DEFINITION
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats.

AKA
do folks think we should split apart of the zillion types of parks into separate elements or make them some kind of sub-elements under 2P? please leave comments with you thoughts below.

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
area, program components, facilities, surrounding density of residents, anticipated surrounding density,

ILLUSTRATION

A landscaped park set aside for human enjoyment in Savannah, GA. Photo courtesy National Parks Service.


CASE STUDIES
Chapultepec Park, Mexico City, Mexico
High Point, Seattle, Washington
Jamison Square, Portland, Oregon
Jardi Botanic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Meadowbrook Pond, Seattle, Washington
Millenium Park, Chicago, Illinois
Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks Park, Kent, Washington
Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle, Washington
Oxbow Park, Seattle, Washington
Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain
Tanner Springs Park, Portland, Oregon
Tezozomoc Park, Mexico City, Mexico
Waterworks Gardens, Renton, Washington
Xochimilco Ecological Park, Mexico City, Mexico
Grass Lawn Park, Redmond, Washington
Parque de cabecera, Valencia, Spain
The High Line, New York

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
As a sub-set of parks, this PDF offers an overview ofpocket parks
A greener vision for the Seattle Center: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2007/10/11/2003943949.pdf
The Trust for Public Land also has a variety of publications that address the benefits of parks including: Health Benefits of Parks White Paper
The Excellent City Park System: What Makes it Great, and How to Get There
The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space: How Land Conservation Helps Communities Grow Smart and Protect the Bottom Line
Excellent City Parks Report
Gordon Price's excellent review of Paris' parks and their history in PriceTags
TPL's Land & People with an article about how toMake Room for Parks
The Value of Philadelphia's Parks System
Washington State CTED Park Planning Guide
Designing Small Urban Spaces book factsheet
The President's Council on Physical Fitness Newsletter -Connection between Health and Parks
RWJF's Active Living Research Childhood Obesity and Proximity to Urban Parks and Recreational Resources: A Longitudinal Cohort Study
How Cities Use Parks for Smart Growth