tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/public-parks-4645/articlesPublic parks – The Conversation2022-11-09T14:13:07Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1915812022-11-09T14:13:07Z2022-11-09T14:13:07ZCrime is lower when cities are greener: evidence from South Africa supports the link<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491269/original/file-20221024-19-ig161m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5084%2C3389&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Investment in public parks can help reduce crime. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/western-cape-south-africa-man-wearing-protective-clothing-news-photo/1219978375?phrase=gardens%20and%20public%20parks%20in%20south%20africa&adppopup=true">Peter Titmuss/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>South Africa’s population is urbanising at a rapid pace. The sheer rate of change poses challenges to planning for sustainable and liveable cities.</p>
<p>Part of what make cities work is having green spaces, such as parks, sports fields, nature trails and street trees. These provide many social, ecological and economic <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018331751?via%3Dihub">benefits</a>. Research from multiple countries such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866713001350?casa_token=pwYnNL6ExSoAAAAA:Y-VhMZ6qhTz7pHzmIUCZAKX2dYtbrH_fm8SipbLilGnxEKmulM6hDHG2vVnnR7aMMf1M6VTVdQ">Australia</a>, China, Finland, India, the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/24/5119">US</a> and South Africa has shown this.</p>
<p>Aside from looking good and providing recreation, urban green spaces improve air quality, physical and mental health, and regulate storm water flows. They counteract urban heat islands, store carbon and create jobs.</p>
<p>Some communities nevertheless oppose urban greening efforts because they fear that green spaces and street trees provide places for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1618866713001350">criminals to hide</a>. Such fears are not unique to South Africa and have been reported from cities in both developed and developing countries.</p>
<p>A great deal of research has been done on urban greening and its association with crime levels. But most of these studies have been conducted in Europe and North America, which are very different socially and economically to developing countries and have markedly lower rates of crime. </p>
<p>We <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896972201097X">conducted research</a> to complement the evidence from the global north. Our study is the first ever national level analysis of the relationship between various measures of urban greenness and three different classes of crime: property, violent and sexual crimes. </p>
<p>Our findings, based on research in South Africa, lend further credence to calls for urban greening to be adopted as a major strategy in cities – for both environmental sustainability, as well as social sustainability.</p>
<h2>Drilling down</h2>
<p>We used 10 years of precinct-level crime statistics in South Africa to test the hypothesis that green space is associated with reduced crime rates. South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the <a href="https://www.gallup.com/analytics/322247/gallup-global-law-and-order-report-2020.aspx">world</a>, making it an important test of the relationship between urban greening and crime. </p>
<p>Using the broadest greenness measure – total green space – the results of this national-scale study corroborate many <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/24/5119">previous studies</a> from the global north indicating that greener neighbourhoods have significantly lower rates of violent and property crimes. Thus, the relationship reported in other countries and contexts appears to be robust in even a relatively high crime context like South Africa. </p>
<p>To gauge the relationship <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896972201097X">in South Africa</a> we used several measures of urban greenness, several different crime categories, and a national analysis.</p>
<p>We obtained crime statistics per police precinct (there are 1,152 police precints) between 2010 and 2019 from the South African Police Service and aggregated them into property, violent and sexual crimes (expressed as per 100,000 citizens for each police precinct). </p>
<p>We then used remote sensing to calculate the total area of green space per precinct, the proportional (percentage) cover of trees, and the average distance to the closest formal or informal park.</p>
<p>We found that greener areas had lower rates of both violent and property crimes. But there was no relationship with the rate of sexual crimes. A more mixed picture was revealed when considering tree cover specifically, where property crime was higher with more tree cover, but violent crimes were fewer. </p>
<p>However, property crimes were higher in locations close to public parks and sites with more trees. </p>
<p>Proximity to parks showed no relationship with the rates of violent or sexual crimes. </p>
<p>The concentration of property crimes in neighbourhoods with more trees and parks can be explained by such areas typically being where more affluent households are found.</p>
<p>But well-maintained public parks, and those with fencing, lighting, playing fields and some sort of security show lower crime levels in adjacent areas than poorly maintained parks or those <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022427816666309?casa_token=bVeZkvibpZcAAAAA%3ADXzO3-2POkIM96kbujiRf3DE_KmvWZGjR0owrGsu2ClZQiJr3bdV6RYsdhs-R8d_SiWkpaMvYrMx">lacking basic facilities</a>.</p>
<h2>What needs to be done</h2>
<p>These findings add further impetus to arguments for urban planners and decision-makers in South Africa (and similar contexts) to be more proactive and ambitious in including and integrating urban green spaces and trees into urban developments. </p>
<p>Planners and authorities often downplay such calls because they are viewed as coming from an environmental lobby, and because – they say – there are more pressing economic and social development <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264837714001501?casa_token=_ZixOjEqP4sAAAAA:0LkAd_dHkAXGoUMgJmX_nkxHtxO8Na0i5J1O23SvXIauJ3vap3uiAEtfYFB0Kn3JPcXTRmk48Q">needs</a>. </p>
<p>But this research shows that benefits of urban greening extend well beyond an environmental agenda. They embrace social inclusivity and sustainability too, alongside the well-established public health benefits. </p>
<p>Urban greening, therefore, needs to be one of the foremost considerations in urban planning and development in the country. It also requires budgets, expertise and strategies beyond the planning phase to allow for regular tree and green space maintenance that keeps them functional and attractive to local citizens. </p>
<p>The research also supports calls for urban greening to be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21665095.2021.1950019">integrated</a> into any holistic crime prevention strategy. </p>
<p><em>Lizzette Lancaster, Manager: Crime and Justice Information Hub, Institute of Security Studies, Pretoria, South Africa, contributed to this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191581/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Charlie Shackleton receives funding from the national Research Foundation (South Africa). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Faull is affiliated with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and receives funding from the Hanns Seidel Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gregory Breetzke, Ian Edelstein, and Zander Venter do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>People may think that green spaces often hide criminals. On the contrary, there is evidence they contribute to reducing crime.Charlie Shackleton, Professor & Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Science in Land and Natural Resource Use for Sustainable Livelihoods, Rhodes UniversityAndrew Faull, Research Associate at UCT's Centre of Criminology, Consultant at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), University of Cape TownGregory Breetzke, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of PretoriaIan Edelstein, Researcher, University of Cape TownZander Venter, Spatial ecologist, The Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1475592020-10-13T18:47:08Z2020-10-13T18:47:08ZOur cities are full of parks, so why are we looking to golf courses for more open space?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/362899/original/file-20201012-17-1t64n1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C276%2C1493%2C1089&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wendy Walls</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The recent <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/locals-want-covid-normal-to-include-turning-golf-course-into-parkland-20200925-p55zea.html">opening of a golf course to the public</a> in the inner north of Melbourne caused a flurry of excitement. Since then, thousands of visitors have explored the expanse of manicured rolling greens, fairways and rough. Under <a href="https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/second-step-coronavirus-road-to-recovery">COVID restrictions</a> that require Melbournians to stay within 5km of their homes, access to a very large and beautiful open space has provided welcome relief from the <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2020/sep/map-shows-melbourne-parks-will-struggle-in-next-stage-of-lockdown">well-worn tracks</a> up and down local creeks and around local ovals. </p>
<p>But beyond just exploring somewhere new, the meticulously crafted landscape of the Northcote public golf course offers a rare experience in Melbourne’s ever more densely developed inner suburbs.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/340-000-melburnians-have-little-or-no-parkland-within-5km-of-their-home-144069">340,000 Melburnians have little or no parkland within 5km of their home</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The past six months of lockdowns have sparked many discussions about our cities and lifestyles. And the importance of local parks has come to the fore. There are issues of <a href="https://theconversation.com/340-000-melburnians-have-little-or-no-parkland-within-5km-of-their-home-144069">equity in access to parks</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-urban-density-is-good-for-health-even-during-a-pandemic-142108">walkability</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-might-covid-19-change-what-australians-want-from-their-homes-145626">housing</a>, and the measured health and well-being <a href="https://theconversation.com/twitter-posts-show-that-people-are-profoundly-sad-and-are-visiting-parks-to-cheer-up-139953">effects of being outdoors</a>. </p>
<p>These target-driven discussions fit with the dominant planning methods of Australian cities. From <a href="https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/428908/Creating-a-more-liveable-Melbourne.pdf">walking times</a> to <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/community/greening-the-city/urban-forest/Pages/urban-forest-strategy.aspx">tree cover targets</a>, function has long dominated quality when defining urban open space. But this planning approach to open space significantly limits how parks are conceived. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1305077434954383366"}"></div></p>
<h2>Why the pressure on golf courses?</h2>
<p>Now, as people swarm to urban parks and gardens in record numbers, we need to give open space the same status as other valued urban assets such as roads and rail. And we need to work out what government, the private sector, design professionals and the community can contribute to create better public open space over the next decade.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/twitter-posts-show-that-people-are-profoundly-sad-and-are-visiting-parks-to-cheer-up-139953">Twitter posts show that people are profoundly sad – and are visiting parks to cheer up</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Returning to the Northcote golf course, a community group is <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/locals-want-covid-normal-to-include-turning-golf-course-into-parkland-20200925-p55zea.html">lobbying for ongoing community access</a>. It’s part of a wider discussion about the future of urban golf courses across Australia. In <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-18/marrickville-golf-club-vote-to-go-before-inner-west-council/12672562">Sydney</a>, the Inner West Council recently <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/inner-west/marrickville-golf-club-plan-to-turn-18-holes-into-9-rejected/news-story/07deba9839c2d88bf682a729f9808d53">voted down</a> a hotly debated plan to give over half the Marrickville golf course to public green space. In <a href="https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/council-venues-and-precincts/parks/victoria-park">Brisbane</a>, the Victoria Park Golf Course is being converted to public parkland.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1308355184968347648"}"></div></p>
<p>Urban golf courses are in the spotlight because of their <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/11/undraining-the-swamp-how-rewilders-have-reclaimed-golf-courses-and-waterways">rarity as large green open spaces with mature plantings</a>. The golfing community is <a href="https://www.australiangolfdigest.com.au/a-battle-for-survival/">under pressure</a> to justify why so much precious city space is being reserved for their sport. </p>
<p>This discussion masks the underlying issue of inadequate urban planning. Successive governments have failed to set aside enough open space to cater for population growth.</p>
<p>For decades, the planning of our cities has occurred through growth models that give priority to economic development. Missing are significant large parks – the modern equivalents of the much-loved colonial layers of the Domains in <a href="https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/Visit/The-Domain">Sydney</a> and <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/melbourne-domain-parkland-memorial-precinct">Melbourne</a>, <a href="https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/parks/hyde-park">Hyde Park</a>, <a href="https://whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au/things-to-do/royal-park">Royal Park</a> or <a href="https://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/kings-park">Kings Park</a> – to offset this growth. </p>
<p>The issue of open space quality becomes even more pressing when we turn to the outer suburbs. Lacking access to bays and beaches, the outer suburbs <a href="https://www.foreground.com.au/parks-places/garden-cities-no-australias-leafy-urban-centres-pressure/">no longer have</a> the “Australian dream” of the quarter-acre block as a counterbalance. Houses are constructed gutter to gutter, cars crowd the front yards, and the local park is often a footy oval with a playground. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/vanishing-australian-backyards-leave-us-vulnerable-to-the-stresses-of-city-life-81479">Vanishing Australian backyards leave us vulnerable to the stresses of city life</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Playground in front of a football oval." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/362883/original/file-20201012-20-hbg3rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/362883/original/file-20201012-20-hbg3rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/362883/original/file-20201012-20-hbg3rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/362883/original/file-20201012-20-hbg3rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/362883/original/file-20201012-20-hbg3rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/362883/original/file-20201012-20-hbg3rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/362883/original/file-20201012-20-hbg3rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For many suburbs, their most substantial public open space is a football oval and playground.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BaroogaFootballGround%26Playground.JPG">Mattinbgn/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Time to make open space a priority</h2>
<p>COVID and the slowing economy provide an important opportunity to rethink our models for open space. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/reclaiming-the-streets-we-all-can-have-a-say-in-the-new-normal-after-coronavirus-137703">Reclaiming the streets? We all can have a say in the 'new normal' after coronavirus</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We need to challenge the binaries of competing values – public versus private, environment versus community – that structure our cities. Our parks should not emerge through a debate over the best use of limited green space: biodiversity, community gardens, bike paths, wetlands, sport facilities, playgrounds and dog walking. None of these agendas are wrong, but there is a limit to how much space can be shared. </p>
<p>There are, of course, many examples of councils wanting to add more open green space. But it is important to have larger-scale and longer-term perspectives that can operate independently of local and state politics. </p>
<p>Global examples of open-space governance reveal shifts towards alternative funding models and public-private relationships for delivering quality, not just quantity. For example, in New York, the NGO <a href="http://designtrust.org/">Design Trust for Public Space</a> works across government, community groups and the private sector to guide public space development. In Australia, the appointment of a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/public-spaces-minister-plans-to-buy-sydney-s-forgotten-land-for-open-space-20190504-p51k0z.html">minister for public spaces</a> in Sydney and the <a href="https://resilientmelbourne.com.au/living-melbourne/">Living Melbourne</a> strategy both acknowledge the importance of overarching spatial governance. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-minister-for-public-spaces-is-welcome-now-here-are-ten-priorities-for-action-115152">New minister for public spaces is welcome – now here are ten priorities for action</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The private sector is responsible too. Enabling large and high-quality open space across our cities means reviewing our expectations of funding and exploring new models led by the private sector. This includes not just funding construction but finding cash for ongoing park maintenance. </p>
<p>COVID has highlighted why the scale of open space is important. It’s needed for maintaining distance between users but also for providing a sense of escape from increasing urban density, compounded by the many hours spent indoors. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-radical-nature-based-agenda-would-help-society-overcome-the-psychological-effects-of-coronavirus-147324">A radical nature-based agenda would help society overcome the psychological effects of coronavirus</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It is widely recognised that an experience of <a href="https://theconversation.com/biodiversity-and-our-brains-how-ecology-and-mental-health-go-together-in-our-cities-126760">nature is valuable for health and well-being</a>. It’s now time to link this directly to a diversity of high-quality park experiences. </p>
<p>All parks have not been created equally. Let’s use this moment to determine a more ambitious future for our urban open spaces.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/147559/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>All parks are not equal. The response to the opening of golf courses to the public during the COVID pandemic shows the quality of green open space is a big issue for city residents.Wendy Walls, Lecturer in Landscape Architecture, The University of MelbourneJillian Walliss, Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1409232020-07-05T10:46:52Z2020-07-05T10:46:52ZFinding a place to pee during a pandemic or a protest shouldn’t be so hard<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344627/original/file-20200629-155312-rea637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=271%2C36%2C4617%2C3085&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Finding a washroom during either a pandemic or a protest within a pandemic is an issue about how free and accessible our urban spaces are. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In early June in our home city of Guelph, Ont., <a href="https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-news/thousands-gather-in-downtown-guelph-for-black-lives-matter-protest-24-photos-2415299">thousands marched</a> to support the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in the United States and the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet in Toronto. But where did protesters who needed to use the washroom go? We don’t know. </p>
<p>Guelph, like many Canadian cities, had few open public washrooms in the first phase of the pandemic. The libraries, community centres and municipal buildings that house public washrooms were closed to the public (though as of late June there is some <a href="https://guelph.ca/2020/06/guelph-opening-outdoor-pools-splash-pads-washrooms-farmers-market-and-serviceguelph-with-covid-19-measures-in-place/">limited reopening in Guelph</a>.) </p>
<p>From May’s now-infamous <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/05/23/dangerous-and-selfish-behaviour-a-day-after-mayor-medical-officer-urges-social-distancing-dozens-gather-at-trinity-bellwoods.html">impromptu summer party</a> in Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods Park to Black Lives Matter protests in June, there are serious challenges when large groups of people gather during a pandemic. These gatherings magnify existing problems with urban public space.</p>
