Designing Small Parks: A Manual for Addressing Social and Ecological Concerns

Acknowledgments vii

An Introduction to Small Parks 1

Overview of Park Planning and Design Concerns 10

1: Size, Shape, and Number 13

2: Connections and Edges 23

3: Appearance and Other Sensory Issues 33

4: Naturalness 42

5: Water 48

6: Plants 54

7:Wildlife 60

8: Climate and Air 67

9: Activities and Groups 73

10: Safety 83

1 1 : Management 88

12: Public Involvement 95

SUMMARY Lessons About Small Parks 100

Design Examples 102

EXAMPLE 1 : Taking Advantage of Stormwater Management in a New Suburban Area 104

EXAMPLE 2 : Rehabilitating a Park for Community Revitalization 111

EXAMPLE 3 : Renovating a Suburban Park for Water Quality and Active Recreation 116

EXAMPLE 4 : Redefining the New Urban Town Square 123

EXAMPLE 5: Reusing a Vacant Lot in the Center City 128

Design Development Guidelines 134

Design Development Issues in Brief 148

Key Words 175

References 179

Index 193