

A landscape of symbols
Bringing a piece of landscape into the city means inevitably that the urban open spaces will be reduced to a preudo-landscape, bearing only references to existing (or once-existing) landscapes; in the European situation, preserving originallandscapes in an urban context is virtually impossible. T~e op~_n.~p_ace~~~omesas,ymbolic landscape"designed to create a desired atmosphere in the city.

Park architecture has always been using borrowed or artificial forms, elements and materials. The first gardens were deliberately artificial in their appearance, as they were meant to contrast sharply with the surrounding landscape or town. Still, even in these simple, man-made grid pattern gardens, nature was present in the planting material that filled the box-lined squares. In RenaissanceandBaroquegardens, submissionotnature became obvious as the g,ardens were designed as an ~xpres~!l.QfpQwer: power to relgIi-ovei-a nation as well as over nature. The victory over nature was translated into a network of straight avenues, laid out over the territory to show the ruler's span of control. The park of Versailles, of course, marks the ultimate height of this
VlSlon.

I~~e~nth.century, the rise ofthe English landscape style changed a lot in the relation between man and nature. Nature was seen as a fri~lx-P.Qw.er, no longer man's enemy but a useful ally. This translated into a different type of ga~ns, meant to create the atmosphere of an English country environment, especially a river valley landscape. The IJlid:-n!!t~en.th~~IltyIY saw the development of the urban park, layd out for the needs of the citizen. ~n..8t?~ ~~~ .theparktheexpression.,of individu.al.weahlL~!!~tQ.q~~r. Instead, it became a sign ofthe civil s~: the presence of an urban park showed that the city cared for its citizens in recognizing the need for a leisure environment. The early urban parks were set up in the style of the eighteenth century landscape gardens. The winding paths, the serpentine ponds, the round walk and even the clumps of trees were there as if nothing had changed. The only conspicuously missing element was the country house in the middle. What changed, of course, was the way in which the park was used: the country nobleman and his friends made way for a crowd ofurban citizens,

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Around the last turn ofthe century, the ultimate step was taken in the popularization ofthe urban park. Idealistic .~Q1iticials and park desi~~r.s, often adhering to the then new socialist ideas, decided that the worker should have access to the same privileges as the bourgeois, among them the right to spend their time of leisure in an urban park. This development, often referred to as the ':Volkspark MQye.m~IJt",originated in Scandinavia and Germany but spread alI over Europe. Essential in the lay-out ofthe Volkspark is the use oflarge open spaces, originalIy designed for worker's rallies and other mass activities such as sports gahterings. These were activities that had never before been envisaged in park design. It is by no means exaggerated to say that the style of the Volkspark is unique in its kind, as an expres sion ofthe contemporary architectural motto "form folIows function". In the park typology used in this presentation, the Volkspark brought a variety of'wedge', 'belt' and 'network' type ofparks. This is no wonder, as the Volkspark designers often worked closely together with urban designers, cooperating in creating the Modernist city as promoted by the 'Congres International d'Architecture Moderne'. In~e second half Qf the ~eEtieth century, the Volkspark Movement became less important. On the one hand, the political ideaiTsmtflatlid created the Volkspark gradualIy faded away. On the other, the use of urban parks changed with the changing needs of the working class. It has often been said that the success of the emancipation of the working class resulted in its dissappearance; in the use of parks this can be demonstrated by the fact that the mass activities made way for more ~ individual ways of recreation. This change in park use can be seen as one of the reasons why park I design changed in the second half ofthe twentieth century. Other developments in the second half of the twentieth century also influenced the design of urban parks. The most important of these are the ris ing interest in the protection of our natural environment and a similar attitude towards our cultural heritage. No doubt, both wilI be influenced by the recognition that nature and heritage are rapidly becoming rare sources in our modem society, and that we should make our best efforts to stop the deterioration. The importance of this movement is shown by the growing membership of organizations like Greenpeace, the National Trust or the Dutch society ofNatuurmonumenten (with over a million members on a population of 15 million, the latter must be one of the proportionalIy largest organizations in its kind in the world!). The proliferation of new nature projects in my country is another sign of growing interest in ecology, in this case not only the interest of individuals and pressure groups but of government bodies as welI. Throughout The Netherlands, we see examples of carefulIy reconstruction of landscape elements like the famous 'remeandering' of streams; large areas in the countl)Side are being reconstructed along ecotectural principles and, last but not least!-.~~.enin city parks designers peacefulIy grazmg ItS way through e park ItS visitors. ""'~-------_. 'miniaturet wildlife'anrepresented b recenti ._--------------t to introduce a piece of
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11
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reereated stone age cattle, _ ~~ ,AApart from this need for strong symbols, referring to a natural and/or historical environment, the use of city parks has been changing in the past decades. As we saw, the originallayout of the Volkspark became outdated because ofthe demise ofthe large public rallies and the disappearance

ofthe organized crowd. Along this line, we can observe the following recent trends in park use. ,{... '" 1 o forshift cer fields is dramaticalIy decreasingindividual and and golf are sports: the need I!. f!''in A soc from (larger) team sports towards while tennis small team stilI on the rise.
f, [

o A ris ing interest in hyperactive (and, of course, hyperindividualistic) -----.~-~..,.,._~_. http://alt.municipia.at/infothek/konferenz/eclas/e _09 .htm

activities: the

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Municipia: Konferenzna ... : BRINGING A PIECE OF LANDSCAPE INTO THE CITY Page 7 of 13 social group ofbicycle riders is making way (litteralIy) for the lonely inline skater, zooming across the park in the splendid isolation ofhis walkman. Here we have a trend that originated in the USA, where jogging, in small groups or totalIy individualIy, has become the number one park activity. o In general, a shift from area-bound recreation towards route-bound recreation: the round walk from the English gardens is coming back as an informal (and unplanned) winding trail through the park, used to walk the dog or to 'explore nature'. o An interesting change in Northwestern European parks is the growing 'need for shade': in the past, people would sit (or better: lie) in the sun as much as possible, while now the trend seems towards a place in the shade to be protected from both the sun and the looks of other visitors. This trend may be introduced by the Mediterranean migrants, who had the habit of picknicking under the trees in city parks. A more direct reason may be the growing awareness of the risk of skin cancer. To put things simple, we might say that modern park use has a tendency towards individual, routebound and active forms of recreation. Park architecture should translate these trends into a design that caters for these needs. What new design styles should evolve from the new trends in park use? It is certain that the park visitor is hardly specific in his or her ideas on park architecture. Simple, practical demands like 'good pavement', 'logical routing', 'enough shade' and 'a feeling of safety' go together with tie notion that parks should provide an experience. Through variation in forms, materials and colors the park design must help to create an environment that is absolutely different from the surrounding city and, if possible, from alI other city parks as welI. At the present turn ofthe century, three trends seem to coexist in the (re)designing of urban open spaces. They are: o the naturallandscape, referring to (and sometimes recreating) an 'ecologicalIy correct' setting for indigenous species, ecotopes and landforms; o the authentic landscape, referring to (and often conserving) historical, man-made rural areas with their specific settlement patterns and parcellations; o the eclectic landscape, using design elements from the entire history of garden and park architecture to provide a perfect background for recreational activities in the urban environment. These trends are visualized infigure 4. This figure is an adapted vers ion of my theory on the main sources of inspiration regarding park and landscpe design (Lcrzing, 1992).
Figure 4: Trends in turn-of-the-century and landscape design based upon foreign forms and materials park

)
r

1
c~ation: eC!ecticism Park desi~ lJy

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1
based upon indigenous forms and materials . inspired by human cu~ure inspired by nature