<p>At the Trinity Bellwoods party, <a href="https://dailyhive.com/toronto/tickets-issued-trinity-bellwoods-park-over-weekend-toronto-police">almost all tickets</a> issued were for public urination or defecation. As researchers at the University of Guelph who study public spaces, we were struck by the irony of handing out these tickets when public washrooms and businesses weren’t open. There was literally nowhere for people to go. Where we go when we really need to go is not something people like to talk or think about when they’re in public spaces.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1264358891460182019"}"></div></p>
<h2>Finding a public washroom</h2>
<p>Even in the best of times, public availability of washrooms is limited and often heavily restricted. <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/how-safe-is-using-a-public-restroom-during-a-pandemic-expert-weighs-in-1.4965907">Public health experts</a> say that public washrooms are no more dangerous than any other enclosed space for COVID-19, and <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-june-4-andre-picard-on-coronavirus-masks-testing-and-pandemic/">recommend leaving them open</a>. But the already limited public washrooms in many cities remain closed, with some exceptions. </p>
<p>Public space and public washrooms are two fundamental public goods. <a href="https://theconversation.com/washrooms-for-customers-only-peeing-with-dignity-in-the-city-112192">Research shows</a> people who need to use the washroom when they’re out and about in Toronto rely on the kindness of private business owners or the blind eye that their employees often turn. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/washrooms-for-customers-only-peeing-with-dignity-in-the-city-112192">Washrooms for customers only: Peeing with dignity in the city</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Truly public spaces are those that are freely accessible to all. Public spaces that don’t have public washrooms are neither free nor accessible. Public spaces are diminished by poor investments in the amenities (like washrooms) that make being in public possible. Investing in washrooms, especially during a public health crisis, means paying people to clean them. </p>
<p>We don’t often see the burden that cleaning up public washrooms, and dealing with the occasional health crises that happen in them, <a href="https://theconversation.com/washrooms-for-customers-only-peeing-with-dignity-in-the-city-112192">puts on minimum wage workers</a>. Frontline workers in restaurants and grocery stores are being celebrated during the pandemic but not rewarded with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-12/a-supermarket-billionaire-steps-into-trouble-over-pandemic-wages">permanent wage increases</a> and job security.</p>
<p>As businesses open up again with tighter social distancing rules, it will be these same low-paid workers who keep businesses going and are tasked with protecting themselves and customers — all while enforcing unfamiliar rules. And while <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/health/coronavirus-toilets-flushing.html">there’s a playful squeamishness</a> associated with public washrooms, they are nonetheless essential public service. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344621/original/file-20200629-155353-in17bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344621/original/file-20200629-155353-in17bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344621/original/file-20200629-155353-in17bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344621/original/file-20200629-155353-in17bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344621/original/file-20200629-155353-in17bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344621/original/file-20200629-155353-in17bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344621/original/file-20200629-155353-in17bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The work of cleaning public bathrooms often falls to minimum wage workers and during a pandemic, they have few protections and temporary pay increases.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Free to pee, free to be</h2>
<p>Maintenance — specifically the hiring of well-paid city workers with appropriate protective gear — is a crucial part of making public washrooms work. During our research, we noticed that many of the Toronto’s park washrooms were closed at odd times, often pervasively. The insufficient maintenance and cleaning of these spaces means that they fall into disrepair and cannot be used, where they do exist.</p>
<p>Instead of stepping up maintenance, however, the city opted for bylaw enforcement patrols to encourage social distancing and make sure no one pees where they shouldn’t. Policing washroom use likely determines who feels able to show up at both parties and protests.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344636/original/file-20200629-155345-4zeha8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344636/original/file-20200629-155345-4zeha8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344636/original/file-20200629-155345-4zeha8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344636/original/file-20200629-155345-4zeha8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344636/original/file-20200629-155345-4zeha8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344636/original/file-20200629-155345-4zeha8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344636/original/file-20200629-155345-4zeha8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Whether in public parks or during protests, washrooms must be free and accessible for all in order to make public spaces welcoming and safe.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Knowing that public washrooms are closed, people who need to frequently use the washroom might not participate in public gatherings because of a lack of access to these facilities. And the possibility of incurring a ticket for public urination may bring protesters in contact with law enforcement when, as the Black Lives Matter movement continues to highlight, encounters between <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/05/28/autopsy-scheduled-for-toronto-woman-who-fell-24-storeys-from-high-park-building-with-police-present.html">Black</a> people and law enforcement can be fraught, and all-too-often, deadly. <a href="https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-watchdog-to-probe-fatal-rcmp-shooting-of-n-b-indigenous-man-1.4982770">Indigenous people</a> too are deeply familiar with this pattern.</p>
<p>A comprehensive system of open, accessible public washrooms should be part of how we think about reorganizing urban public spaces after the pandemic. We need to think about how people are excluded from public space because of the lack of public washrooms, how responsibility for maintaining existing limited resources fall to low-paid, often precarious workers, and how routine involvement with law enforcement is much more dangerous for some people. </p>
<p>The washroom dilemma requires more investment. Why? Because having more free and accessible public washrooms is not just the right thing to do, it’s the necessary thing to do.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/140923/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mervyn Horgan receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Edith Wilson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Public washrooms are an essential service and the people who maintain them are essential workers. But what happens when a pandemic closes public bathrooms and a civil rights protest breaks out?Edith Wilson, Master's of Sociology, University of GuelphMervyn Horgan, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1377032020-05-04T02:42:28Z2020-05-04T02:42:28ZReclaiming the streets? We all can have a say in the ‘new normal’ after coronavirus<p>The dramatic recent shifts in the use of public space have led some to claim the coronavirus pandemic will <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-11/how-coronavirus-could-forever-change-our-cities-and-suburbs/12137122">permanently change cities</a>. Among its many other impacts, COVID-19 has upturned established patterns of <a href="https://insidestory.org.au/making-space/">ordering city space</a>. </p>
<p>Personally, the vibrancy of my local park has delighted me. It seems to be filled at almost any time of day by a wide variety of activities. I’m encouraged by the proliferation of new <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-30/coronavirus-queensland-neighbourhood-street-stalls-popular/12189132">street stalls</a> and entertained by the creativity of my neighbours’ efforts to maintain their gym routines: elastic bands attached to light posts, free weights carted to the park in shopping trolleys, a cross-trainer in the front yard. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-traffic-signals-favour-cars-and-discourage-walking-92675">How traffic signals favour cars and discourage walking</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>I have been frustrated but also heartened by the six-week wait to get my daughter’s bike serviced. And I’m thrilled by the elevation of pedestrians and cyclists. Streets have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/11/world-cities-turn-their-streets-over-to-walkers-and-cyclists">closed to cars</a>, and time has been automatically allocated for pedestrians in the traffic-light cycle – no need for “<a href="https://www.governmentnews.com.au/sydney-traffic-lights-automated-to-combat-covid-19/">beg buttons</a>”! </p>
<p>Since at least the 1970s oil crisis, and especially since the more recent recognition of the global climate crisis, there have been calls to rethink the allocation of public space, and streets in particular, to produce more inclusive, resilient and <a href="https://www.c40.org/ending-climate-change-begins-in-the-city">sustainable forms of development</a>. Compact city policies have been adopted (albeit unevenly) across Australia, yet implementation <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07293682.2017.1319869">has been slow</a>. </p>
<p>Might COVID-19 provide the impetus for more rapid change? Whether lasting changes do indeed eventuate will depend in large part on whether the pandemic has shifted popular expectations. </p>
<h2>Public space is political</h2>
<p>Public space is the quintessential site of politics. And it’s not just as a site for marches and assemblies where rights are demanded and disrupted. It’s also the everyday expression of collective decisions about how we live together, about who gets access to which space, and for what purposes, about the role of the state and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. </p>
<p>Those collective decisions are often highly contested, so the relative rights and responsibilities of citizens and their cities are subject to ongoing negotiation. The pandemic restrictions have brought issues like these to the fore. The rapid enactment of regulations to support social distancing has <a href="https://theconversation.com/pandemic-policing-needs-to-be-done-with-the-publics-trust-not-confusion-135716">generated concerns</a> about wide <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/covid-19-lockdown-fines-eroding-public-confidence-top-cop-warns-20200413-p54jfk.html">official discretion</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-dont-know-what-weve-got-till-its-gone-we-must-reclaim-public-space-lost-to-the-coronavirus-crisis-135817">compounding inequality</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-dont-know-what-weve-got-till-its-gone-we-must-reclaim-public-space-lost-to-the-coronavirus-crisis-135817">We don’t know what we’ve got till it’s gone – we must reclaim public space lost to the coronavirus crisis</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Yet the rules that regulate streets, parks and other public and semi-public spaces are always uneven. Popular understandings about the kinds of use (and users) that are and are not legitimate in public space significantly influence the ways those <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/lasr.12347">rules are interpreted</a> – and sometimes amended. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/public-spaces-bind-cities-together-what-happens-when-coronavirus-forces-us-apart-133763">Public spaces bind cities together. What happens when coronavirus forces us apart?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Understandings can shift. In the mid-20th century, for example, streets changed rapidly and radically: from shared spaces (for travel by pedestrians, streetcars, horses and carriages, but also for commerce, play and other forms of social exchange) to spaces reshaped around the needs of the car. </p>
<p>The rights and responsibilities of citizens and the state shifted too. Expectations about engineering for automobility overshadowed expectations of things like safe spaces to walk, cycle and gather, or comprehensive public transport systems</p>
<h2>Who owns the city?</h2>
<p>An important determinant of expectations about public space are understandings about ownership. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0964663917701304">Ownership</a> encompasses not only the formal property rights that councils and other landowners use to control public space, but also the informal sense of ownership or belonging that enables certain users to control (or influence the control of) public space. </p>
<p>Ownership is closely connected to understandings about rights in public space, as well as agency and political voice in other settings. Some of the strongest <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/this-is-my-beach-fence-doesn-t-deter-sydney-swimmers-20200325-p54dul.html">resistance to COVID-19 restrictions</a> has been from people claiming the public space in question is “theirs”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/contested-spaces-we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches-72265">Contested spaces: we shall fight on the beaches...</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>While ownership shapes activities in public space, those activities can also play a role in reshaping ownership. Even <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jols.12081">small-scale interventions by citizens</a> and community groups can lead to significant shifts in understandings of ownership and legality. This in turn leads to changes in the regulation of urban space by planners, policymakers, police and other officials.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/332188/original/file-20200504-42935-m1o9wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/332188/original/file-20200504-42935-m1o9wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/332188/original/file-20200504-42935-m1o9wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/332188/original/file-20200504-42935-m1o9wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/332188/original/file-20200504-42935-m1o9wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/332188/original/file-20200504-42935-m1o9wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/332188/original/file-20200504-42935-m1o9wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/332188/original/file-20200504-42935-m1o9wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Exercising in Moore Park, Sydney, under coronavirus restrictions. What people choose to do in public spaces can influence understandings of what these spaces are for and how they are regulated.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amelia Thorpe</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our cities won’t be the same again, but the shape of the “new normal” remains unclear. Whether COVID-19 will lead to more inclusive or sustainable cities will depend on how its disruptions are experienced. </p>
<p>Will shifts in the allocation and regulation of public space be understood as temporary inconveniences, or will they prompt a more fundamental re-evaluation of who “owns” the city? Might people take back the streets?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/137703/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amelia Thorpe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>COVID-19 has upturned uses of public spaces that we took for granted. Will shifts in the regulation of these spaces lead to a change in thinking about who “owns” the city?Amelia Thorpe, Associate Professor in Law, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1320972020-03-18T18:50:44Z2020-03-18T18:50:44ZWhy working families need parks and playgrounds more than ever<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321191/original/file-20200318-60889-13mxkr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=48%2C0%2C5360%2C3562&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-mother-pushing-laughing-son-on-308426864">ArtFamily/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Are you a parent who is struggling to find time to be with your child and help them grow? Our <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/16/4435/htm">newly published research</a> shows neighbourhood parks, and playgrounds in particular, provide valuable and unique opportunities for interaction between parents and children. These are places where parents can play with and teach their child new skills, and children also get to play with other children and create their own activities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/public-places-through-kids-eyes-what-do-they-value-126108">Public places through kids' eyes – what do they value?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In Australia, the proportion of couples with children under 18 where both parents are working has <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/facts-and-figures/work-and-family">increased from 52% in 1991 to 61% in 2016</a>. Parents are more time-poor than ever. Both parents often feel pressure to work full-time to maintain living standards, but it leaves them with less family time.</p>
<p>Some children are fine with having less time with mum and dad. However, many <a href="https://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/208386">don’t feel close to their parents</a>, especially their dad, who is often the main income earner.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320317/original/file-20200313-33876-dqtcuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320317/original/file-20200313-33876-dqtcuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320317/original/file-20200313-33876-dqtcuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320317/original/file-20200313-33876-dqtcuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320317/original/file-20200313-33876-dqtcuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320317/original/file-20200313-33876-dqtcuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320317/original/file-20200313-33876-dqtcuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320317/original/file-20200313-33876-dqtcuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parks are places where children can explore and experience nature.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kid-hans-embracing-tree-trunk-46134457">Helder Almeida/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Spending time outdoors allows children to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03004430.2017.1317764?journalCode=gecd20">experience nature and play</a> in ways that are not limited by walls or fences. The experience may also provide parents with insights into their child’s interests and abilities and help them better understand their child’s needs.</p>
<p>For <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/16/4435/htm">our research</a>, we interviewed adults visiting 12 parks in residential neighbourhoods within the <a href="https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Home">Moreton Bay Region</a> of south-east Queensland, Australia. We completed 386 interviews from December 2017 to March 2018. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-need-nature-i-need-space-high-rise-families-rely-on-child-friendly-neighbourhoods-128618">'I need nature, I need space': high-rise families rely on child-friendly neighbourhoods</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What has the research found?</h2>
<p>According to the parents, grandparents and caregivers we interviewed, visiting the park provided opportunities for parents to teach their children productive social skills while playing with other children. This included taking turns, not pushing in, and showing respect. One interviewee said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think one of the best things in the park is developing their social skills, so they will meet with other kids and they learn to share toys and play together. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>At the park’s playground, the parent could teach their child how to use equipment and help them climb around.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Generally, when I take them to the park, especially if you’ve got a younger one, you’re helping them to climb stuff and push them on the swing.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The adults were also concerned about keeping children safe.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Because he’s little, I like to be there. Especially for the climbing things, just in case he falls.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As children get older, they don’t need as much physical help from parents and can play with their siblings and other children on their own. Parents of older children start to take on more of a supervisory or observation role. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Most times, I sit back and let them play, only because of their ages. Sometimes, I get in and play, but I don’t find I need to. </p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/that-public-playground-is-good-for-your-kids-and-your-wallet-127910">That public playground is good for your kids and your wallet</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Where do children play in parks?</h2>
<p>Not all parks are designed and built with the same purpose in mind. They vary in size, facilities and types of playground equipment.
