An urban park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens (United Kingdom), is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality. The design, operation and maintenance is usually done by government, typically on the local level, but may occasionally be contracted out to a private sector company.
Common features of municipal parks include playgrounds, gardens, hiking, running and fitness trails or paths, bridle paths, sports field and courts, public restrooms, boat ramps and/or picnic facilities, depending on the budget and natural features available.
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In The Politics of Park Design: A History of Urban Parks in America, (Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1982), Professor Galen Cranz identifies four phases of park design in the U.S. In the late 19th century, large tracts of land on the outskirts of cities were purchased by city governments to create "pleasure grounds": semi-open, charmingly landscaped areas whose primary purpose was to allow city residents, especially the workers, to relax in nature. As time passed and the urban area grew around the parks, land in these parks was used for other purposes, such as zoos, golf courses and museums. These parks continue to draw visitors from around the region and are considered regional parks, because they require a higher level of management than smaller local parks. According to the Trust for Public Land, the three most visited municipal parks in the United States are Central Park in New York, Lincoln Park in Chicago, Mission Bay Park in San Diego.[1] Other famous urban parks include Monsanto Forest Park (the largest in Europe) in Lisbon, Portugal, Richmond Park in London, UK and Stanley Park in Vancouver, Canada.
In the early 1900s, according to Cranz, U.S. cities built neighborhood parks with swimming pools, playgrounds and civic buildings, with the intention of Americanizing the immigrant residents. In the 1950s, when money became available after World War II, new parks continued to focus on both outdoor and indoor recreation with services, such as sports leagues using their ball fields and gymnasia. These smaller parks were built in residential neighborhoods, and tried to serve all residents with programs for seniors, adults, teens and children. Green space was of secondary importance.
As urban land prices climbed, new urban parks in the 1960s and after have been mainly pocket parks. These small parks provide greenery, a place to sit outdoors, and often a playground for children.
All four types of park continue to exist in urban areas. Because of the large amount of open space and natural habitat in the former pleasure grounds, they now serve as important wildlife refuges, and often provide the only opportunity for urban residents to hike or picnic in a semi-wild area. However, these parks can be targeted by city managers or politicians as sources of free land for other uses. Partly for this reason, some of these large parks have "friends of X park" advisory boards that help protect and maintain their semi-wild nature.
| City | Park | Size (acres) |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa | Table Mountain National Park[2] | 60,070 acres (24,310 ha)[3] |
| Moscow, Moscow, Russia | Losiny Ostrov National Park[4] | 28,717 acres (11,621 ha) |
| Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | Sanjay Gandhi National Park | 25,700 acres (10,400 ha) |
| El Paso, Texas, USA | Franklin Mountains State Park | 23,909 acres (9,676 ha) |
| New Orleans, Louisiana, USA | Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge | 22,770 acres (9,210 ha) |
| Phoenix, Arizona, USA | South Mountain Park | 16,094 acres (6,513 ha) |
| Scottsdale, Arizona, USA | McDowell Sonoran Preserve | 11,250 acres (4,550 ha) |
| Houston, Texas, USA | Cullen Park | 9,270 acres (3,750 ha) |
| Los Angeles, California, USA | Topanga State Park | 8,960 acres (3,630 ha) |
| Jacksonville, Florida, USA | Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve | 7,870 acres (3,180 ha) |
