Parks and Green Spaces: Why are they Important?

Intro & Research Questions

If one carries out the research proposed in this research kit, they will be seeking to gain an understanding of how parks and natural spaces are incorporated into urban planning. Additionally,  they will examine the benefits that parks provide to the people living in the city and the surrounding environment. A researcher following this kit will begin with general research about a city’s inhabitants having access to nature. This kit focuses on  urban spaces in Latin America with Curitiba, Brazil, a city which is known its sustainablity, as a case study. A common trend in Latin American cities is the incorporation of strategies that provide equal and equitable access to nature. Latin American urban inhabitants seek out parks in order to enjoy their leisure time. This kit asks people to try and understand the techniques and motivation of the urban planners in relatioship to parks and green spaces. While researching, it would also be useful to look for similarities and differences to cities near you.

Research Questions:

• How do parks and public green spaces contribute to better urban spaces?
• How does Curitiba, Brazil successfully incorporate parks into their urban plan?
• What are the benefits of parks to physical and mental health of citizens?/What are the benefits of parks to the health of the environment?
• How do Latin American cities create equal access to parks?
• What are important features of parks that users appreciate? (Include examples from Latin American cities)
• How do parks contribute to a sense of community in a highly populated area?

from https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/duks-on-grass-in-barigui-public-park-in-brazil-gm1020310132-274128033?phrase=landscape%20view%20of%20a%20garden%20in%20curitiba%2C%20brazil.

Narrative & Overview

The main topic of this research kit is the relationship between access to parks in urban spaces and the well-being of the people using them. The case study used in this research is Curitiba, Brazil, but it is important to expand the scope to other Latin American cities to form connections and greater understanding. You will want to understand the ways that Curitiba’s urban planners design their parks with the benefit of the people in mind. To do this, investigate the features, how citizens access the parks, people’s attitudes about them, and how they contribute to a sense of belonging in a largely populated area. There are also many general benefits of nature that should be studied to have a base understanding. I believe this project would appeal most to college students in urban design classes because Curitiba is one of the greatest examples of a sustainable city. There are many cities around the world that strive to replicate the features and model of Curitiba. I would hope that the students using this research kit would have revelations about the importance of parks and that they could advocate for the inclusion of them in their future careers.

This research kit will greatly expand knowledge because Latin America is frequently excluded from urban design recognition. The main area that is commended for prominent urban design is Europe, and my first time learning about the design of Latin American cities was in this class. These cities should be studied more because they have innovative features that could be utilized to solve problems in other countries. For example, one of the most exciting finds when researching Curitiba, was learning that they have a bus system that travels around the outskirts of the city that connects all the parks. This provides equitable access for the people of the city to utilize the natural spaces. This encourages people to use the parks and can facilitate a sense of community. This also contributes to the members of the city being passionate about the upkeep of the parks. By doing this research project, it creates a more diverse understanding of how different cities successfully function by removing the westernized lens.

The themes discussed in this research topic are significant because mental health is at an all-time low. Spending time in nature has been proven to improve mental health and it can connect communities. Many cities are very industrial and tend to exclude nature from their designs. The cold and industrial design does not encourage social interaction and people taking care of themselves. I think it is important for urban planners to understand the best ways to create parks for the benefit of the people. This can be done through questionnaires and understanding what the people want. This theme being investigated stems from previous knowledge because I was inspired after watching a Ted Talk by Amanda Burden. She claimed that cities are, “fundamentally about people and where they meet”. She also stated that, “creating lively and energetic public spaces is a necessary thing that makes public spaces work”. She provides specific examples of parks in New York and how they create lively environments, and you should strive to do this with cities in Latin America. Burden emphasizes how important it is to prioritize the well-being of the people because then they will take care of the city. She also discusses the implementation of social infrastructure in urban spaces that encourage community, so consider that while researching.

https://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_burden_how_public_spaces_make_cities_work?language=en

To understand why Curitiba, Brazil is such a great example of a sustainable city, it is important to investigate the historical context. From the early days of Curitiba, planners have been known for implementing regulations to preserve the natural spaces of the city. That is why the city is recognized for prioritizing the health of citizens and the environment. “Curitiba was founded in 1693 by Portuguese explorers and their early leaders established building regulations that limited the numbers of trees that could be cut down and required homes to have tile not wood roofs”. In the 1940’s, Curitiba had very fast growth and many people were moving to the city which put a lot of pressure on the space. “Curitiba hired Alfred Agache who was a French planner that worked to reroute traffic patterns to better manage the flow of transportation”. The city continued to grow for the next twenty years at an alarming rate and the city brought in a new plan called the “Curitiba Master Plan”. This plan encouraged safety for pedestrians and a better flow of traffic by separating types of vehicles. The part of this plan that is most relevant to my research is called “The Green Era” which took place during the 1980’s in Curitiba. During this time there was increased “urban poverty and deforestation rates in Brazil” so a plan had to be put in place to combat this. They did this through creating Green Areas that were “protected from future development and a number of parks were dedicated to the city’s different ethnic and immigrant groups”. The main time frame to focus on while researching is the 20^th century because that is when most of these effective plans were implemented. With these many innovations Curitiba gained recognition on a global level. This city’s urban planning is a vital part of its success and ability to support the people.

https://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/fellows/brazil1203/master-plan.html

To expand this project, you could do research on a specific urban area in the United States and think of ways you could apply features of Curitiba’s design to improve the U.S. city. A great way to gain understanding is through finding a problem and proposing a solution. I would have liked to find more information in my research about how parks in Curitiba are inclusive to different cultures, genders, and sexualities. I would have also liked to learn more about safety measures in the public spaces to see if all people feel safe when utilizing them. If you uncover any information regarding these topics, it would be useful to include!