In the 12 parks, children most frequently played at playgrounds (82%), followed by open fields (17%) and pathways (14%).</p>
<p>Playgrounds allow children to climb, swing, ride and slide on equipment.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There’s climbing, there’s balance activities and there’s lots of different stuff to do, to keep him engaged.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Open fields are great for intergenerational interaction and shared activities, including ball games and running around.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The grassy space is great because they can either bring equipment or two of my daughters are cheerleaders, so they’ll often run and do flips because it’s such a nice, big space.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Pathways can be used for bike riding.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think we brought them here when they were new at learning to ride their bike, because it’s got the concrete path all around.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320318/original/file-20200313-90672-hppft4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320318/original/file-20200313-90672-hppft4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320318/original/file-20200313-90672-hppft4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320318/original/file-20200313-90672-hppft4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320318/original/file-20200313-90672-hppft4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320318/original/file-20200313-90672-hppft4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320318/original/file-20200313-90672-hppft4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320318/original/file-20200313-90672-hppft4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parents value parks as safe places for activities like learning to ride a bike.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/father-teaching-his-son-ride-bike-96898810">MinDof/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/worn-uneven-flooded-young-people-need-better-parks-to-get-out-and-play-111615">Worn, uneven, flooded: young people need better parks to get out and play</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The local park makes for easy access to a space where parents can share in the activities of their children and teach them a range of physical and social skills that might not be possible within the limits of a backyard or home. </p>
<p>Our research is part of a larger study on designing suburban parks for all. Among the final outcomes are design recommendations for parks that are more inclusive of all ages for healthy, active living.</p>
<p>In a well-designed park, the child can explore their curiosity, take risks, learn outdoor skills and play with other children, all under the guidance and supervision of their parent or carer. </p>
<p>These unique social dynamics may not happen at other times of the day or week. If you are struggling to find time to help your child grow, try spending 30 minutes together in the local park – you will both benefit from playing, learning and laughing together!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132097/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tracy Lynn Washington receives funding from the Australian Research Council. The project described in this article represents a collaboration between QUT researchers and the Moreton Bay Regional Council, Playscape Creations, the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the 7 Senses Foundation, Conrad Gargett, and the National Wellness Institute of Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Debra Flanders Cushing receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laurie Buys receives funding from the Australian Research Council</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stewart Trost receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council, and Queensland Children’s Hospital Foundation</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janelle MacKenzie does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Working long hours and want to make the most of time with your children? Your local park is an ideal place for sharing experiences that benefit the whole family.Tracy Sherwood Washington, Lecturer and Researcher in Urban and Regional Planning, Queensland University of TechnologyDebra Flanders Cushing, Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture, Queensland University of TechnologyJanelle MacKenzie, Research Project Officer, School of Design, Queensland University of TechnologyLaurie Buys, Professor, Director of Healthy Ageing Initative, The University of QueenslandStewart Trost, Professor of Physical Activity and Health, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1262042019-11-17T19:21:49Z2019-11-17T19:21:49ZGOD save us: greenspace-oriented development could make higher density attractive<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301887/original/file-20191115-47161-17e0y5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=62%2C0%2C5114%2C3119&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The lure of suburbia clearly remains strong. To deal with sprawl, planners need to increase urban density in a way that resonates with the leafy green qualities of suburbia that residents value. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Julian Bolleter</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Around the world, the vast majority of people are flocking to cities not to dwell in their centres but to live in the new suburbs expanding their outer limits. Reflecting this, from 2000 to 2015, the <a href="https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2017/goal-11/">expansion of urbanised land worldwide outpaced urban population growth</a>. The result is <a href="https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2017/">unprecedented urban sprawl</a>. </p>
<p>Expansive suburbs of single-family, freestanding housing are ubiquitous in countries such as Australia, the US and the UK. Most Australians still <a href="https://theconversation.com/becoming-more-urban-attitudes-to-medium-density-living-are-changing-in-sydney-and-melbourne-84693">aspire to own a large detached house</a> in the suburbs. </p>
<p>Public resistance to so-called infill development is unlikely to be overcome without a major change in how cities approach urban densification. We <a href="https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030296001">advocate greenspace-oriented development</a>, or GOD, which provides substantial, public green spaces to serve surrounding higher-density neighbourhoods. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299805/original/file-20191101-187907-jwuiia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299805/original/file-20191101-187907-jwuiia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299805/original/file-20191101-187907-jwuiia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299805/original/file-20191101-187907-jwuiia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299805/original/file-20191101-187907-jwuiia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299805/original/file-20191101-187907-jwuiia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299805/original/file-20191101-187907-jwuiia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299805/original/file-20191101-187907-jwuiia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Greenspace-oriented development correlates urban densification with significant, upgraded public green spaces.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/becoming-more-urban-attitudes-to-medium-density-living-are-changing-in-sydney-and-melbourne-84693">Becoming more urban: attitudes to medium-density living are changing in Sydney and Melbourne</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>We love our leafy suburbs</h2>
<p>The “Australian dream” of owning your own home is often automatically associated with a detached house on a block of land. It’s seen as a mark of having “made it”. </p>
<p>For instance, a <a href="http://www.dhw.wa.gov.au/News/Pages/hwc.aspx">study in Perth</a> found that, if they had the money, 79% of people would prefer a separate dwelling and 13% a semi-detached option. Only 7% preferred flats, units or apartments. </p>
<p>Evidently, the suburban dream runs deep in the Australian cultural psyche. Australia is not alone in this. As a result of widespread preference for suburban living, globally we are not in the age of urbanisation but rather the age of suburbanisation. </p>
<p>Despite the enduring popularity of suburban life, several emerging crises threaten its dominance. These include the <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-protect-fresh-food-supplies-here-are-the-key-steps-to-secure-city-foodbowls-114085">destruction of agriculturally productive</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/squandering-riches-can-perth-realise-the-value-of-its-biodiversity-63933">biodiverse land</a> around expanding cities, <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-city-workers-average-commute-has-blown-out-to-66-minutes-a-day-how-does-yours-compare-120598">ballooning commuting times</a> and service and public transport <a href="https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2019/08/australian-infrastructure-expensive/">infrastructure costs</a>, and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-renters-are-doing-it-tough-in-outer-suburbs-of-sydney-and-melbourne-120427">concentration of socio-economic vulnerabilities</a> in outer suburbs. These areas also <a href="https://theconversation.com/living-liveable-this-is-what-residents-have-to-say-about-life-on-the-urban-fringe-111339">have poorer access</a> to jobs.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299804/original/file-20191101-187938-1d9yuix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299804/original/file-20191101-187938-1d9yuix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299804/original/file-20191101-187938-1d9yuix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299804/original/file-20191101-187938-1d9yuix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299804/original/file-20191101-187938-1d9yuix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299804/original/file-20191101-187938-1d9yuix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299804/original/file-20191101-187938-1d9yuix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The problems of sprawl: contractors clear once biodiverse land on the edge of Perth for a new suburb.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided. Photo courtesy of Donna Broun, Richard Weller</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/living-liveable-this-is-what-residents-have-to-say-about-life-on-the-urban-fringe-111339">Living 'liveable': this is what residents have to say about life on the urban fringe</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why infill efforts are failing</h2>
<p>To limit urban sprawl, the emphasis in most cities worldwide is on increasing urban density. In pursuit of infill development, planning strategies have focused mostly on <a href="http://www.tod.org/">transit-oriented development</a>. This approach focuses on higher-density development around public transport nodes and corridors. </p>
<p>Despite the widespread adoption of this ideology in Australia, many cities are <a href="https://dusp.mit.edu/publication/infinite-suburbia">not achieving</a> their <a href="https://uwap.uwa.edu.au/products/made-in-australia-the-future-of-australian-cities">infill targets</a>. In part, this is because transit-oriented development strategies suggest an “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1745-5871.2006.00374.x">inflexible, over-neat vision</a>” of cities at odds with their “increasing geographical complexity”. </p>
<p>Much of the infill that has been achieved is through indiscriminate and opportunistic subdivision of individual suburban lots by “mum and dad” investors. This “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07293682.2016.1245201">background infill</a>” fails to achieve infill targets, does not reduce car use, erodes urban forests, and aggravates local communities. This has led to community resistance (the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Not-in-My-Backyard-Phenomenon">NIMBY</a> factor) and what one council official referred to as a “<a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/city-limits-why-australias-cities-are-broken-and-how-we-can-fix-them/">public sullenness</a>”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-cut-urban-sprawl-we-need-quality-infill-housing-displays-to-win-over-the-public-63930">To cut urban sprawl, we need quality infill housing displays to win over the public</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Higher density with a green focus</h2>
<p>The principles of transit-oriented development are well established and valid. However, we <a href="https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030296001">contend</a> that we need a complementary strategy, greenspace-oriented development, for achieving infill development. This approach would correlate urban densification with substantial, upgraded public green spaces or parks that are relatively well served by public transport.</p>
<p>Greenspace-oriented development builds upon the now well-recognised <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-density-cities-need-greening-to-stay-healthy-and-liveable-75840">array of benefits</a> of green spaces for urban dwellers. Most importantly, it underpins approaches to making our cities more sustainable and liveable. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-density-cities-need-greening-to-stay-healthy-and-liveable-75840">Higher-density cities need greening to stay healthy and liveable</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Australian suburbs do generally contain a reasonable number of parks. But these are typically underdesigned and underused. Many parks offer minimal amenity, often little more than large stretches of irrigated lawn and a scattering of trees. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299807/original/file-20191101-102207-1w2nlod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299807/original/file-20191101-102207-1w2nlod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299807/original/file-20191101-102207-1w2nlod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=845&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299807/original/file-20191101-102207-1w2nlod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=845&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299807/original/file-20191101-102207-1w2nlod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=845&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299807/original/file-20191101-102207-1w2nlod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1062&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299807/original/file-20191101-102207-1w2nlod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1062&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299807/original/file-20191101-102207-1w2nlod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1062&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Before and after: in greenspace-oriented development, density and natural amenity are interwoven. Images courtesy of Robert Cameron.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We suggest redesigning parks to increase the naturalness, ecological function and diversity of active and passive recreational uses, which in turn can support higher-density urban areas. Indeed, it should increase the value of neighbouring real estate. With rezoning, this should enable greater local densification that is both commercially viable for developers and more attractive for residents. </p>
<p>Residents would then have an incentive to support well-designed infill development. When completed, each of these upgraded parks operates as a multifunctional, communal “backyard” for residents of a surrounding higher-density urban precinct.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299806/original/file-20191101-102182-1ncjsyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299806/original/file-20191101-102182-1ncjsyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299806/original/file-20191101-102182-1ncjsyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=845&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299806/original/file-20191101-102182-1ncjsyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=845&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299806/original/file-20191101-102182-1ncjsyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=845&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299806/original/file-20191101-102182-1ncjsyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1062&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299806/original/file-20191101-102182-1ncjsyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1062&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/299806/original/file-20191101-102182-1ncjsyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1062&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Before and after: parks become multifunctional communal ‘backyards’ for people living at a higher density around the park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The lure of suburbia clearly remains strong for people around the world. If planners are to deal with the problems of sprawl, they need to increase urban density in a way that resonates with the leafy green qualities of suburbia that most people desire (at very least in Australia). </p>
<p>Transit-oriented development ideology relies on a false presumption that residents will trade the benefits of nature for the benefits of urbanity. We require a new vision of urban densification that responds to the urban, societal and ecological challenges of the 21st century and aligns with people’s preference for suburban living near nature.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126204/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julian Bolleter receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Healthways, The Western Australian Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, Department of Communities and Landcorp.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cristina E. Ramalho receives funding from the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program through the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub.</span></em></p>Residents of the ‘leafy suburbs’ will continue to fear what they might lose to increasing urban density without an explicit planning approach that enhances green space in affected neighbourhoods.Julian Bolleter, Deputy Director, Australian Urban Design Research Centre, The University of Western AustraliaCristina E. Ramalho, Research fellow, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1247722019-10-09T18:59:15Z2019-10-09T18:59:15ZWhy we need ‘crazy’ ideas for new city parks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296115/original/file-20191009-3894-6yue75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C8004%2C4503&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sea Line Park, one of the shortlisted entries in the competition to design a new park for the Melbourne of 2050.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Future Park Design Ideas Competition</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Two seemingly unrelated but important things happened in Melbourne last week. One was a memorial service for <a href="https://sustainable.unimelb.edu.au/news/vale-david-yencken-ao">David Yencken</a> AO; the other was the exhibition opening of the <a href="https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/be150/competitions/futurepark">Future Park Design Ideas Competition</a>. The connection between the two is that both gave us radical ideas for Melbourne’s open space.</p>
<p>David Yencken was a visionary man who had a profound impact on Victoria and Melbourne. He was responsible, among many things, for the transformation of <a href="https://www.travelvictoria.com.au/southbank/">Southbank</a> and co-founding <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/merchant-builders-celebrating-a-fifty-year-legacy">Merchant Builders</a>. But one of his wildest ideas was the 1985 <a href="https://www.killyourdarlings.com.au/2016/09/imagine-a-city-swanston-st-party/">Greening of Swanston Street</a>, when vehicle traffic was closed and a weekend street party was held right in the middle of Melbourne.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-three-decade-remaking-of-the-city-revived-the-buzz-of-marvellous-melbourne-91481">How a three-decade remaking of the city revived the buzz of 'Marvellous Melbourne'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>As the secretary (chief executive) of the Ministry for Planning and Environment, Yencken had been charged with changing perceptions of the city by rethinking its public spaces. At a time before <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-day-for-turning-parking-spaces-into-pop-up-parks-65164">pop-up parks</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/look-out-behind-the-bus-stop-here-come-guerrilla-gardeners-digging-up-an-urban-revolution-29225">guerrilla gardening</a>, his radical idea demonstrated what was possible for the inner city and sowed the seed of the <a href="https://www.mup.com.au/blog/melbourne-urban-transformation">idea of closing Swanston Street to traffic</a>. </p>