At first sight, the first two trends together seem to be in contrast with the third. In reality, alI three represent different aspects ofthe same thing: the need for a landscape in the city that symbolizes elements from the wor1d outside and that, at the same time, facilitates existing and new leisure activities. This: can easily be demonstrated by pointing out that there is no such thing as a 'natural landscape' in the city: real nature (whatever thet may have been in an industrialized countries) has disappeared centuries ago from the place where our cities have been built and our parks are nothing more that nature on our conditions. The same goes for the 'authentic landscape': the few elements from our cultural heritage that are left in the urban fabric, such as old roads, farmhouses, field patterns and streams, are becoming more and more becoming 'objets trou...es', lost in an alien environment. The use of natural or historical elements in urban open spaces does not mean that they shoukd be 'correct' by any standard, as their presence is merely symbolic. In this way, they do not differ largely from the deliberately planned eclectic landscape elements. To put it sharply, given their alienating context 'natural' and 'historical' elements in park architecture are in fact just as artificial as their 'eclectic' counterparts. It should be noted that most visitors have only a vague and often contorted notion of 'nature' and 'landscape'. Ifthey were exposed to an environment that was carefulIy put together to resemble true nature or authentic landscape, most of them would feel bored, alienated or downright scared. What they realIy need is a feeling of nature and landscape, not built as a replica but more as a remake. Natural areas and landscape elements are essential for the experience ofvisitors, not because they are authentic but because they are charged with symbolic connotations that the visitor misses in the rest of the urban fabric. Even in cases where these areas and elements are by alI means authentic, the drastic change in context stiU makes them highly displaced. StiU, the interest in natural and authentic things may be based on misgivings, it is a genuine emotion that cannot be ignored. Using recent examples, I wilI go into the nature of these three sources of inspiration and try to find an answer to the question why they are so important in our time. How park patt~!:..~_s erform p At the turn ofthe century, the symbolic landscape of our city parks wilI be based upon three trends that supplement and reinforce each other: the natural, the authentic and the eclectic. We also saw new trends in the use of city parks. It is interesting to explore how well the different patterns in urban green spaces perform when it comes to providing space for recreational use and experiences. First, we wilIlook at the potential for nature and the experience of nature. It is easy to see that park patterns that are generalIy larger in area wiU have the largest potential for the deve10pment of

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natural elements that will be experienced as such by the visitor. This will even be stronger when the parks are situated in the transition zone between city and landscape. The belt and the wedge will perform best as providers of natural experience. For certain types of natural values, especially the aquatic ones, the ribbon may be a good option. The development of natural elements in itself is not the only aspect in the field of natural values. More important for the development of natural elements with ecological value in the city is the potential to connect these elements with each other and, preferably, to nature areas outside the city. Following the theory ofthe Dutch environmental researcher Tjallingii, we should aim at a chain of natural elements through the city. The size ofthese elements is less important then their distance. In fact, this aspect is the most important when we want to introduce 'a piece of nature into the city', serving human experience and ecological values at the same time. In this case, the wedge, the ribbon and, depending on the dimensions of its elements, thenetwork will give the best results. As a second group we will explore the potential for the experience of an authentic environment. Here, the results resemble to a certain extent the group of'nature' aspects. For the experience of (pseudo- )historical elements, the range is wider: even isolated parks may include historical buildings or pattems, although the potential is larger in thewedge, the belt and the ribbon. When we look at the potential for connecting city parks with the surrounding landscape, or to put it more ambitiously, to bring the landscape and its elements into the city without isolating them from their original environment, thewedge and the network are the winners. In the example of Amsterdam, we see large rural areas with their historical settlement pattems penetrate the city from several directions. These green wedges contribute to the idea of an open city that is firmly rooted in its rural environment. As for the network, many examples in Dutch cities where old rural roads, canals and dikes are preserved in new urban developments show the potential of authentic elements as part of a recreational network. A most impressive example is the 's-Gravenweg, an old road lined with farmhouses, that runs radially for seven kilometers through Rotterdam and its suburbs, providing an attractive link for bicycles between city and polders: although the farmhouses changed in their function to become garden centers, restaurants and expensive houses, they still contribute to an indisputable rural atmosphere within the city. It will be clear that the ribbon can function here as well, as it serves as a obvious metaphor for the connection between city and landscape. In a third group, we will pay attention to the aspect of 'suitability for recreational use'. The types of recretional behaviour I will use, are in part based upon the theory of the Canadian sociologist Cohen (1979), adapted by the Dutch researcher Beeke (1995). The suitability for 'static recreation', meaning those types of recreational use that are restricted to a certain location, shows little difference for the five park pattems. All recreational environments can provide enough space for activities that demand a very limited radius. We find more difference when we look at the suitability for 'active recreation'. Especially when specialized areas for certain sports are requested, only thewedge and the belt will be able to provide enough space: it is easy to see that the introduction of a group of soccer fields or a golf course is virtually impossible in isolated city parks or in the elements of a network. Thtribbon takes an intermediate position: especially for aquatic sports, an urban waterway and its immediate surroundings may have reasonable potential. As we saw, the demand for 'circuit recreation' is growing. To a large extent, this is caused by the rising interest in hyperactive and individualistic SPOrts.The modem city has to perform as an 'outdoor gym' that enables its citizens to work out on circuits, largely through green areas. It is obvious thet the network is the archetypical answer to this demand. But, by their sheer size, the

