February 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 45

By Maggie Cooper

PUBLI c H e ALtH

Viewing Open Space
in New and Creative Ways

hen We think aBout usaBLe outDoor sPace, we usually envision a spe-

cific place-a playground, campground, or recreation field. A place that
beckons kids to run and play, with trees and benches that encourage picnics, reading, or just being outdoors. While these places are great examples of traditional open space, open space does not have to be a park to be successfully used. We
are doing ourselves and our communities a disservice by not pushing our imaginations
to recognize the potential that exists on other types of property. This non-traditional
open space is literally all around us. Streets, sidewalks, parking lots, vacant properties,
and underused alleys are just a handful of spaces that, when thought about and used
in different ways, can successfully improve community socialization, increase physical activity and economic development, and decrease crime.

These successes come in many forms, such as
a revitalized main street with outdoor cafes, a temporary pocket park, or a street that closes once a
week to allow urban children a rare space to run.
A key component of success is the park and recreation department, as park professionals are vital to
the process of planning this non-traditional space
throughout the community. In addition to the community connections they can bring to the table, park
professionals also have knowledge of how and why
people use certain spaces as well as an understanding of land maintenance and management.
Below are some examples from communities that
have successfully come up with innovative and creative ways to allow for planned spaces:

Vacant Lot to Pocket Park
Vacant lots can cause major problems for urban areas. In addition to being visually unappealing, they
are often places that attract crime and litter, and deter
people from walking in their vicinity. Because most
vacant lots are privately owned, cities often pass ordinances requiring the property owners to allow temporary pocket parks or community gardens on the
property until the owner decides to develop the land.
In ideal situations, a property owner recognizes the
benefits their vacant property can have on the community and voluntarily allows the city or a non-profit
group to use the land.
Miamisburg, Ohio, and Morristown, New Jersey, are great examples of how vacant properties

Parklets
Communities nationwide have begun the process
of allowing " parklets " -mini-parks, plazas, or seating areas that are quickly designed and implemented in places where the sidewalks, parking lanes, or
streets are excessively wide. The most famous example of this recent trend is Times Square on Broadway
in New York City. The process of " building " these
parklets typically consists of painting asphalt, placing some type of protective barriers between people
and automobiles, and installing moveable benches,
tables, and chairs.

Streets,
sidewalks,
parking lots,
vacant
properties, and
underused
alleys are just a
handful of
spaces that,
when thought
about and used
in diﬀerent
ways, can
successfully
improve
community
socialization,
increase
physical
activity and
economic
development,
and decrease
crime.

miamisburg, Ohio

w w w . N R P A . O R G F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 Parks

& Recreation

February 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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