<p>The project was <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-man-who-helped-re-imagine-melbourne-20190705-p524mc.html">not without controversy</a> – it was costly and came in for political criticism as a stunt. But looking back to a time when inner Melbourne was underutilised and dominated by traffic, we can see how that radical idea sparked the imagination about what was possible for the city centre.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/207418/original/file-20180222-132674-1247hnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/207418/original/file-20180222-132674-1247hnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/207418/original/file-20180222-132674-1247hnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=608&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207418/original/file-20180222-132674-1247hnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=608&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207418/original/file-20180222-132674-1247hnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=608&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207418/original/file-20180222-132674-1247hnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=764&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207418/original/file-20180222-132674-1247hnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=764&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207418/original/file-20180222-132674-1247hnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=764&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Greening of Swanston Street in 1985.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Victorian Ministry of Planning</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-day-for-turning-parking-spaces-into-pop-up-parks-65164">A day for turning parking spaces into pop-up parks</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Future Park fires imaginations and debate</h2>
<p>This is just what the <a href="https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/be150/competitions/futurepark">Future Park competition</a> needs to achieve. The open competition held by the University of Melbourne and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects has attracted global interest, with 123 entries from 20 countries. </p>
<p>The brief was simple but provocative. Designers were to find space within 10 kilometres of the city centre and design a future park that responds to the challenges of Melbourne today. The design responses from the 31 shortlisted entries ranged from manufactured lagoons to urban wildlife corridors and street transformation parks that Yencken would be proud of. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296120/original/file-20191009-3935-24915r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296120/original/file-20191009-3935-24915r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296120/original/file-20191009-3935-24915r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296120/original/file-20191009-3935-24915r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296120/original/file-20191009-3935-24915r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296120/original/file-20191009-3935-24915r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296120/original/file-20191009-3935-24915r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296120/original/file-20191009-3935-24915r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Melbourne from Past to Last, a vision of a city street park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Future Park Design Ideas Competition</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The first wave of media coverage on the competition inspired a range of public comments about Melbourne’s open space. For example, from the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/visions-of-utopia-lagoons-floating-pods-among-future-park-entries-20190929-p52vzc.html">online comments in The Age</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Royal Park is a massive area of underutilised space. Driving down Elliott Av it’s just an open wasteland. Grassland and scattered gum trees does not make a welcoming “park”.</p>
<p>How about bulldozing the eyesore known as Federation Square and putting a park in its place?</p>
<p>These designs forget to include the things that make it a Melbourne park, graffiti, vandalism, weeds and the homeless.</p>
<p>Architects and landscapers rarely, if ever, have a grasp on what will work for people … they are too busy trying to be creative, and not busy enough trying to make people happy.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What the public comments show us is that there is no single or obvious solution to our parks and public spaces. Some people like it busy, some people like the quiet. Some want European trees and others desire native plantings. It’s complicated, and each of these opinions make valid points. </p>
<p>Just like Yencken’s Greening of Swanston, there will always be debate about what makes good public space. And that is exactly why we need more radical ideas – some might call them “crazy” – for our cities.</p>
<p>We know the future of our cities will be complicated. Like it or not, there will be more people, a changing climate and increasing pressure on infrastructure and services. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-we-want-liveable-cities-in-2060-well-have-to-work-together-to-transform-urban-systems-119235">If we want liveable cities in 2060 we'll have to work together to transform urban systems</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Wicked problems call for radical thinking</h2>
<p>These messy issues are often described as <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-many-wicked-problems-how-science-policy-and-politics-can-work-together-8990">wicked problems</a>. Popular in public policy and management, the term is used to explain problems with debatable cause and effect. Critically, the lack of agreement about wicked problems produces conflicting goals towards resolution.</p>
<p>Obviously, we need science, governance and planning, but finding solutions to wicked problems will also require creativity and collaboration. We need debate and we need ideas that can expand our imagination about what our cities can be. This is why it is so important that the competition entries for the Future Park explore new and outrageous possibilities.</p>
<p>Ideas throughout the shortlisted entries include plans for a new NBN: the National Biodiversity Network, which creates ecological corridors across the country. Others propose transforming schools into parkland; parks designed for bees; designs that return darkness to our urban landscapes; and sculpting new islands as rising sea levels engulf our coastline.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296122/original/file-20191009-3910-wjyu19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296122/original/file-20191009-3910-wjyu19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296122/original/file-20191009-3910-wjyu19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296122/original/file-20191009-3910-wjyu19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296122/original/file-20191009-3910-wjyu19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296122/original/file-20191009-3910-wjyu19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296122/original/file-20191009-3910-wjyu19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296122/original/file-20191009-3910-wjyu19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Multi-deck parks: as cities grow and space becomes ever more precious, urban parks replace car parks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Future Park Design Ideas Competition</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As design solutions, these ideas reflect the challenges of our world today. While many of these schemes are technically, socially or economically unfeasible, they remind us of the power of thinking outside of the box. Importantly, the competition format puts all of these ideas together in one place for us to think about and discuss. </p>
<p>In Australia, we have a <a href="https://theconversation.com/architecture-competitions-are-risky-but-we-can-build-on-that-29476">limited culture of “open design competitions”</a> for either built projects or speculative solutions. But design competitions provide opportunities for new voices and discovering unexpected solutions within these wild ideas. </p>
<p>Radical ideas are important and so is having the freedom to voice them. Especially as a way of expanding the discussions we need to have about the challenging future.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/reshaping-sydney-by-design-few-know-about-the-mandatory-competitions-but-we-all-see-the-results-111839">Reshaping Sydney by design – few know about the mandatory competitions, but we all see the results</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>The Future Park competition winners will be announced on Friday, October 11, at the <a href="https://www.aila.org.au/imis_prod/TSATP/Home/TSATP/Default.aspx?hkey=39717070-b978-492a-b2d6-c59aab8cd866">2019 International Festival of Landscape Architecture</a> in Melbourne. The <a href="https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/be150/events/the-future-park-design-ideas-competition-the-square-and-the-park-exhibition">Future Park exhibition</a> is at Dulux Gallery, Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne, from October 4 to November 1.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124772/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Wendy Walls' PhD research was funded by the David Yencken Scholarship for Landscape Architecture and Ecological Sustainability.</span></em></p>Some might scoff at the free-ranging ideas sparked by a competition to design future parks for Melbourne. But the legacy of a radical idea to green a CBD street in 1985 shows why we need such thinking.Wendy Walls, Lecturer in Landscape Architecture, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1151552019-05-08T20:12:57Z2019-05-08T20:12:57ZWhy suburban parks offer an antidote to helicopter parenting<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273234/original/file-20190508-183100-1q28epz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Parks are places where children make their own decisions, explore their imaginations and expand their abilities. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/two-young-children-sitting-top-playground-65845672?src=wzf_cgRFbjTQcdkVCE069A-1-55">Daxiao Productions/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Well-designed suburban parks could be an antidote to helicopter parenting. As well as giving kids much-needed time outdoors being active, suburban parks offer kids opportunities to decide what activities they do, <a href="https://research.qut.edu.au/designlab/projects/intergenerational-park-design-for-active-and-engaged-communities/">new research</a> shows. It’s an ideal opportunity for parents to let go of their task-focused daily agendas, even if just for a little while. </p>
<p>Helicopter parenting, or intensive parenting, includes anticipating and solving children’s problems, limiting their risks and enrolling them in many structured activities. Yet this approach often <a href="https://link-springer-com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10826-014-0035-0.pdf">does not lead to positive outcomes for children </a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/too-much-love-helicopter-parents-could-be-raising-anxious-narcissistic-children-116182">Too much love: helicopter parents could be raising anxious, narcissistic children</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>For some families, letting kids take control of their activities is likely a shift from parents’ daily routines of continuously reminding children about chores, homework and bedtime. The constant list of tasks and rules can get tiring, leaving both frustrated and potentially resorting to unhealthy behaviours. Although some children can excel with a “highly driven schedule”, for many it can be a <a href="https://pediatrics-aappublications-org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/content/pediatrics/119/1/182.full.pdf">source of stress and anxiety</a>.</p>
<p>Play in general allows children to be imaginative and <a href="https://pediatrics-aappublications-org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/content/pediatrics/119/1/182.full.pdf">develop physical, cognitive, and emotional strength</a>. It’s especially true for unstructured free play. This may also offer parents a glimpse into their children’s world and enable them to provide nurturing guidance, instead of strict rules.</p>
<p>For <a href="https://research.qut.edu.au/designlab/projects/intergenerational-park-design-for-active-and-engaged-communities/">our research</a>, we interviewed adults visiting 12 parks within the Moreton Bay Regional Council area in Southeast Queensland, Australia. A total of 417 brief interviews were completed over four months during the 2017-18 summer.</p>
<h2>What has the research found?</h2>
<p>According to the parents, grandparents and caregivers interviewed, kids decide what to do when they go to a park. Many indicated they watch over or play with the children, but they let them make the decisions about their activities.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I take their lead. I just let them do what they want to do. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Some parents and caregivers said time at the park was “their time”, meaning the kids had free time to do what they pleased. “She’s the boss at the park,” one said. Playing in the park was a good opportunity for children to make decisions and simply enjoy themselves:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We’re here for them, so they can pretty much do what they want. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>As a mostly unstructured activity, visiting a park is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to allow children to make independent decisions in a relatively controlled and contained environment, which allows for some risk-taking and experimentation. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273232/original/file-20190508-183077-12cri6l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273232/original/file-20190508-183077-12cri6l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273232/original/file-20190508-183077-12cri6l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273232/original/file-20190508-183077-12cri6l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273232/original/file-20190508-183077-12cri6l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273232/original/file-20190508-183077-12cri6l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273232/original/file-20190508-183077-12cri6l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273232/original/file-20190508-183077-12cri6l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Equipment that enables children to take small risks may help extend their skills and self-confidence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-little-twin-sisters-jumping-off-1177939816?src=wzf_cgRFbjTQcdkVCE069A-1-5">Jacob Lund/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, safety is still a concern. It was clear from the adults interviewed that children could do what they would like “as long as it’s safe”. As one parent stated:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The kids [decide], unless, of course, they go and try and climb up on that stupid thing. I’ll say, get down, let’s not break an arm today.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What makes for an appealing park?</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273235/original/file-20190508-183106-1vspdp3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273235/original/file-20190508-183106-1vspdp3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273235/original/file-20190508-183106-1vspdp3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273235/original/file-20190508-183106-1vspdp3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273235/original/file-20190508-183106-1vspdp3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273235/original/file-20190508-183106-1vspdp3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=788&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273235/original/file-20190508-183106-1vspdp3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=788&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273235/original/file-20190508-183106-1vspdp3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=788&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A wide variety of equipment helps ensure children don’t get bored.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/little-girl-playing-playground-outdoors-summer-666202231?src=Cm1-AFYH_Xfm2jn2yvnrdw-1-39">ilkercelik/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Not all parks are created equal, nor do they all attract local residents. Playgrounds were the primary areas of the parks where children actively played (82%), followed by sports fields (17%) and pathways (14%). </p>
<p>Offering many different playing opportunities was an important characteristic of a park, participants suggested. A wide variety of equipment helps maintain children’s attention and interest, which prevents them from getting bored. </p>
<p>Some parents also suggested a variety of options allowed children to attempt a range of physical skills and provided enough space to run around, move and expend energy. As one parent said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I know that we’ve taken them to playgrounds and parks before when there’s only been two or three different things to play on. He gets bored in half an hour. Whereas here he’s quite content just roaming around. Different activities, different swings, climbing apparatus and different colours are always good things as well. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Equipment that requires children to take small risks, which parents can oversee, may help extend children’s skills and self-confidence. For example, climbing was one of the skills that adults “taught” the children while at the park. This enabled children to develop gross motor skills and weigh up risks. </p>
<p>Creating parks for a range of ages is important, as is providing variety for each age group. These findings represent a small portion of a larger study on designing suburban parks for groups of all ages. One of the goals is design recommendations for parks that better meet the needs of all ages for healthy, active living.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115155/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Debra Flanders Cushing received funding from the Australian Research Council for this project. Partners on this project include QUT, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Conrad Gargett, Playscape Creations, 7 Senses Foundation, the National Wellness Institute of Australia and the National Heart Foundation of Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janelle MacKenzie received funding from the Australian Research Council for this project. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laurie Buys receives funding from the Australian Research Council for this project.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stewart Trost receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Queensland Children's Hospital Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tracy Lynn Washington receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Transport Main Roads. She is affiliated with the National Wellness Institute, Australia. </span></em></p>Parents are more willing to let children do their own thing in parks. It’s a chance for children to make their own decisions, explore their abilities and imaginations, and weigh up risks.Debra Flanders Cushing, Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture, Queensland University of TechnologyJanelle MacKenzie, Research Project Officer, School of Design, Queensland University of TechnologyLaurie Buys, Professor, Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of TechnologyStewart Trost, Professor of Physical Activity and Health, Queensland University of TechnologyTracy Sherwood Washington, Lecturer and Researcher in Urban and Regional Planning, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1140492019-04-12T10:40:05Z2019-04-12T10:40:05ZCivic crowdfunding reduces the risk of ‘bikelash’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268873/original/file-20190411-44818-bk86ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Downtown Seattle's busy, protected bike lanes</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdot_photos/15157758178/in/photolist-p6rtqf-p6qT3j-p6qRU7-p6qRw3-e8AmuT-23sKrPg-6rWMnd-REkogH-doqiNA-a5HFcB-a5LwPQ-a5HEir-a5LwL5-a5Lx29-a5HEnH-a5Lwkf-pnUbAY-aqKjWZ-p6qVym-p6qSGu-pnDtEr-pkTLhU-doqiLq-pkTHGJ-pnVJM2-oiSWfS-dopTiJ-doqaAF-KLQ258-2fkBUxg-pnVQxk-doqj1q-dopHTX-dopJ38-a5LxCN-p6rwzw-9T7tLr-ZyEzj6-SE7WuN-doqbtt-doqbXv-9UEKRd-9Rhajt-dWT8ur-aDoe8b-PSAhLE-j4TYe4-doqaMc-cHTZcw-doqc6i">Seattle Department of Transportation</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/bike-share-companies-are-transforming-us-cities-and-theyre-just-getting-started-95267">Bike-sharing</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/bike-share-companies-are-transforming-us-cities-and-theyre-just-getting-started-95267">dockless bike</a> ventures are spreading as <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/02/11/walking-and-biking-are-hurt-by-lack-of-national-leadership-report/">more people get around on two wheels</a>. Cyclists, planners, environmentalists and others are excited to see these initiatives thrive. </p>
<p>At the same time, there are reasons for concern. Nearly <a href="http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/178248.aspx">800 American cyclists</a> died in 2017 after being hit by cars or trucks. Those fatalities were <a href="https://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/pedestrians-and-bicyclists/fatalityfacts/bicycles/2017">up 25%</a> from 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. </p>
<p>I’ve learned two things from accidentally becoming a <a href="https://gpc.stanford.edu/kate-gasparro">bike lane expert</a> through my research on community engagement. Transportation experts and bike enthusiasts agree that building more “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21650020.2014.955210">protected bike lanes</a>,” which physically separate motorized vehicle and bike traffic with planters, curbs, parked cars or posts, are a good way to reduce some of these risks. And it looks like <a href="https://www.fundable.com/learn/resources/guides/crowdfunding/what-is-crowdfunding">crowdfunding</a>, raising money collectively and online, helps ensure that local communities will welcome this infrastructure.</p>
<h2>Bikelash</h2>
<p>There are nearly <a href="https://peopleforbikes.org/green-lane-project/inventory-protected-bike-lanes/">550 U.S. protected bike lanes</a>, most of them built since 2013. Not everyone is cheering, though. Many communities have rejected the new lanes, due to hostility toward cycling and cyclists known as “<a href="https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2014/09/why-bike-lovers-should-be-happy-about-bikelash/380219/">bikelash</a>.” </p>
<p>Consider what occurred with the four-block-long <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_28898059/decrying-vitriol-boulder-council-decides-folsom-will-return">Folsom Street</a> protected bicycle lane in <a href="https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/as-other-cities-build-protected-bike-lanes-boulder-plans-a-rollback/">Boulder, Colorado</a>. Even though the city of more than 100,000 people is among the nation’s most <a href="https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a23676188/best-bike-cities-2018/">bike-friendly</a>, <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_29117964/boulders-right-sizing-reversal-how-folsom-re-alignment">residents objected</a> to the project over the heavier traffic it caused and shortcomings in the public comment process.</p>
<p>The opposition grew so strong that the authorities felt compelled to dismantle it only <a href="https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/as-other-cities-build-protected-bike-lanes-boulder-plans-a-rollback/">11 weeks after it was built</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268654/original/file-20190410-2905-1cv6ekn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268654/original/file-20190410-2905-1cv6ekn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268654/original/file-20190410-2905-1cv6ekn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268654/original/file-20190410-2905-1cv6ekn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268654/original/file-20190410-2905-1cv6ekn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268654/original/file-20190410-2905-1cv6ekn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268654/original/file-20190410-2905-1cv6ekn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268654/original/file-20190410-2905-1cv6ekn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bikelash signs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ubrayj02/8595945065/in/photostream/">Umberto Brayj/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Folsom protected bike lane’s demise was no anomaly. Since 2015, similar objections have also toppled protected bike lanes in <a href="https://www.cityofsanrafael.org/tamalpais-ave-closed-saturday-6-2-for-removal-of-bike-lane/">San Rafael, California</a>, <a href="https://bikeportland.org/2018/02/21/protestors-make-show-of-force-against-odots-unnecessary-removal-of-26th-avenue-bike-lanes-268980">Portland, Oregon</a>, and Manhattan’s <a href="https://patch.com/new-york/washington-heights-inwood/new-dyckman-street-bike-lanes-could-be-removed-report-says">Washington Heights</a> neighborhood. </p>
<p>I’ve found that many places that have avoided bikelash as they roll out new protected bike lanes have something in common: a creative approach to <a href="https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/philadelphia-cites-safety-data-for-bike-plan-decisions">cultivating public support</a>. Instead of encouraging residents to attend public meetings, city officials and local civic groups are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17450101.2017.1408950">meeting community members where they live and work</a>. </p>
<h2>Civic crowdfunding</h2>
<p><a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2434615">Civic crowdfunding</a> has become a popular approach for engaging communities affected by local infrastructure projects, including protected bike lanes. It’s a good way for local governments to choose where <a href="https://www.raisethehammer.org/article/2124/high_quality_cycling_infrastructure_saves_money">relatively low-cost</a> but potentially controversial infrastructure belongs. Going this route means that the authorities can back projects that have already attracted some dollars and public support.</p>
<p>Also known as community-focused crowdfunding or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444814558914">hyperlocal crowdfunding</a>, it allows community organizations to raise funds for local infrastructure projects from residents and community members. This approach has helped to build neighborhood parks, community centers and protected bike lanes for the past decade.</p>
<p>The practice took off when ioby.org – the first civic crowdfunding platform – launched in 2009. Since then, the thousands of <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2434615">civic crowdfunding campaigns</a> launched around the world on that platform and similar ones like Patronicity.com and Spacehive.com have raised over US$50 million, according to my calculations. </p>
<p>During a <a href="https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/S0163-786X20180000042010">four-year study of civic crowdfunding</a>, I found that this collective fundraising technique has been used to support projects like protected bike lanes in non-monetary ways, such as building consensus. This is often a primary motivation for starting the campaign. The buy-in that crowdfunding brings about often proves far more valuable than any help paying the tab.</p>
<p>This happens because community organizations engage community members around the project. They convene discussions about the project in <a href="https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/the-summer-of-demos-one-day-protected-bike-lanes-sweep-across-america/">public spaces</a> and at <a href="http://www.hydefoundation.org/news/2013/11/01/memphis-mayor-joins-efforts-to-build-hampline-bike-path.693746">local businesses</a>. During these events, nearby residents become acquainted with the proposed plans and voice their concerns before it’s too late to change course.</p>
<h2>Public engagement</h2>
<p>This strategy worked well in Denver. Colorado’s biggest city, 30 miles southeast of Boulder, built its <a href="https://denver.streetsblog.org/2015/12/03/mayor-hancock-cuts-ribbon-on-parking-protected-bike-lanes-promises-3-more/">Arapahoe Street</a> protected bike lane after the Folsom Street debacle – heeding what it saw happen there.</p>
<p>Instead of holding a short public comment period, community organizations engaged residents and business owners early in the design process. This made a huge difference. The Downtown Denver Partnership, a local business group, initiated the project based on what it had <a href="https://www.ioby.org/project/arapahoe-street-protected-bike-lane">heard from business leaders</a>. To build on this public support, it launched a <a href="https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/qa-lessons-from-denvers-crowdfunded-bike-lane-success/">crowdfunding campaign</a> to cover $35,000 of the design costs.</p>
<p>“Our mission wasn’t just to raise money for this bike lane,” explained the Partnership’s <a href="https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/qa-lessons-from-denvers-crowdfunded-bike-lane-success/">Aylene McCallum</a>. “Our mission was to build a community that supported this. Our mission was to build advocates in the business community and in the larger community.”</p>
<p>As part of this effort, the group engaged local businesses and residents about the Arapahoe protected bike lane. This allowed the community to debate the project’s design and impacts. The group worked with city officials to redesign parts of the project to address the concerns that surfaced, such as parking spot removals and access routes. This consensus-building exercise seems to have <a href="https://denver.streetsblog.org/2017/07/24/of-course-the-lawrence-and-arapahoe-protected-bike-lanes-made-ridership-soar/">staved off bikelash</a> so far.</p>
<p>People who live nearby have championed Denver’s protected bike lanes, often <a href="http://thingsinbikelanesdenver.com/">alerting city officials to any issues</a> that arise, such as parked cars intruding into the lanes or damaged posts.</p>
<p>Similar civic crowdfunding strategies have worked in <a href="https://www.mlive.com/business/2017/05/patronicity_medc_crowdfunding.html">various Michigan locales</a> and <a href="https://www.locavesting.com/spotlight/los-angeles-taps-community-and-crowfunding-to-transform-its-streets/">Los Angeles</a>. In these cases, government officials have themselves launched these initiatives to rally support for local infrastructure projects. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1115353181494628353"}"></div></p>
<h2>Role of wealth</h2>
<p>But, does this strategy have built-in equity issues?</p>
<p>After all, you might assume that only rich people can crowdfund infrastructure or that these projects will only take off in wealthy areas. So far, that does not appear to be the case. Civic crowdfunding tends to pay for only a small portion of what’s needed, raising less than 5% of the budget for projects like protected bicycle lanes.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/memphis-is-about-to-build-the-countrys-first-crowdfunded-bike-lane/">Memphis</a>, for example, crowdfunding raised nearly $70,000 for a protected bike lane. That covered only 1% of <a href="https://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2014/feb/27/hampline-recalls-overton-park-interstate-plans/">total project costs</a> of the 2013 project, which served one of the city’s lowest-income neighborhoods. The crowdfunded dollars helped rally community support and attracted even more money for the project. </p>
<p>Letting communities vote with their dollars isn’t just about budgets. It is much more about letting local residents and businesses know early on about the project and allowing them to participate in a meaningful way.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/114049/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Gasparro receives funding from the National Science Foundation, </span></em></p>This collective fundraising technique helps defuse anti-cyclist sentiment before it dooms protected bike lanes and other new infrastructure.Kate Gasparro, Graduate Research Fellow of Sustainable Design and Construction, Stanford UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1116152019-03-24T17:48:35Z2019-03-24T17:48:35ZWorn, uneven, flooded: young people need better parks to get out and play<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263335/original/file-20190312-86686-108gg3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C0%2C3970%2C2652&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Poor quality and access are common barriers to young people using parks.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source"> FamVeld/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Who wants to play sport in the mud and muck? Or have to climb a fence to play? </p>
<p>After an observational, private audit of the condition of Sydney sports facilities, we found that these are the types of choices young people face. To engage more young people in sport, we need to create environments that are youth-centred in terms of quality and accessibility.</p>
<p>Our audit found the quality of almost all of the 26 parks in Sydney’s inner west was substandard.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-sporting-nation-is-a-myth-so-how-do-we-get-youngsters-back-on-the-field-78186">Our 'sporting nation' is a myth, so how do we get youngsters back on the field?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Toilet blocks were usually dirty, if available for use at all. Most playing fields were grassy, but with patches of dirt, worn areas and uneven surfaces with no proper water drainage. In many cases, painted lines were badly worn or missing. Court surfaces were in similar disrepair. </p>
<p>But a recent survey of 1,100 people aged 9-17 from the same area suggests design factors related to access, rather than poor-quality facilities, are even greater barriers to sport participation.</p>
<h2>Designing better accessibility</h2>
<p>We usually think of access in terms of disabled and elderly community members. But urban, neighbourhood and park design affect accessibility for every demographic. Access related to the cost of sport has been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029211000744">well studied</a> and recently addressed in New South Wales with the <a href="https://sport.nsw.gov.au/sectordevelopment/activekids">voucher program</a>, but the design aspects are equally important. </p>
<p>These include: public transport options, location, range of sports, adaptability to weather, lighting and after-dark security, and provision for the sports young people want to play. </p>
<p>Our research confirms the importance of accessibility. Of the survey respondents who were active, 77% said they play at a neighbourhood park, with 72% reporting they walk there.</p>
<p>But 52.2% said they cannot play the sport they’d like in their local area. And 64% reported that where they play is not accessible for unstructured play. </p>
<h2>The state of Sydney’s parks</h2>
<p>Most public sport facilities in Sydney’s inner west are located in public parks. While greenery around these sports fields and courts makes the environment more attractive, it’s more costly to maintain sport facilities than green space. With limited funds available, councils must prioritise. Since everyone can enjoy the greenery, funds usually go there first.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263800/original/file-20190314-123541-z6tipg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263800/original/file-20190314-123541-z6tipg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263800/original/file-20190314-123541-z6tipg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263800/original/file-20190314-123541-z6tipg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263800/original/file-20190314-123541-z6tipg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263800/original/file-20190314-123541-z6tipg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263800/original/file-20190314-123541-z6tipg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263800/original/file-20190314-123541-z6tipg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Patches of dirt, worn areas and uneven surfaces are common in the sport facilities in Sydney’s inner west.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Almost all the parks we audited were largely without fencing or other barriers, which means that, in theory, anyone can use them at any time. Yet many young people complained about fenced and locked facilities, and fields dominated by club programs.</p>
<p>And while our audit found park maintenance to be below standard, most of the young people surveyed didn’t think so: 70% reported the place where they play is clean; 64% said it is well maintained; and 67% said it is safe. </p>
<p>This discrepancy suggests a difference between objective measures of quality and people’s experience of a place.</p>
<h2>Design issues</h2>
<p>Both perceived quality of and access to the environment can affect <a href="https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1479-5868-3-19">physical activity</a>, and our data suggest access is more important for young people. </p>
<p>Being close to residential areas and public transport are important design features. To maximise use, parks and sport facilities must be integrated into neighbourhoods, rather than placed on their edges.</p>
<p>But of the 26 parks we studied only five had adequate public transport access. Five had no public transport access whatsoever. Many were on the edge, rather than in the middle, of a residential neighbourhood.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pay-to-play-is-participating-in-sport-becoming-too-expensive-for-everyday-australians-101826">Pay to play: is participating in sport becoming too expensive for everyday Australians?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Facilities also tend to accommodate only one or two sports. This may mean they’re being underused and not attracting families with children of different ages or different sport interests. </p>
<p>Another related design issue is the lack of facilities that accommodate the weather. There are very few artificial fields and too many fields sited on floodplains. Only a handful of sport areas are covered to allow for play in bad weather. This was reflected in our survey, as only 36% of young people said they can play sport in any weather. </p>
<h2>Parks don’t accommodate free play</h2>
<p>Around half of all respondents participated in highly structured coach-led practice at least twice a week and 67.5% engaged in unstructured play for the same amount of time. This shows our parks and green spaces need to be designed for both structured sport and unstructured free play. But designs for unstructured free play are usually directed at young children not adolescents. </p>
<p>And although the audit found footpaths and parking lots were generally well lit, few sports fields had adequate lighting for play at night. Giving teenagers in particular, who are burdened with homework and time constraints, the opportunity to play at almost any hour should increase use.</p>
<p>So what would an ideal sports facility look like? </p>
<p>It would be located in the middle of a neighbourhood with several bus lines and other public transport stops connecting there for better access. Many different sports would be available. It would include a cafe for parents to hang out in and a playground for children who are too young to play sport. </p>
<p>Most importantly, it would be well maintained and beautifully designed so that people would want to be there.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/electronic-games-how-much-is-too-much-for-kids-80396">Electronic games: how much is too much for kids?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111615/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An observational audit found almost all of the parks in Sydney’s inner west were substandard. But perhaps even more important was the issue of access.Deborah Ascher Barnstone, Professor, Associate Head of School, School of Architecture, University of Technology SydneyFiona Brooks, Professor of Public Health, Associate Dean Research, University of Technology SydneyJob Fransen, Senior Lecturer in Skill Acquisition and Motor Control, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/954412018-05-28T19:56:23Z2018-05-28T19:56:23ZThe public barbie, an Aussie icon frozen in time<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220400/original/file-20180525-117628-clgi7c.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A public barbecue in Lyndhurst, New South Wales, does the job but could be so much better.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Public_barbecues_in_Australia#/media/File:Lyndhurst_Capital_Park_BBQ_001.JPG">Mattinbgn/Wikimedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Boxing Day, Australia Day, birthdays and other significant cultural or religious celebrations, many of us gather in parks to celebrate with family and friends. Certain locations are coveted – people arrive at the crack of dawn to claim a good spot for the day. Often, what makes it a good spot is that it has a barbecue.</p>