Primary Sources Annotated Bibliography

• All of the sources are in APA 7 Style

Adler, D. (2016, May 6). Story of cities #37: How radical ideas turned curitiba into Brazil’s ‘Green Capital’. The Guardian. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/may/06/story-of-cities-37-mayor-jaime-lerner-curitiba-brazil-green-capital-global-icon

This article will be useful in your research because it discusses the way that the city of Curitiba, Brazil transformed from a rural town to an urban one capable of holding many people and keeping the needs of the environment in mind. Lerner, who was the urban planner and mayor of the city claimed, “It was a change on the conception of the city. Working, moving, living leisure… we planned for everything together”. One of the reasons the city was so successful was because the urban planners looked ahead and thought of the best designs that would keep the city sustainable in the future. The planners also looked at the concerns of the people and wanted to make mass transportation more appealing to the users. They also have a great recycling and trash program that much of the community participates in which reduces their waste greatly.

Curitiba, Brazil. Curitiba, Brazil – inti – international new town institute. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2022, from http://www.newtowninstitute.org/spip.php?article1130

This source contains two graphics that are very useful in understanding the layout of the city. The first graphic discusses the urban planning process from 1943 to 2004. It shows how much the population grew and how the plans evolved with the change. The first master plan of 1943 was one of radial and perimetral development. In 1945-1946 they switched to linear development where the city spread outwards. In 2004, the population was 1.7 million and they were continuing with linear development, but they wanted more public participation in the planning of the city. This graphic is useful for visualizing how the plans changed with a growing population. The next visual provided is the master plan of 2014-2015. The linear development is still visible today, but the best thing about this graphic is you can see the preserved green spaces around the city. There is a layer of parks that surround the city and it is incredibly prominent in this map.

https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/simon-bol%C3%ADvar-metropolitan-park-in-bogota-city-colombia-gm1394042831-449672071?phrase=bogota%20Simon%20Bolivar%20park.

Secondary Sources Annotated Bibliography

• All of the sources are in APA 7 Style

Author links open overlay panelMonikaEgererabPersonEnvelopeCamiloOrdóñezdBrenda B.LineDaveKendalcd, MonikaEgererabPersonEnvelope, a, b, CamiloOrdóñezd, d, B.Line, B., e, DaveKendalcd, c, AbstractCities across the world increasingly reflect the ethno-cultural diversity of a globalized society. How people interact with, Pedersen, E., Ordóñez-Barona, C., Nesshöver, C., Metcalf, E. C., Mazumdar, S., Maruthaveeran, S., Main, K., Lafortezza, R., … Melbourne, C. of. (2019, August 31). Multicultural Gardeners and park users benefit from and attach diverse values to urban nature spaces. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1618866718308173?via%3Dihub#kwd0005

Sedrez, L. (2013). Urban Nature in Latin America: Diverse Cities and Shared Narratives . Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.jstor.org/subjects

This article discusses how much of the population of Latin America lives in urban areas and how this impacts access to many necessary resources. Latin American countries are well known for incorporating the natural features of the land into the design of the city (this goes back to ancient empires). The author looks at four themes that need to be investigated when looking at these cities. The first is, “the metabolism of cities and how it transforms itself over times”. The second is, “the consequences of new urban models that require adaptation of older cities”. The third discusses, “urban inequality and how it affects access to natural resources”. Finally, it talks about, “urban expansion and how new spaces are disrupted”. This source is very useful because it specifically investigates urban spaces in Latin America and provides specific examples of cities that I can further look into.

Wagoner, C. van. (2019, July 21). Why city parks matter – powerful tools for cities. City Parks Alliance. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://cityparksalliance.org/about-us/why-city-parks-matter/

This article comes from the City Parks Alliance which is an organization that advocates for the inclusion of parks in urban spaces by spreading awareness of the benefits of them. The organization believes that parks can, “help address critical urban infrastructure and public health issues”. There are many advantages of natural spaces that the website lists such as encouraging active lifestyles, strengthening the local economy, reduction of crime, improving the air quality, and achieving equity goals. There are useful statistics included that can assist you with providing strong evidence. While looking at this source think of different ways that Curitiba’s parks positively impact society.

Taylor, L., Leckey, E. H., Lead, P. J., & Hochuli, D. F. (2020, November 10). What visitors want from urban parks: Diversity, utility, Serendipity. Frontiers. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2020.595620/full

This source focuses on the community aspect of park preservation and the benefits that parks provide to the residents of urban areas. These surveyors that contributed to this article wanted to gain a better understanding of how the parks made the users feel. The main reasons for using the parks was nature engagement, meeting friends, and using park facilities. This article covers the great things parks provide to well-being and ecosystem services. It emphasizes that highly stressed areas need places where they can feel relaxed and parks are the best option. The surveys will bring you to the perspective of the people, which is the most important thing. Understanding what the users value and what they wish to be improved, will help you to know what makes parks so important.

Glossary

• Municipal Level: Public administration that exists at the lowest administration level within government state, such as the municipality of a district.

https://uis.unesco.org/node/3080264

• Equity: Recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and adjust imbalances.

https://www.naceweb.org/about-us/equity-definition/

• Green Architecture: philosophy focused on designing buildings with the lowest possible negative impact on the surrounding environment by using sustainable materials and energy sources in construction.

https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/green-architecture