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belt and the wedge wiU also be able to provide space for recreational circuits. As for the ribbon and the patchwork, they may be part of an urban network and, for that reason, part of an urban curcuit, but they will normalIy fail to provide circuits on their own. An exeption can be made for large, isolated city parks: in some cases they may have a reasonable potential for circuit recreation. Another aspect that should be discussed is the density of park use for the different pattems. Looking at the visitors-area-ratio, it is inevitably that the isolated (but well accessible) city parks of the patchwork will give the best results, followed by thenetwork and the ribbon. The wedge and the (outer) belt will faU far behind in density because of their character and sheer size. FinalIy, the potential for variety in recreational experience is a topic that needs to be discussed. An interesting (and for some unexpected) observation is that the smaller a park is in size, the larger the variety will tend to be. This is caused by the fact that in a smalI-size park, no one will bother to introduce large-scale facilities; in fact, the area will be used extremely effective to atract as many visitors as possible. Therefore, the parks in apatchwork and the elements in anetwork will have the best score on 'variety in recreational experience'. Thebelt and the wedge will score poorly while the ribbon will have an intermediate position. We should also consider a number of aspects that are not directly related to the experience of nature and authenticity, or to park use. Still, they are important for the way in which urban parks will function in practice. Easy access from surrounding as well as other parts ofthe city, for instance, is one of them. Here, park pattems that penetrate as much as possible into the city have an edge over the others: this means a high score for the network and a reasonable score for the wedge and the ribbon. The belt is the obvious loser, as it is relatively remote from most parts of the city (this goes especially for the outer belt; the inner belt shows a slightly better score). The patchwork has the intermediate position: when seen apart, each isolated park functions only for its close surroundings, but alI parks together make a reasonable accessible system. A modem topic is the feeling of (un)safety that parks can convey. The smaller the park area is, and the better it is integrated in its environment, the larger its chances are to become a 'safe' park. In contrast, large, monotonous and relatively remote parks make a bad performance. This means that the (outer) belt and, to a lesser extent, the wedge must be considered potentially unsafe, as the parks in the patchwork and the elements in the network tend to be relatively safe. The performance ofthe five park structures regarding these different aspects is displayed in the folIowing matrix.

Experience of natural environment Suitability for active recreation Experience for element. Linking naturalstatic recreation Linking autbentic elements autbentic environment Suitability of

601 16 0601 IB ~E
I Patchwork II Ribbon verygood good " Netwotk II verygoodbelt II Wedge (Guter) I

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nal use he city nal experience

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high good good Suitability for high II recreation I very circuit