| Houston, Texas, USA | George Bush Park | 7,800 acres (3,200 ha) |
| Phoenix, Arizona, USA | North Mountain Preserve | 7,500 acres (3,000 ha) |
| New York City, New York, USA | Gateway National Recreation Area (part) | 7,138 acres (2,889 ha) |
| San Jose, California, USA | Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (part) | 6,800 acres (2,800 ha) |
| Louisville, Kentucky, USA | Jefferson Memorial Forest | 6,011 acres (2,433 ha) |
| Eufaula, Alabama, USA | Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (part) | 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | Mission Trails Regional Park | 5,840 acres (2,360 ha) |
| Raleigh, North Carolina, USA | William B. Umstead State Park | 5,579 acres (2,258 ha) |
| Moscow, Moscow, Russia | Bitsa Park | 5,457 acres (2,208 ha) |
| Honolulu, Hawaii, USA | Ahupuaʻa O Kahana State Park | 5,229 acres (2,116 ha) |
| Portland, Oregon, USA | Forest Park | 5,157 acres (2,087 ha) |
| Indianapolis, Indiana, USA | Eagle Creek Park and Golf Course | 4,766 acres (1,929 ha) |
| Memphis, Tennessee, USA | Shelby Farms | 4,500 acres (1,800 ha) |
| Anchorage, Alaska, USA | Far North Bicentennial Park | 4,500 acres (1,800 ha) |
| Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA | False Cape State Park and Natural Area Preserve | 4,321 acres (1,749 ha) |
| Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain | Casa de Campo | 4,256 acres (1,722 ha) |
| Los Angeles, California, USA | Griffith Park | 4,217 acres (1,707 ha) |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA | Fairmount Park proper[5] | 4,167 acres (1,686 ha) |
| Jacksonville, Florida, USA | Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve | 3,896 acres (1,577 ha) |
| Austin, Texas, USA | Walter E. Long Park | 3,715 acres (1,503 ha) |
| Chico, California, USA | Bidwell Park | 3,670 acres (1,490 ha) |
| Fort Worth, Texas, USA | Fort Worth Nature Center/Wildlife Refuge | 3,662 acres (1,482 ha) |
| Dallas, Texas, USA | Mountain Creek Lake Park | 3,643 acres (1,474 ha) |
| Kingsport, Tennessee, USA | Bays Mountain Park | 3,585 acres (1,451 ha) |
| Meridian, Mississippi, USA | Bonita Lakes Park | 3,462 acres (1,401 ha) |
| Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA | North Landing River State Natural Area Preserve | 3,440 acres (1,390 ha) |
| Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA | First Landing State Park | 3,410 acres (1,380 ha) |
| Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Fish Creek Provincial Park | 3,331 acres (1,348 ha) |
| Dallas, Texas, USA | Trinity River Park | 3,173 acres (1,284 ha) |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA | Mohawk Park and Golf Course | 3,100 acres (1,300 ha) |
| Brecksville, Ohio, USA | Brecksville Reservation (part) | 3,026 acres (1,225 ha) |
| Jacksonville, Florida, USA | Cecil Field Greenway | 2,866 acres (1,160 ha) |
| Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil | Cocó Park | 2,855 acres (1,155 ha) |
| Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Nose Hill Park | 2,785 acres (1,127 ha) |
| Bronx, New York, USA | Pelham Bay Park | 2,765 acres (1,119 ha) |
| Newport News, Virginia, USA | Newport News Park (part) | 2,688 acres (1,088 ha) |
| Louisville, Kentucky, USA | Otter Creek Park[6] | 2,600 acres (1,100 ha) |
| Lisbon, Portugal | Monsanto Forest Park | 2,471 acres (1,000 ha) |
| Paris, France | Bois de Vincennes | 2,456 acres (994 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | Los Penasquitos Canyon | 2,405 acres (973 ha) |
| Birmingham, England, UK | Sutton Park | 2,400 acres (970 ha) |
| Kansas City, Missouri, USA | Longview Lake Park (part) | 2,381 acres (964 ha) |
| London, England, UK | Richmond Park | 2,360 acres (960 ha) |
| Kansas City, Missouri, USA | Blue River Parkway | 2,319 acres (938 ha) |
| Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada | Wascana Centre | 2,300 acres (930 ha)[7] |
| Strongsville, Ohio, USA | Mill Stream Run Reservation (part) | 2,238 acres (906 ha) |
| Lee's Summit, Missouri, USA | Fleming Park (part) | 2,229 acres (902 ha) |
| Bristol, Tennessee, USA | Steele Creek Park | 2,224 acres (900 ha) |
| Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada | Rockwood Park | 2,200 acres (890 ha)[8] |
| Houston, Texas, USA | Bear Creek Pioneers Park | 2,168 acres (877 ha) |
| Paris, France | Bois de Boulogne | 2,090 acres (850 ha) |
| Berkeley, California, California, USA | Tilden Regional Park | 2,077 acres (841 ha) |
| Nashville, Tennessee, USA | Warner Parks | 2,058 acres (833 ha) |
| Los Angeles, California, USA | Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area | 2,031 acres (822 ha) |
| Galveston, Texas, Texas, USA | Galveston Island State Park | 2,013 acres (815 ha) |
| Belgrade, Serbia | Ada Ciganlija | 1,976 acres (800 ha) |
| Portland, Oregon, USA | Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area | 1,973 acres (798 ha) |
| Dallas, Texas, USA | White Rock Lake Park | 1,952 acres (790 ha) |
| Kansas City, Missouri, USA | Swope Park | 1,805 acres (730 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | Torrey Pines State Reserve | 1,800 acres (730 ha) |
| San Jose, California, USA | Calero County Park | 1,782 acres (721 ha) |
| Staten Island, New York, USA | Greenbelt Park | 1,778 acres (720 ha) |
| Austin, Texas, USA | Barton Creek Greenway | 1,771 acres (717 ha) |
| Jacksonville, Florida, USA | Little Talbot Island State Park | 1,768 acres (715 ha) |
| Dublin, Ireland | Phoenix Park | 1,760 acres (710 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | Mission Bay Park | 1,756 acres (711 ha) |
| Washington, D.C., USA | Rock Creek Park | 1,754 acres (710 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | Tijuana River Valley Regional Park | 1,710 acres (690 ha) |
| Jacksonville, Florida, USA | Big Talbot Island State Park | 1,708 acres (691 ha) |
| North Little Rock, Arkansas, USA | Burns Park | 1,700 acres (690 ha)[9] |
| Mexico City, Mexico | Chapultepec Park | 1,695 acres (686 ha) |
| Lawrence, Indiana, USA | Fort Harrison State Park | 1,640 acres (660 ha) |
| Eureka Springs, Arkansas, USA | Lake Leatherwood Park | 1,620 acres (660 ha) |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA | Pennypack Park | 1,618 acres (655 ha) |
| Claremont, California, USA | Claremont Hills Wilderness Park | 1,589 acres (643 ha) |
| Upper-Silesian Metropolis, Silesia, Poland | Silesian Culture and Recreation Park | 1,532 acres (620 ha) |
| Phoenix, Arizona, USA | Adobe Dam Recreation Area | 1,526 acres (618 ha) |
| Riverside, California, USA | Hidden Valley Wildlife Area | 1,510 acres (610 ha) |
| Des Moines, Iowa, USA | Water Works Park | 1,500 acres (610 ha) |
| Vienna, Austria | Prater | 1,500 acres (610 ha) |
| Nashville, Tennessee, USA | Beaman Park | 1,493 acres (604 ha) |
| San Francisco, California, USA | Presidio of San Francisco Park | 1,491 acres (603 ha) |
| Lincoln, Nebraska, USA | Wilderness Park | 1,472 acres (596 ha) |
| Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | [1] | 1,471 acres (595 ha) |
| Houston, Texas, USA | Memorial Park | 1,466 acres (593 ha) |
| Omaha, Nebraska, USA | Glenn Cunningham Lake | 1,439 acres (582 ha) |
| Los Angeles, California, USA | Hansen Dam Recreation Center | 1,437 acres (582 ha) |
| Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA | Stumpy Lake Park | 1,435 acres (581 ha) |
| Lee's Summit, Missouri, USA | Longview Lake Park (part) | 1,429 acres (578 ha) |
| Riverside, California, USA | Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park | 1,424 acres (576 ha) |
| Anchorage, Alaska, USA | Kincaid Park | 1,411 acres (571 ha) |
| Munich, Bavaria, Germany | Englischer Garten | 1,400 acres (570 ha) |
| San Antonio, Texas, USA | Rancho Diana | 1,392 acres (563 ha) |
| Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador | Parque Metropolitano Guangüiltagua | 1,376 acres (557 ha) [10] |
| Honolulu, Hawaii, USA | Sacred Falls State Park | 1,374 acres (556 ha) |
| Huntersville, North Carolina, USA | Latta Plantation Nature Preserve | 1,343 acres (543 ha) |
| Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA | Garden of the Gods Park | 1,319 acres (534 ha) |
| New Orleans, Louisana, USA | New Orleans City Park | 1,300 acres (530 ha) |
| St. Louis, Missouri, USA | Forest Park | 1,293 acres (523 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | Black Mountain Park | 1,284 acres (520 ha) |
| Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA | North Cheyenne Canyon Park | 1,260 acres (510 ha) |
| Queens, New York, USA | Flushing Meadows – Corona Park | 1,255 acres (508 ha) |
| Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Tommy Thompson Park | 1,235 acres (500 ha) |
| Oakland, California, USA | Martin Luther King, Jr. Shoreline Park | 1,220 acres (490 ha) |
| Chicago, Illinois, USA | Lincoln Park | 1,216 acres (492 ha) |
| Washington, D.C., USA | Anacostia Park | 1,215 acres (492 ha) |
| Phoenix, Arizona, USA | Cave Buttes Recreation Area I & II | 1,200 acres (490 ha) |
| Baltimore, Maryland, USA | Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park | 1,200 acres (490 ha) |
| Jersey City, New Jersey, USA | Liberty State Park | 1,188 acres (481 ha) |
| Glendale, Arizona, USA | Thunderbird Conservation Park | 1,185 acres (480 ha) |
| Tallahassee, Florida, USA | McClay Gardens State Park | 1,179 acres (477 ha) |
| Columbus, Ohio, USA | Three Creeks Parks | 1,156 acres (468 ha) |
| Bronx, New York, USA | Van Cortlandt Park | 1,146 acres (464 ha) |
| Mesa, Arizona, USA | Red Mountain Park | 1,144 acres (463 ha) |
| Lincoln, Nebraska, USA | Pioneers Park | 1,139 acres (461 ha) |
| Memphis, Tennessee, USA | T.O. Fuller State Park | 1,138 acres (461 ha) |
| Austin, Texas, USA | Emma Long Park | 1,137 acres (460 ha) |
| Huntsville, Alabama, USA | Monte Sano Nature Preserve | 1,107 acres (448 ha) |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | Assiniboine Park | 1,100 acres (450 ha) |
| Detroit, Michigan, USA | Rouge Park | 1,100 acres (450 ha) |
| London, England, UK | Bushy Park | 1,099 acres (445 ha) |
| Charlotte, North Carolina, USA | McDowell Nature Preserve | 1,098 acres (444 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | Balboa Park | 1,091 acres (442 ha) |
| Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA | Cheyenne Mountain State Park | 1,060 acres (430 ha) |
| Bedford, Ohio, USA | Bedford Reservation (part) | 1,033 acres (418 ha) |
| Dallas, Texas, USA | Rochester Park | 1,032 acres (418 ha) |
| Arlington, Texas, USA | River Legacy Park | 1,031 acres (417 ha) |
| San Francisco, California, USA | Golden Gate Park | 1,027 acres (416 ha) |
| San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico | Parque Tangamanga I | 1,015 acres (411 ha) |
| Birmingham, Alabama, USA | Ruffner Mountain Park | 1,011 acres (409 ha) |
| San Antonio, Texas, USA | Olmos Basin | 1,010 acres (410 ha) |
| Willoughby Hills, Ohio, USA | North Chagrin Reservation (part) | 1,004 acres (406 ha) |
| Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Stanley Park | 1,000 acres (400 ha) |
| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA | Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge | 988 acres (400 ha) |
| Bogota, Cundinamarca, Colombia | Simon Bolivar Metropolitan Park | 988 acres (400 ha) |
| Staten Island, New York, USA | Richmond Parkway | 984 acres (398 ha) |
| Detroit, Michigan, USA | Belle Isle Park | 982 acres (397 ha) |
| Greensboro, North Carolina, USA | Bryan Park | 980 acres (400 ha) |
| Morgan Hill, California, USA | Anderson Lake County Park]] | 975 acres (395 ha)[11] |
| Huntsville, Alabama, USA | Blevins Gap Nature Preserve | 971 acres (393 ha) |
| Kansas City, Missouri, USA | Riverfront Park | 955 acres (386 ha) |
| Grandview, Missouri, USA | Longview Lake Park (part) | 952 acres (385 ha) |
| Honolulu, Hawaii, USA | Koko Head Regional Park | 951 acres (385 ha) |
| East Meadow, New York, USA | Eisenhower Park | 930 acres (380 ha) |
| Walton Hills, Ohio, USA | Bedford Reservation (part) | 924 acres (374 ha) |
| Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Centennial Parklands | 900 acres (360 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex | 900 acres (360 ha) |
| Phoenix, Arizona, USA | Papago Park | 895 acres (362 ha) |
| Raleigh, North Carolina, USA | Lake Wheeler Park | 869 acres (352 ha) |
| San Antonio, Texas, USA | McAllister Park | 856 acres (346 ha) |
| Long Beach, California, USA | El Dorado Park | 850 acres (340 ha) |
| Buffalo, New York, USA | Delaware Park | 846 acres (342 ha) |
| Huntsville, Alabama, USA | Wade Mountain Nature Preserve | 843 acres (341 ha) |
| Manhattan, New York, USA | Central Park | 840 acres (340 ha) |
| San Antonio, Texas, USA | San Antonio Missions National Historical Park | 835 acres (338 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | Scripps Miramar Open Space | 822 acres (333 ha) |
| La Porte, Texas, USA | San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Park | 820 acres (330 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | Tierrasanta Open Space | 818 acres (331 ha) |
| New York City, New York, USA | William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge | 814 acres (329 ha) |
| Nashville, Tennessee, USA | Shelby Bottoms | 810 acres (330 ha) |
| Nashville, Tennessee, USA | Bell's Bend Park | 809 acres (327 ha) |
| Youngstown, Ohio, USA | Mill Creek Park | 802 acres (325 ha) |
| Kansas City, Missouri, USA | Robert H. Hodge Park | 801 acres (324 ha) |
| Plano, Texas, USA | Oak Point Park | 801 acres (324 ha) |
| Phoenix, Arizona, USA | Tres Rios | 800 acres (320 ha) |
| Brooklyn, New York, USA | Gerritsen Beach (Marine Park) | 798 acres (323 ha) |
| Nashville, Tennessee, USA | Hamilton Creek Park | 790 acres (320 ha) |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA | Cobb's Creek Park | 786 acres (318 ha) |
| Zagreb, Croatia | Maksimir Park | 781 acres (316 ha) |
| San Diego, California, USA | Sabre Springs Open Space | 780 acres (320 ha) |
| Honolulu, Hawaii, USA | Ka'ena Point State Park | 779 acres (315 ha) |
| Dallas, Texas, USA | White Rock Creek Greenbelt | 773 acres (313 ha) |
| Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA | Bear Creek Canon Park | 769 acres (311 ha) |
| Baltimore, Maryland, USA | Druid Hill Park | 745 acres (301 ha) |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA | Theodore Wirth Park | 742 acres (300 ha) |
| Bronx, New York, USA | Bronx Park | 718 acres (291 ha) |
| Tacoma, Washington, USA | Point Defiance Park | 702 acres (284 ha) |
| Leeds, England, UK | Roundhay Park | 700 acres (280 ha) |
| Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India | Guindy National Park | 697 acres (282 ha) |
| Queens, New York, USA | Alley Pond Park | 655 acres (265 ha) |
| Manchester, England, UK | Heaton Park | 650 acres (260 ha) |
| Liverpool, England, UK | Sefton Park | 640 acres (260 ha) |
| London, England, UK | Hyde Park | 625 acres (253 ha) |
| Brooklyn, New York, USA | Prospect Park | 585 acres (237 ha) |
| Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Toronto Islands Park | 600 acres (240 ha) |
| Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Downsview Park | 572 acres (231 ha) |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA | Frick Park | 561 acres (227 ha) |
| Queens, New York, USA | Forest Park | 538 acres (218 ha) |
| Seattle, Washington, USA | Discovery Park | 534 acres (216 ha) |
| Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Parc du Mont Royal | 529 acres (214 ha) |
| Boston, Massachusetts, USA | Franklin Park | 527 acres (213 ha) |
| Chicago, Illinois, USA | Jackson Park | 500 acres (200 ha) |
| Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA | Phalen Park | 494 acres (200 ha) |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA | Schenley Park | 456 acres (185 ha) |
| Christchurch, New Zealand | Hagley Park | 407 acres (165 ha) |
| Toronto, Ontario, Canada | High Park | 398 acres (161 ha) |
| Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA | Como Park | 384 acres (155 ha) |
| Chicago, Illinois, USA | Washington Park | 372 acres (151 ha) |
| Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India | Tholkappia Poonga (Adyar Eco Park or Adyar Poonga) | 358 acres (145 ha) |
| São Paulo, Brazil | Ibirapuera Park | 345 acres (140 ha) |
| Bangalore, Karnataka, India | Cubbon Park | 334 acres (135 ha) |
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