<p>If we take a closer look at the typical public park barbecue, we see a design that represents an iconic and celebrated Australian culinary institution, the barbie. The quintessence of Aussie lifestyle and culture – Crocodile Dundee, the Leyland Brothers, blokes in singlets and thongs clutching stubbies – it’s a symbol of our relaxed outdoor lifestyle in the “Lucky Country”, but that was yesterday!</p>
<p>Today the cultural landscape has changed and our population presents a richer, more colourful picture. And so does our food. Halal, kosher, vegetarian, raw, paleo, vegan, gluten-free and other diets, together with different styles of cooking, are now common. </p>
<p>Yet how do we cater for them outdoors? Most public parks offer only an electric barbecue accompanied by picnic settings a few metres away to prepare, cook and enjoy this food. This sort of facility now seems quaint and limited. </p>
<h2>What do we want from a modern barbie?</h2>
<p>So how could we improve the humble barbie? To answer that question, we need to think about why it’s needed and how it’s used. </p>
<p>Parks provide a natural setting for large gatherings, which are hard to have in small city flats. There is simply not enough space indoors for everyone to feel relaxed and comfortable, especially when the gatherings are large, the weather is hot, and active children, or even pets, are involved. </p>
<p>If it’s a significant event, it’s likely to involve special food – part of the celebration is preparing, cooking and eating the festive dishes. This usually causes plenty of stress for the host. There’s the washing up, the cleaning, dealing with the rubbish, not to mention the risk of a big, boisterous gathering upsetting the neighbours.</p>
<p>But moving from a well-equipped house and kitchen to the park doesn’t solve all of the host’s problems. For a start, a vital feature for hygienic food preparation – access to clean water – is often missing. </p>
<p>When preparing food, the washing of food and hands is a critical health requirement. It is part of legislated environmental health <a href="http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/industry/safetystandards/Pages/default.aspx">guidelines for commercial food venues</a>. When we offer barbecue facilities to the public why don’t we routinely provide a working tap, sink and drain? </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220401/original/file-20180525-51091-ez465.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220401/original/file-20180525-51091-ez465.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220401/original/file-20180525-51091-ez465.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=704&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220401/original/file-20180525-51091-ez465.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=704&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220401/original/file-20180525-51091-ez465.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=704&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220401/original/file-20180525-51091-ez465.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=884&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220401/original/file-20180525-51091-ez465.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=884&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220401/original/file-20180525-51091-ez465.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=884&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Getting better: the barbecues at Montrose Park, Brisbane, have taps, but who is meant to use that ground-level basin?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Montrose_Park,_Brisbane_03.jpg">kgbo/Wikimedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Then, of course, there is the barbecue itself. Why, over all these years, has the barbie not evolved? Despite some recent developments, these are invisible to the user and cater to maintenance requirements with digital diagnostic capabilities.</p>
<p>Most current iterations still look institutional and outdated. Attempts have been made to revise the design. <a href="https://dachristie.com/barbecues/disabled-accessible-barbecues/">Christie Parksafe Barbecue</a> has even received a Good Design Award. Yet we still don’t have other outdoor cooking options – for example, imagine what a difference public microwaves or ovens, kettles or even sandwich makers could make.</p>
<p>Getting the barbie going is another issue. The coin slot or on switch is usually located on a vertical panel below the cooking surface. To find it, one has to bend down and perhaps even read the instructions. </p>
<p>Once the button is pressed, how do we know if this thing is working? There might be a little light that comes on, but it can be hard to see in the glare of the sun. And this awkwardly placed interface is of mission-critical importance for success on those days out with friends and family. </p>
<p>We could certainly develop other ways ways to communicate barbecues’ working status, as well as their availability by allowing people to book them for a certain time. This could help take some of the stress out of the big day – people would at least know the cooking side of things is sorted! </p>
<h2>We can do so much more with public places</h2>
<p>The argument that the public can’t be trusted, that “they” destroy everything, is an excuse we should refuse to accept. It is too easy to blame our compatriots or the young. After all, did we not teach them and raise them? </p>
<p>In any case, if something is broken, it should be able to be fixed – quickly. <a href="http://www.jcdecaux.com/partners/cleaning-maintenance">JCDecaux</a> is a good example in this regard. </p>
<p>There’s also the question of where barbecues are available. Why are they confined to parks and nature reserves? Our increasingly dense cities also have this need. What about plazas and other public spaces?</p>
<p>Placing domestic-style objects into public spaces can transform them. Gretchen Coombs, in Inside out: When objects inhabit the streets, <a href="https://www.academia.edu/28136676/Inside_Out_when_objects_inhabit_the_streets.pdf">observes</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The sidewalk where Swaine keeps his [sewing] machine cultivates a social ritual for the residents … and influences the tenor of the streets … giving way to a sense of ownership and belonging of the space he creates and the provisional public that forms.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Cooking and food preparation go together with behaviours like phone use, charging, washing utensils, short-term storing of equipment, hanging things up for drying, keeping things away from children and dogs, hanging up festive decorations, lighting and so on. UNSW industrial design students came up with an innovative barbecue that includes a sink, options to place and store things while cooking, shade and illumination at night, as well as a places to perch, charge your phone, and park your surfboard.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220541/original/file-20180527-117628-1a987eo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220541/original/file-20180527-117628-1a987eo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220541/original/file-20180527-117628-1a987eo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220541/original/file-20180527-117628-1a987eo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220541/original/file-20180527-117628-1a987eo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220541/original/file-20180527-117628-1a987eo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220541/original/file-20180527-117628-1a987eo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220541/original/file-20180527-117628-1a987eo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">UNSW industrial design student concept for a public barbecue facility.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">I. Diaz, J. Sariaatmadja, C. Li, F. Chen, J. Wilandouwat, Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Innovative product design solutions can service culturally and socially diverse users, which includes catering for public food preparation and consumption. Developing outdoor facilities, similar to an informal outdoor common room, can extend the domestic realm. We should be aiming for an amenity that allows us to carry out quasi-domestic activities and have access to utilities in public. </p>
<p>And creating a healthier and more liveable urban environment helps residents engage with each other, which in turn fosters a shared sense of belonging, trust and well-being.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95441/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christian Tietz is the Co-Chief Investigator for the Smart Social Spaces research project funded by The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.</span></em></p>The need for public cooking facilities has long been recognised, but why has the basic public barbecue failed to evolve along with Australians, their lifestyles and the foods they eat?Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/952902018-05-07T20:10:17Z2018-05-07T20:10:17ZTweet all about it – people in parks feel more positive<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216802/original/file-20180430-135817-100jub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C70%2C3581%2C1785&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Being in a park tends to make people feel more positive, although the time of day and the season also affect their moods.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-use-mobile-phone-countryside-1073482613?src=csbOCN4JjkFr3qRhpSDxHA-2-3">leungchopan/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>People in parks are more positive, and around areas like major transport hubs more negative, according to our analysis of 2.2 million tweets in Melbourne.</p>
<p><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/limkwanhui/publications/2018-WWW-greenspaceStudy.pdf">Our research</a> combines social media, such as Twitter, and big data analytics, tied to real time and place, to develop understanding of the well-being benefits of city parks. <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/limkwanhui/publications/2018-WWW-greenspaceStudy.pdf">The analysis</a> shows that tweets in parks contain more positive content (and less negativity) than in built-up areas. For built-up areas in general, negativity is often associated with major transport hubs, perhaps unsurprisingly, and residential areas.</p>
<p>Around the world we are seeking to improve the <a href="https://www.healthybydesignsa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Green-Spaces-Evidence-Review-FINAL_website.pdf">well-being of people living in cities</a>. One way we do this is by providing public access to natural green spaces such as parks. But how do we assess the benefits and identify which parks, and which elements of a park, best promote well-being?</p>
<p>To date, researchers have examined the well-being benefits of parks using intrusive questionnaires, interviews and physiological <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204611003665">tests</a> (e.g. skin conductance, heart rate). We now have <a href="https://networkedsociety.unimelb.edu.au/research/projects/2016/urban-green-spaces/social-networks-urban-green-spaces">technology</a>, including smartphones, apps and social media posts, that we can use to observe these benefits in detail, across very large scales. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216984/original/file-20180501-135848-e8w70c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216984/original/file-20180501-135848-e8w70c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216984/original/file-20180501-135848-e8w70c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216984/original/file-20180501-135848-e8w70c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216984/original/file-20180501-135848-e8w70c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216984/original/file-20180501-135848-e8w70c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216984/original/file-20180501-135848-e8w70c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216984/original/file-20180501-135848-e8w70c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A lot of people send a lot of messages and analysis of these can tell us about the impact of their surroundings on how they feel.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanh1/9546522671">Dun.can/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our findings add to the evidence that parks are important for creating smarter, healthier and more liveable cities. </p>
<h2>How do we measure well-being in parks?</h2>
<p>Hundreds of millions of people around the world use Twitter for updating their family, friends and followers about their daily activities, thoughts and feelings. People sometimes post public tweets that are linked to the location they are sending from. The words in each tweet can be analysed for their emotional content (referred to as sentiment).</p>
<p>Sentiment analysis categorises each word as positive, negative or neutral, to give an overall score for each tweet. We averaged tweets across the parks that they were posted from, to give an overall positivity/negativity score for each park. </p>
<p>On average, tweets by people in parks express more joy, anticipation and trust, and lower levels of anger and fear, compared to tweets by people in built-up areas. Being near parks also reduced negativity, but did not affect positivity. </p>
<h2>Do time of day and seasons have an effect?</h2>
<p>Each tweet is tagged with the time it’s posted. Tweet sentiment scores can also be averaged across specific periods, such as hour, day or month. Beyond the general positive effects of parks compared to built-up areas, we found some general patterns that show people tend to be influenced by the time they are tweeting.</p>
<p>Across the day, from lunch to the end of the work day, people tended to express less and less positivity, before bouncing back in the evening. This change seems to mirror general schooling and working life – that is, <a href="http://www.uvm.edu/%7Ecdanfort/press/Science-2011-Miller-1814-5.pdf">how people experience and recover from their work</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216987/original/file-20180501-135844-181844i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216987/original/file-20180501-135844-181844i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216987/original/file-20180501-135844-181844i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=751&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216987/original/file-20180501-135844-181844i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=751&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216987/original/file-20180501-135844-181844i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=751&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216987/original/file-20180501-135844-181844i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=944&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216987/original/file-20180501-135844-181844i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=944&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216987/original/file-20180501-135844-181844i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=944&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Spending a warm day off in the park certainly seems to lift people’s mood.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnloo/14928176288">John Loo/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Similarly, there is a general pattern of people being more positive on weekends than weekdays. While this pattern is similar for both parks and built-up areas, parks seem more positive than built-up areas regardless of the day of week.</p>
<p>Across seasons, from warmer months to cooler months, people tended to express more positivity in parks. Positivity seems to improve steadily from May to December, as we move from winter to summer in Australia. In contrast, built-up areas do not seem to show any clear patterns. </p>
<h2>Why are people happier in parks?</h2>
<p>People <a href="http://parkrxamerica.org/pdf/Hartig-2016-Living-in-cities-naturally.pdf">might be happier in parks</a> for several reasons. Parks can help them to recover from the stress and mental strain of living in cities, and provide a place to exercise, meet other people, or host special events such as music festivals.</p>
<p>We need to do more research to help us understand the effect of park features. For example, being green with lots of vegetation is likely related to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophilia_hypothesis">biophilia</a>. And how do the effects differ when parks are used as settings for particular activities? </p>
<p>We know parks are great places, but we are still working out exactly why they’re great. Knowing more about this will help us make even better parks. Making the best use of public open space and green space is <a href="http://indicators.report/indicators/i-70/">really important</a> as more and more people live in cities around the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95290/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kwan Hui Lim receives funding from Melbourne Networked Society Institute and Defence Science and Technology Group.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dave Kendal receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the federal Department of the Environment, the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, the City of Melbourne, the Melbourne Networked Society Institute and the Glenelg Hopkins and Corangamite Catchment Management Authorities. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Lee receives funding from the the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program through the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub, the Melbourne Networked Society Institute, Horticulture Innovation Australia, the Upper Stony Creek Transformation Consortium, and Parks Victoria. </span></em></p>The positive mood of tweets varies with time of day and season, but it’s consistently higher in parks than in built-up areas, where people are more likely to express anger and fears.Kwan Hui Lim, Research Fellow, The University of MelbourneDave Kendal, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management, University of TasmaniaKate Lee, Research fellow, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/871722017-12-05T19:21:54Z2017-12-05T19:21:54ZPeople love parklets, and businesses can help make them happen<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197509/original/file-20171204-5424-qf1n3z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Wray Avenue Solar Parklet by Seedesign Studio is in Fremantle. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jean-Paul Horré</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As councils across Australia strive to enhance their <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/healthy-liveable-cities-44685">liveability</a>, parklets are proving popular among city communities. A poll of 300-plus citizens gathered for the inaugural Perth City Summit in August found parklets are the street activation people would most like to see. But why are they so desirable?</p>
<p>San Francisco is central to the parklet story. In 2005, the design collective <a href="http://rebargroup.org/">Rebar</a> turned a parking space into a “park” for two hours as a comment on the use and control of public space in the city. This was followed in 2006 by the installation of more than 40 temporary parks for <a href="http://parkingday.org/">PARK(ing) Day</a>, now an annual international event. </p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-day-for-turning-parking-spaces-into-pop-up-parks-65164">A day for turning parking spaces into pop-up parks</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>By 2010, San Francisco had introduced a policy to help create parklets. This has set an important precedent for parklet policies in Australia and internationally.</p>
<p>There are now more than 50 parklets across San Francisco. According to its <a href="http://pavementtoparks.org/">Pavements to Parks</a> program, these parklets have “appeared … under the sponsorship of nonprofits, small businesses, neighborhood groups, and others”. </p>
<p>This account conveys a strong sense of democracy and accessibility: anyone can install a parklet in their city, and apparently many do. The Deepistan National Parklet (aka “the Deeplet”), the parklet installed by Deep Jawa outside his home in the Mission District, is a celebrated example.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197502/original/file-20171204-5381-1d3jxg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197502/original/file-20171204-5381-1d3jxg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197502/original/file-20171204-5381-1d3jxg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197502/original/file-20171204-5381-1d3jxg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197502/original/file-20171204-5381-1d3jxg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197502/original/file-20171204-5381-1d3jxg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197502/original/file-20171204-5381-1d3jxg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197502/original/file-20171204-5381-1d3jxg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Deepistan parklet is a celebrated example created by a community-minded individual.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ari/9899826405">Steve Rhodes/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197504/original/file-20171204-5392-1i6dzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197504/original/file-20171204-5392-1i6dzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197504/original/file-20171204-5392-1i6dzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197504/original/file-20171204-5392-1i6dzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197504/original/file-20171204-5392-1i6dzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197504/original/file-20171204-5392-1i6dzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197504/original/file-20171204-5392-1i6dzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197504/original/file-20171204-5392-1i6dzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/markhogan/6342797343/in/photolist-cSxoUj-oiLKhp-oiLJjn-oyepLE-oiLL5X-oC24uz-oAewcQ-oA4izh-g5Pxxr-g5PmK4-g5PJg9-g5PD1w-cw3iB5-cSxv7d-fik1aM-fAoeeo-cSxqz9-cSxtWW-ae8M3Y-cSxgAW-cSxuv7-cSxkXm-cSxuN5-dh1GEn-dh1GpD-cSxsjY-ayQJn6-cSxsVU-aEuuzV-ayQJjZ-ayQJpB-anPFwN-dpBGWK-aEuuET-as3qhq-arZMWp-dh1GxP-cEDKbu-aaVBBb-arZNr4-arZT1n-UTTLxW-dgSksz-dpBRLC-oAeuHC-ecFQx5-dpBHvp-dpBSn9-aBPZR9-arZNCK">Mark Hogan/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The neglected role of business</h2>
<p>We hear much less about the businesses behind parklets. Cafes, bakeries, bars and pizza shops have installed almost all of the 50-plus parklets in San Francisco. Deepistan is exceptional not merely for its topiary dinosaur but for its non-commercial nature. </p>
<p>This is not surprising, since the proponent pays for installation and maintenance. And the costs are significant (typically these can be well over A$20,000).</p>
<p>The term “parklet” can be traced to San Francisco (it was coined by City planner Andres Power as a catchier name for Rebar’s proposed “walklet”). But there are many other precedents for the intervention itself. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197505/original/file-20171204-5385-pc1w30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197505/original/file-20171204-5385-pc1w30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197505/original/file-20171204-5385-pc1w30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197505/original/file-20171204-5385-pc1w30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197505/original/file-20171204-5385-pc1w30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197505/original/file-20171204-5385-pc1w30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197505/original/file-20171204-5385-pc1w30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197505/original/file-20171204-5385-pc1w30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rebar’s temporary parklet in 2005, the first of many to show vividly how much space we set aside for private cars.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Perhaps the most obvious, given the strong connection between parklets and cafes, is the long-standing use of footpaths and roadways as restaurant dining areas. The <a href="https://www.vanscafe.com.au/whats-new/2017/10/3/happy-1st-birthday-to-our-parklet">parklet outside Vans Cafe</a> in Cottesloe, for example, was approved under an <a href="https://ablis.business.gov.au/service/wa/permit-for-an-outdoor-eating-area-in-a-street-or-public-place-alfresco-dining-/19265">alfresco dining licence</a>. Converting a parking space into a sitting space is hardly revolutionary.</p>
<p>Yet advocates of parklets rarely make this connection. The story of parklets as entirely new, stemming from Rebar’s DIY park, is far more appealing, suggesting a bottom-up, creative and democratic remaking of the public realm. The link to one of the world’s most innovation-rich cities doesn’t hurt, either.</p>
<p>The reluctance of planners and policymakers to connect parklets to business also reflects concerns about the commercialisation and commodification of the city. The problems of privately owned public spaces (“POPOs” – provided by large developers in exchange for variations to planning rules) are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jul/24/revealed-pseudo-public-space-pops-london-investigation-map">well documented</a>, particularly the issues of high levels of management and surveillance.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-events-help-fund-public-parks-but-theres-a-cost-too-21343">Private events help fund public parks, but there’s a cost too</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>Parklets, however, are not privately owned public spaces. Parklets are installed on public land, are temporary and cannot be controlled by the business that installed them. Each bears a sign proclaiming the public nature of the space. Anyone can use parklets, whether they buy something or not.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197268/original/file-20171201-30919-17b8dbt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197268/original/file-20171201-30919-17b8dbt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197268/original/file-20171201-30919-17b8dbt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197268/original/file-20171201-30919-17b8dbt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197268/original/file-20171201-30919-17b8dbt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197268/original/file-20171201-30919-17b8dbt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197268/original/file-20171201-30919-17b8dbt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parklets are only temporary structures paid for and built by the proposer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SDOT Photos/Flickr</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One might critique parklets for their scale, their distribution or their use. They are tiny and do very little to meet important needs for play, exercise or engagement with nature. Some appear a little neglected; many are in areas that are already leafy.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197506/original/file-20171204-5420-170vqza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197506/original/file-20171204-5420-170vqza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197506/original/file-20171204-5420-170vqza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197506/original/file-20171204-5420-170vqza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197506/original/file-20171204-5420-170vqza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197506/original/file-20171204-5420-170vqza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=975&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197506/original/file-20171204-5420-170vqza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=975&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197506/original/file-20171204-5420-170vqza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=975&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">San Francisco’s Parklet Manual gives detailed instructions on creating a parklet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://pavementtoparks.org/parklets/">City of San Francisco</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In San Francisco, some parklets have been rejected for fear they will contribute not to community empowerment but to gentrification.</p>
<h2>Why so popular?</h2>
<p>So how can we explain the popularity of the parklet? Perhaps because parklets support, and build off, the kinds of places people like – and these aren’t just <a href="https://theconversation.com/green-space-how-much-is-enough-and-whats-the-best-way-to-deliver-it-77393">green spaces</a>.</p>
<p>As US urban activist and writer <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-might-jane-jacobs-say-about-smart-cities-58278">Jane Jacobs</a> explained so powerfully, cities need more than parks and plazas: commercial activity is a crucial component of public life. Cafes are increasingly important sites for community interaction as other places for local exchange disappear, including banks, post offices, corner delis and newsagents, on top of the local hardware, haberdashery and other specialist shops lost to competition from larger retailers and the digital marketplace. Parklets present some hope for walkable, local commerce.</p>
<p>Or perhaps their popularity has more to do with the lack of options for public participation in shaping the city. Parklets may be led by businesses, but they are local businesses, sometimes supported with public or crowdsourced funds, and parklet policies mean that the spaces cannot be private. Opportunities for participation are often much greater than for the larger public spaces created by professionals. They also show vividly how much space we waste on private cars.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197510/original/file-20171204-5406-10zff7z.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197510/original/file-20171204-5406-10zff7z.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197510/original/file-20171204-5406-10zff7z.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197510/original/file-20171204-5406-10zff7z.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197510/original/file-20171204-5406-10zff7z.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197510/original/file-20171204-5406-10zff7z.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197510/original/file-20171204-5406-10zff7z.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197510/original/file-20171204-5406-10zff7z.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">North Perth’s Angove Street Off-cut Parklet, designed by NOMA.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.nomastudio.com.au/work/15-masterplanning/77-angove-street-offcut-parklet.html">NOMA</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After parklets, the second-most-desired street activation, according to the Perth City Summit poll, was “creative installations”, followed by street events and murals. In comparison, parklets offer a more tangible and accessible option. </p>
<p>Clearly, we can’t rely on businesses alone to provide adequate and appropriate public spaces. The role of local and state governments in providing a high-quality public realm continues to be important. But parklets show that businesses are not all seeking to play the system. As we think about public life, parklets might provide a useful model to build on.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading: <a href="https://theconversation.com/street-life-how-do-you-revive-a-dull-urban-area-23181">Street life: how do you revive a dull urban area?</a></strong></em></p>
<hr>
<p><em>The Conversation is co-publishing this and other articles with <a href="http://www.alva.uwa.edu.au/community/futurewest">Future West (Australian Urbanism)</a>, produced by the University of Western Australia’s Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts. These articles look towards the future of urbanism, taking Perth and Western Australia as its reference point, with the latest series focusing on the public domain. You can read other articles <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/future-west-30248">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87172/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amelia Thorpe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many parklets are privately funded, but these projects often allow for more public participation than more traditional public spaces.Amelia Thorpe, Senior Lecturer and Director of Environmental Law Programs, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/806452017-07-13T15:35:00Z2017-07-13T15:35:00ZParklife: Britain’s beloved urban parks need a funding boost to save them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178127/original/file-20170713-18558-1ki16ix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=37%2C222%2C3960%2C2401&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bournemouth-garden-595040426?src=tFEubbIf1JdQBae-iUNEGw-1-3">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the first half of the 20th century, the parks superintendent in Leeds started a scrapbook to chronicle the splendour of the city’s open spaces. Among <a href="http://leodiscollections.net/collection/10">the photos</a> is a selection taken on a warm Whit Bank Holiday at Roundhay Park in 1944. They are startling. Despite World War II reaching its climax after years of hardship and rationing, the people caught on camera seem to have found happy respite from the harsh realities of life. </p>
<p>With children frolicking in the water, local cricket teams out on the green and couples lounging on the grass, the park was fulfilling the purpose envisaged by its Victorian founders: a green retreat, set apart from the surrounding city – a place of recreation free from the demands of productive activity or commerce. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177694/original/file-20170711-29291-1fyrk83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177694/original/file-20170711-29291-1fyrk83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177694/original/file-20170711-29291-1fyrk83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177694/original/file-20170711-29291-1fyrk83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177694/original/file-20170711-29291-1fyrk83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177694/original/file-20170711-29291-1fyrk83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177694/original/file-20170711-29291-1fyrk83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A romantic prospect: Waterloo Lake at Roundhay Park, Leeds, 1944.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Leeds Parks and Countryside</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Victorian municipal authorities had hoped that parks would be the “lungs” of heavily industrialised cities – green spaces where people, rich and poor, could mix. In other words, the Victorians had a clear sense that parks provided advantages which other urban spaces such as public squares, office blocks, shops, factories and markets did not.</p>
<p>Fast forward to the present day – and parks still provide a refuge from the daily pressures of urban living. Indeed, <a href="http://leaf.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/LEAF_benefits_of_urban_green_space_2015_upd.pdf">studies have proved</a> that visiting parks can reduce stress, promote physical activity and forge stronger relationships within communities.</p>
<h2>Crisis mode</h2>
<p>Yet today, the Victorian confidence that ever greater numbers of parks would be acquired for public use has dissipated. Earlier this year, MPs on the Communities and Local Government select committee said that Britain’s 27,000 urbans parks are at a “<a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-government-committee/news-parliament-2015/public-parks-report-16-17/">tipping point</a>”. If action is not taken, parks are in danger of falling into a spiral of decline. </p>
<p>Without adequate baseline funding, the steady decay, closure or sale of parks are all firm possibilities. Local authority <a href="https://content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/local-authority-budgetary-cuts-changing-shape-of-local-govt/local-authority-budgetary-cuts-2016-04ass.pdf/">funding restraints</a> are already limiting what park managers can do to exploit the health, social and educational benefits of parks. </p>
<p>One-third of park managers interviewed for the Heritage Lottery Fund’s 2016 <a href="https://www.hlf.org.uk/state-uk-public-parks-2016">report on the state of public parks</a> said that their budgets had been cut more than 20% over the preceding three years. And just over half of the park managers surveyed reported that their parks were in good condition – down 8 percentage points from 2013. A third of the respondents were gloomy when they looked ahead, saying they believed the condition of their park would decline in the future.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177692/original/file-20170711-29281-1gpu3cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177692/original/file-20170711-29281-1gpu3cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177692/original/file-20170711-29281-1gpu3cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177692/original/file-20170711-29281-1gpu3cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177692/original/file-20170711-29281-1gpu3cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177692/original/file-20170711-29281-1gpu3cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177692/original/file-20170711-29281-1gpu3cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A bygone era? The open air bathing pool at Roundhay Park, 1944.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Leeds Parks and Countryside</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Researchers at the University of Leeds’ <a href="https://lssi.leeds.ac.uk/">Social Sciences Institute</a> undertook a project on the <a href="http://futureofparks.leeds.ac.uk/">future prospects of urban public parks</a> in the city of Leeds, to consider the development of parks since their foundation in the Victorian era, as well as their prospects for the future.</p>
<p>As part of the project, they interviewed just under 6,500 members of the public and nine out of ten respondents said they had made at least one visit to a Leeds park in the preceding year. On the whole, people still saw the parks as the “green lungs of the city”, a “space apart” from the hustle, bustle and congestion of city life. </p>
<p>But people also had concerns about the future of the city’s parks. They feared that the quality of the parks would decline and that green spaces would be encroached upon by, for example, housing or commercial activity. Many were worried that the city council might introduce charges or abandon parks entirely in its efforts to balance the books.</p>
<h2>Visions of the future</h2>
<p>The research found that the precarious status of parks opens up a space for a range of possible futures – not just in Leeds but across the UK. The parks of tomorrow are likely to be more varied. The research identifies several possible futures, including “magnet parks” – parks which are managed as city-wide public assets where major events are held, providing cash injections for local authorities. </p>
<p>Alternatively, “club parks” could be funded through a local levy or tax, or maintained and used by local residents. There could even be “theme parks”, where various forms of commercial entertainment and leisure help to generate income for the park. </p>
<p>The recommendations from the research include the need for local and central government to have a statutory duty to safeguard parks, to ensure that they are accountable to the public over the future of parks, and to guarantee basic standards of upkeep. The research also suggests that a great deal could be achieved by creating a national agency to provide leadership and co-ordination across the sector. </p>
<p>With the squeeze on spending <a href="https://blog.bham.ac.uk/cityredi/local-authority-funding-in-the-uk-more-graphs-of-doom-ahead/">set to continue</a>, it seems inevitable that parks will have to change and adapt. Whatever happens next, it’s crucial that the public are involved in a debate about the purpose of urban parks and are able to express their preferences about these new visions for the parks of the future. With these steps, we can develop the kinds of parks that the Leeds park superintendent would have been proud to see in his scrapbook.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80645/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna Barker receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (grant number AH/N001788/1). Leeds City Council Parks and Countryside Department are project partners.</span></em></p>Local authorities have hit tough times, but there’s still hope for the UK’s parks.Anna Barker, Lecturer in Criminal Justice, University of LeedsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/773932017-05-25T20:19:11Z2017-05-25T20:19:11ZGreen space – how much is enough, and what’s the best way to deliver it?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170223/original/file-20170521-12217-1caiqf1.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Providing green space can deliver health, social and environmental benefits for all urban residents – few other public health interventions can achieve all of this.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Anne Cleary</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Half of the world’s people now <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/half-worlds-population-live-urban-areas-un-report-finds/">live in urban areas</a>. This creates competition for resources and increases pressure on already limited green space. </p>
<p>Many urban areas are still experiencing active degradation or removal of green space. To reverse this trend and ensure the multiple benefits of green space are realised, we urgently need to move toward on-ground action.</p>
<p>However, there is no clear guidance on how to translate the evidence base on green space into action. There is limited information to guide green-space practitioners on how much is <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204614000310">“green enough”</a>, or on how to manage and maintain green space. There is also a lack of guidance on how to deliver the multiple benefits of green space with finite resources.</p>