~~I 16 OBI 816DO 16 1010

good very high

We should keep in mind that the scores in the matrix are based on rather subjective definitions so that the overall impression should be considered tentative. StiU, there are some interesting trends to be found. o The parks ofthe patchwork are highly effective in their visitor-area-ratio, they have a great potential for variety, and they are relatively safe. On the other hand, they score poor when it comes to providing links with the surrounding nature and landscape. In short: here we find high-quality parks in a high degree of isolation. IT any 'natural and authentic atmosphere' can be created here, it wiU be an artificial background for a variety of leisure activities. o The ribbon shows an overall reasonable score in the matrix. However, the potential in bringing the surrounding landscape (or nature) into the city is clearly larger than the potential for variety in recreational use and experience. As a conclusion, we could say that the presence of an existing (water) ribbon in a city should by alI means be used te create an environment that has certain qualities, but there is no need to create a new ribbon from scratch. o A reasonably balanced score is accomplished by thenetwork. The elements of the network are as close to the residential areas as any park element can be, they are relatively safe and show a great potential for variety. The network is the ideal environment for circui~linked forms of recreation, which are extremely popular in these times. Aiso does the network provide interesting links with surrounding nature and landscape values. AlI together, the network can be a very efficient way to create a park system in a city. o The (outer) belt performs poorly in the matrix, especialIy on the subjects od variety, safety and accessability. Aiso on the subjects of'bringing nature and landscape into the city', scores are poor. The belt performs best when large areas are needed for (active) recreational use or for the introduction of natural and historical elements. When we also consider the fact (not given in the matrix) that the outer belt has the obvious disadvantage ofbeing an obstacle to urban development, we should admit there is no reason to promote the concept of the greenbelt in modem planning. o Although the overall scores seem to resemble those ofthe belt, thewedge performs better in some aspects. EspecialIy the great potential for connecting city and country side (see the scores on 'bringing nature and landscape into the city') is evident. Another advantage ofthe wedge is the positive score on 'accessibility': the wedge is closer to many residential areas than its direct competitor, the belt. And, other than the belt, the wedge is hardly an obstruction to new urban development. As a concept, the green wedge is still a strong one. Park patterns for a 2lst century city

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FinalIy, I will make some notes on the park pattems we may expect in the cities ofthe early 21st century. After the trends we found before, it will be no surprise thatvariety in recreational experience is the key term for our future park systems. It will not be easy to fulfill the demands of the park visitor. On the one hand, he wants an environment that shows its natural and authentic origins. On the other hand, he wants to see these elements integrated in an artificial park environment that caters for an extreme variety of recreational activities, many ofwhich are recent or still have to be developed. We should carefulIy consider to introduce elements of natural and heritage value in our park systems. These elements may be isolated, to serve as'reminders' ofthe world outside the city; or, even better, they should be linked with actual values outside the city as to show the continuity between city and country-side.
Figure 5: parkpatternsforthe 21 st centu ry Use natural elerrents as linKs between city and country-side city ofthe

Create network of narrow corridorsfor circuit recreation

1,

8 ring landsca pe into the c ~y for the 'authentic expertence'

The city ofthe 21st century will still have some'c1assic' parks, like relatively isolated and smal~ size neighborhood parks. They will function primarily for their immediate surroundings, but there use will be intensive and their variety very high. On the other hand, our cities will also need a limited number of large-size parks, especialIy for those activities that require large (open) green spaces. In an ideal situation, these parks should be wedge-shaped to connect city and country-side. To make alI these park elements into a system, we should aim at creating a network of green corridors for recreation. They will be small in size but divers in their use, serving as an ideal environment for circuit-types of recreation and as mere connections between the larger but isolated

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Municipia: Konferenzna ... : BRINGING A PlECE OF LANDSCAPE INTO THE CIT YPage 13 of 13 ,-park elements in and around the city. In fact, they will be the green network that holds the city together. Figure 5 shows a schetch ofthe principles ofsystem ofpark elements, open towards the surrounding country-side and brought together by a green network. The ultimate goal is to bring a piece of landscape into the city, sometimes as a mere symbol of another wor1d, sometimes as a tangible reality for the park visitor.

http://alt.municipia.at/infothek/konferenzlec1as/e_09.htm

10/27/2000