Neighborhood parks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Neighborhood parks serve as a social and recreational focal points for neighborhoods and are the basic units of a park system. Many include a playground. Neighborhood parks provide relief from the built environment for residents, and offers both passive and active (programmed and un-programmed) recreation in response to demographic and cultural characteristics of surrounding neighborhoods, with opportunities for interaction with nature. Neighborhood parks are a destination largely accessible by foot, bicycle, or public transit within at least a quarter-mile radius from neighborhood residences, providing ease of access for young and senior adult users, while serving users of all ages. The site may host a range of facilities and amenities. Neighborhood parks include "mini-parks" or "pocket parks" and serve a variety of purposes and include both programmed and unprogrammed elements: greenscape, recreation center, sports field, or playground. Therefore they are broken down into sub-categories based on the predominant recreational offering. A greenscape is a landscaped park, often with a large un-programmed lawn, primarily for passive recreation. A recreation center is a facility that supports myriad park activities, including sports and other recreational activies appropriate to the population or community that utilizes the park. Mini parks or pocket parks are the smallest parks in size, designed to serve the immediate surrounding neighborhood. Generally, size limits the ability to serve multiple recreational functions.

Many park systems are under-resourced and rely upon the support of grass roots neighborhood park groups and associations. Many of these groups join together in broad coalitions [1] to advocate for better park maintenance and government accountability with regard to these vital neighborhood assets.

Location and Access

A neighborhood park should be centrally located, if possible, within its service area and should be uninterrupted by non-residential roads or other physical barriers. The site should be generally flat and usable. It should be accessible by way of interconnecting trails, public transportation, sidewalks, or low-volume residential streets.

Size of Park

Neighborhood parks range in size from .5 acres to 30 acres.

Service Area

A neighborhood park primarily serves the local neighborhood located within a radius of 1/4 mile of the park, without physical or social barriers to the boundaries.

Site Selection Criteria for Neighborhood Parks

Ease of access from the surrounding neighborhood, central location, and linkage to greenways are key concerns when selecting a new site in an identified high-need area. The site itself should exhibit the physical characteristics appropriate for both active and passive recreation uses. Since one of the primary reasons people go to a park is to experience a pleasant outdoor environment, the site should exhibit some innate aesthetic qualities. “Left-over” parcels of land that are undesirable for development are not generally desirable for neighborhood parks.

Development and Urban/Environmental Planning

Neighborhood input should be used to determine the development or redevelopment plans for each park. Creating a sense of place by bringing together the unique characteristics of the site with the vision of the neighborhood is vital to successful design.

Support Amenities (Essential)

• Park Signage (park name and relevant code signage)

• Turf area

• Perennial beds

• Benches

• Paths

• Dog bag dispensary and signage

• Trash can

• Trees

• Opportunity for at least one active use

Additional Support Amenities (Ideal)

Additional desirable amenities are determined on a community-by-community basis: