Parks can enhance quality of life in urban areas, landscape architect says

Parks can enhance quality of life, contribute to a sense of community and protect the environment in densely populated urban areas, according to a recent presentation hosted by The Ohio State University’s Knowlton School.

Nationally recognized landscape architect Emmanuel Thingue spoke at the school on Oct. 16 as part of the Baumer Lecture Series. The series features researchers, landscape architects, and city and regional planners discussing their projects and sharing expertise.

Thingue is a landscape architect and recipient of the Sloan Public Service Award — an honor known as the “Nobel Prize of Public Service.”

He currently works for New City Parks, a nonprofit organization that develops parks in underserved communities. Before joining New City Parks, Thingue designed public spaces with the New York City Parks Department for more than 30 years.

In contrast to the Big Apple’s image as an urban jungle, New York City has prioritized setting aside land for public parks, Thingue said. Parks constitute 14% of the city — 30,000 acres of land with a variety of amenities that include boardwalks, athletic courts and ballfields, dog parks and repurposed historic properties.

“As of now, 82% of the city lives within 10 minutes of a park,” Thingue said.

When developing a new park in New York, the design process includes public input about which facilities will best serve a given neighborhood, Thingue said.

“It really has to come down to the community,” he said. “Engagement with the community is one of the primary aspects.”

The city’s design guidelines incorporate features to make parks more accessible and encourage residents to use them more often, Thingue said.

“Most of the parks in the past had very high fences surrounding them, which made them feel closed off to the community,” he said. “I think the city itself has noted that this is problematic, so they instituted ‘parks without borders.’”

The concept calls for reducing barriers around parks, Thingue said.

“Where you can, you want to eliminate fences,” he said. “The general idea being, you want to make these parks more inviting.”

Accessibility for people with disabilities is also a priority, Thingue said.

“In general, our goal is to make really comfortable seating,” he said, “where people in a wheelchair can sit.”

Other design considerations include tree preservation and the installation of environmental features such as gardens and curbside flower beds that act as natural stormwater basins, Thingue said.

Environmentally friendly infrastructure in parks is required by New York City code.

“Green infrastructure is now mandatory,” he said. “That’s kind of second nature now. I think other cities are following.”

Parks often serve as community gathering places, such as Brooklyn’s South Oxford Park, Thingue said.

The park occupies the site of a formerly abandoned tennis club and is now a commons for the Fort Greene community. Amenities include a playground, a multipurpose turf lawn and a cat-tail-themed spray park for the summer months.

“This is designed in such a way that it’s a town square,” Thingue said. “What we want to do is make that the focal point.”

For information about upcoming speakers in the Baumer Lecture Series, visit the series’ event page.