<h2>Why we need green spaces</h2>
<p>A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) <a href="http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/urban-health/publications/2017/urban-green-space-interventions-and-health-a-review-of-impacts-and-effectiveness.-full-report-2017">report</a> aims to provide guidance on how to tackle the uncertainties of providing such spaces.</p>
<p>There is a <a href="http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/urban-health/publications/2016/urban-green-spaces-and-health-a-review-of-evidence-2016">substantial evidence base</a> to show that green space is good for us. It is associated with many <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-density-cities-need-greening-to-stay-healthy-and-liveable-75840">health benefits</a>, both <a href="https://theconversation.com/living-here-will-make-you-fat-do-we-need-a-public-health-warning-57119">physical</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/biophilic-urbanism-how-rooftop-gardening-soothes-souls-76789">mental</a> – including reductions in illness and deaths, <a href="https://theconversation.com/reducing-stress-at-work-is-a-walk-in-the-park-57634">stress</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/most-people-just-park-themselves-so-how-do-we-promote-more-healthy-activity-in-public-parks-56421">obesity</a> – and a range of positive <a href="https://theconversation.com/greening-cities-makes-for-safer-neighbourhoods-62093">social</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/go-native-why-we-need-wildlife-allotments-to-bring-species-back-to-the-burbs-69631">environmental</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-environmentally-just-city-works-best-for-all-in-the-end-53803">equity</a> outcomes.</p>
<p>Providing adequate green space within our urban areas is therefore paramount. We need to preserve, enhance and promote existing green spaces and create new spaces.</p>
<p>Various political frameworks underscore the need for these spaces in our cities. For example, the <a href="https://habitat3.org/">New Urban Agenda</a> calls for an increase in safe, inclusive, accessible, green and quality public spaces. The <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg11">2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development</a> pledges to:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>… provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular, for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170155/original/file-20170519-12242-wm8nk3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170155/original/file-20170519-12242-wm8nk3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170155/original/file-20170519-12242-wm8nk3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170155/original/file-20170519-12242-wm8nk3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170155/original/file-20170519-12242-wm8nk3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170155/original/file-20170519-12242-wm8nk3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170155/original/file-20170519-12242-wm8nk3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rapid growth in cities like Brisbane increases the pressure on existing urban green spaces.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Moving toward action</h2>
<p>The WHO <a href="http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/urban-health/publications/2017/urban-green-space-interventions-and-health-a-review-of-impacts-and-effectiveness.-full-report-2017">report</a> carried out a systematic review of the published evidence on green-space interventions. The review found a variety of intervention types have strong evidence for delivering a range of health, social and environmental outcomes.</p>
<p>These intervention types range from smaller green spaces, such as street trees and community gardens, to larger, more interlinked spaces, such as parks and greenways. This signals the need to think beyond the traditional urban park when considering how to meet the demand for green space among growing urban populations.</p>
<p>Another finding of the review was that urban green-space interventions seem to be most effective when a physical improvement of the space is coupled with social engagement.</p>
<p>This highlights the importance of understanding the intervention’s target audience. Sufficient time and resources must be devoted to engaging with this audience. This should happen both during the design and implementation phases and when the intervention is completed – and promoted.</p>
<h2>Learning from others</h2>
<p>The WHO report compiled case studies of urban green-space interventions from across Europe, and documented the common lessons from these. </p>
<p>This unearthed a range of findings. For example, fostering multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaborations during planning, implementation and evaluation is a key factor in creating a successful green space.</p>
<p>Another key finding was the importance of understanding that urban green-space interventions are long-term investments. They therefore need to be integrated within local development strategies and frameworks – such as urban masterplans, transport policies and sustainability and biodiversity strategies.</p>
<p>An example of an urban green-space intervention that showcases good practice, and which features as a case study in the WHO report, is the <a href="http://www.connswatergreenway.co.uk/">Connswater Community Greenway</a> in Northern Ireland. This project adopted a bottom-up approach and emphasised community engagement. A full-time community support officer was employed. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170146/original/file-20170519-12260-1bc1c2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170146/original/file-20170519-12260-1bc1c2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170146/original/file-20170519-12260-1bc1c2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170146/original/file-20170519-12260-1bc1c2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170146/original/file-20170519-12260-1bc1c2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170146/original/file-20170519-12260-1bc1c2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170146/original/file-20170519-12260-1bc1c2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Social engagement is an integral part of the Connswater Community Greenway intervention.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Connswater Community Greenway</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Having public engagement embedded from the start ensured the local community’s needs were well understood. The intervention’s design was responding to these identified needs. </p>
<p>Coupling this local understanding with the latest thinking on good practice led to an evidence-based design that was fit-for-purpose in the local context.</p>
<p>The project was also understood to be a long-term investment. A 40-year management and maintenance plan for the greenway was developed from the outset. </p>
<p>The WHO report represents an important step forward. As worrying trends in mental ill-health, obesity, social isolation, health inequalities and environmental degradation grow globally, there is a pressing need to implement equitable solutions – and green space has a key role to play in this. </p>
<p>Urban green-space interventions can deliver health, social and environmental benefits for all population groups – particularly among lower socioeconomic status groups. There are very few – if any – other public health interventions that can achieve all of this.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/77393/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anne Cleary received funding from Healthy Land and Water and Griffith University. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ruth Hunter receives funding from research councils in the UK. They have not funded this work.</span></em></p>Urban green spaces are most effective at delivering their full range of health, social and environmental benefits when physical improvement of the space is coupled with social engagement.Anne Cleary, Nature and Health PhD Candidate, Griffith UniversityRuth Hunter, Lecturer, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University BelfastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/718722017-03-02T00:34:10Z2017-03-02T00:34:10ZHome prices tell us the value the public puts on green spaces<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157269/original/image-20170217-4254-1r9uxbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Apartments near the greenbelt in Vienna are more expensive than otherwise similar apartments in that city.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/Prater-Black-And-White-City-Austria-Vienna-Trees-443796">Max Pixel</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Homes near green amenities are more desirable and more expensive because residents are willing to pay higher prices to gain the many <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/green-space-5295">benefits of green spaces</a>. Our <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00168-015-0657-1">research</a> has confirmed, for instance, that apartments near to the greenbelt in Vienna, Austria, are more expensive compared to otherwise similar apartments in that city.</p>
<p>Similar findings have been reported for <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10640-013-9664-9">cities in England</a>, <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cjag.12040/full">Ontario</a> in Canada, and the South Korean capital, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275116303997">Seoul</a>.</p>
<p>Green spaces have well-known environmental benefits. Green neighbourhoods also have social benefits – such as <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00139160121973124">less aggression and violence</a>, and <a href="http://js.sagamorepub.com/jpra/article/view/1709">fewer incidents of youth crimes and domestic violence</a> – and health benefits, including <a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/FChealth10-2final.pdf/%24FILE/FChealth10-2final.pdf">reduced risk</a> of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and certain types of diabetes.</p>
<p>However, Australia’s growing cities face a shortage of urban parks. Often, the provision of parks is seen only as planning compliance or an accessory.</p>
<p>There <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/comment/developers-shouldnt-take-public-green-space-for-granted-20170202-gu426y.html">have been calls</a> for developers and councils to make adequate contributions toward improving and maintaining existing parks, rather than just leveraging the benefit for financial gain with new development projects.</p>
<p>However, the unparalleled population growth in our cities and increasing inner-city density mean we will need not only to protect existing green spaces, but also to plan new, better-quality green amenities.</p>
<h2>What higher prices near green amenities mean</h2>
<p>Our study in Vienna found the price of a constant-quality (taking into account other differences) apartment drops by 0.13–0.26% with every 1% increase in distance from the greenbelt. This suggests that proximity to the greenbelt is a significant location-related predictor of Viennese apartment prices.</p>
<p>If there is higher demand for this type of amenity and a lack of supply, prices of houses located close to greenbelts will go up. And, if green amenities are provided in areas accessible to low- and middle-income households, the social and health benefits can be promoted across cities.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157270/original/image-20170217-4243-1vmg3lp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157270/original/image-20170217-4243-1vmg3lp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157270/original/image-20170217-4243-1vmg3lp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157270/original/image-20170217-4243-1vmg3lp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157270/original/image-20170217-4243-1vmg3lp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157270/original/image-20170217-4243-1vmg3lp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157270/original/image-20170217-4243-1vmg3lp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157270/original/image-20170217-4243-1vmg3lp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2017/01/28/greenbelt-forcing-up-home-prices-in-gta-critics">Some argue</a> that saving the greenbelts results in higher house prices, leads to satellite cities and creates negative consequences such as increased car-dependence. Lost economic profit due to restricted development is also a concern.</p>
<p>To ease these pressures, <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-britain-build-on-its-green-spaces-to-solve-the-housing-crisis-72522">“unproductive” greenbelt land</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/greenbelt-myth-is-the-driving-force-behind-housing-crisis-17802">privately owned greenbelt land with intensive farming</a> could be exempted from this protection.</p>
<h2>A history of failed planning attempts</h2>
<p>Greenbelts are a special type of open space consisting of natural, agricultural or largely undeveloped land around urban areas. These areas typically outline the edge of the urban fringe and are known as “urban growth boundaries” in such cases. </p>
<p>Greenbelts are an outcome of the containment policy; they limit the physical expansion of the urbanised area and protect a compact urban form. They can also be an outcome of a policy intended to preserve green spaces for environmental and recreation purposes. </p>
<p>Green wedges are similar to greenbelts but may run through an urban area rather than around it. Urban parks are different: they may have diverse features like gardens, playgrounds, running trails and walking paths, and are spread across a city.</p>
<p>The idea of a greenbelt for Sydney was formally proposed <a href="http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/county_of_cumberland_planning_scheme">as early as 1948</a>. This became an example of the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07293682.1992.9657556">failure of planning for greenbelts</a> due to lack of support by state government agencies, property owners and developers. </p>
<p>The federal government’s refusal to provide funding due to unexpected immigration numbers ultimately led to the project’s demise. Most of Sydney’s inner-area greenbelt was eventually used for urban expansion.</p>
<p>In Melbourne, green wedges remained an established part of planning until the early 1990s. Since the liberalisation of the proposed restrictions on urban uses in <a href="http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/planning/plans-and-policies/planning-for-melbourne/melbournes-strategic-planning-history/melbourne-2030-planning-for-sustainable-growth">Melbourne 2030</a>, new residential, tourist and commercial developments are continuing in and beyond the greenbelt. </p>
<p>By 2010, urban growth boundaries in Melbourne’s north and west had moved. Consecutive governments have regarded open space as <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08111140309954">commercially expendable</a> and as a free input to public and private projects.</p>
<p>Brisbane has introduced urban growth boundaries and reinforced the protection of non-urban areas bordering the city through strong regulatory planning controls. Current debates about the greenbelt in Brisbane show the challenging nature of managing conflicting interests. </p>
<p>There is widespread support for preserving the greenbelt between <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/push-to-stop-urban-sprawl-north-of-brisbane/news-story/397b90c6e493a979fe52d73e71035c60">Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast</a>, but an increasing level of approval for developments within the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2016/s4453359.htm">Brisbane to Gold Coast</a> greenbelt.</p>
<h2>Which way ahead?</h2>
<p>Cities are growing fast and the current supply of urban parks is not sufficient. So, governments need to take radical steps to protect existing greenbelts. </p>
<p>Greenbelts generate large-scale environmental services <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204603000938">compared to their smaller counterparts</a> (like urban parks). It will be a point of no return once the greenbelts are sacrificed to development.</p>
<p>In a new world where high-density development is widely endorsed, a bit of nature in the city fringe seems like a sensible policy. A stronger greenbelt policy can only come with political leadership – and cities such as <a href="http://www.grand-paris.jll.fr/en/grand-paris-project/">Paris</a> are bravely putting in greenbelts. Australian cities should follow these examples.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71872/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shanaka Herath has received funding from AHURI, the ARC, City of Sydney Council and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency.</span></em></p>Australia’s growing cities face a shortage of urban parks. Often, the provision of parks is seen only as planning compliance or an accessory.Shanaka Herath, Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/651642016-09-14T04:51:27Z2016-09-14T04:51:27ZA day for turning parking spaces into pop-up parks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137477/original/image-20160913-19251-it0s42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">PARKing Day in Montreal, 2015.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amelia Thorpe</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Parklets are popping up everywhere. Cities around the world – and increasingly across Australia from <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-18/pop-up-parks-catch-on-in-perth/6788094">Fremantle</a> to the <a href="http://www.qt.com.au/news/council-approves-parklet-trial-effort-improve-busi/1799512/">Fraser Coast</a> – are introducing programs to convert roadside parking spots into more green and sociable spaces. </p>
<p>In Sydney, Waverley Council’s <a href="http://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/building/current_projects/bondi_junction_projects/great_places/urban_interventions">Urban Interventions</a> program received an award for “best planning idea” from the Planning Institute of Australia (NSW) in 2014. The Glebe Chamber of Commerce is running a <a href="mailto:https://pozible.com/project/glebe-parklet-share-your-city">crowdfunding campaign</a> to turn its pilot parklet into a more lasting installation.</p>
<p>Before parklets there was <a href="http://rebargroup.org/parking/">PARK(ing)</a>. In 2005, members of the San Francisco design collective Rebar paid an on-street parking meter for two hours. Rather than park a car, Rebar used the space to create a “park” with turf, a tree, a bench and signs inviting passers-by to sit and relax. Rebar then packed up and returned the space to its former condition.</p>
<p>While the event was not intended to continue beyond the initial two hours, photos and video were rapidly shared online. The images proved inspirational: requests quickly came from people asking how to create their own “parks”. Rebar responded by producing a how-to guide and decided to launch an event that would make a much bigger statement about the use of public space.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137480/original/image-20160913-19266-14cse9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137480/original/image-20160913-19266-14cse9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137480/original/image-20160913-19266-14cse9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137480/original/image-20160913-19266-14cse9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137480/original/image-20160913-19266-14cse9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137480/original/image-20160913-19266-14cse9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137480/original/image-20160913-19266-14cse9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137480/original/image-20160913-19266-14cse9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">From little things … Rebar’s original pop-up park in San Francisco in 2005.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://my.parkingday.org/photo/albums/parking-the-first-parking-day">my.parkingday.org</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Going global</h2>
<p>In 2006, the first <a href="http://parkingday.org/archive/">PARK(ing) Day</a> was celebrated with 47 “parks” in 13 cities across three countries. The event grew rapidly, expanding to more than 200 parks in 2007 and featuring in the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2008. By 2011, PARK(ing) Day included almost 1,000 parks in 35 countries.</p>
<p>PARK(ing) Day has spread beyond the event itself. As well as parklet programs, the first of which was introduced in <a href="http://pavementtoparks.org/parklets/">San Francisco</a> in 2010, the day has inspired a number of other activities. </p>
<p>Participants have gone on to develop a range of related events, from the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3069577/Skipsters-Charity-Melbourne-creates-mobile-park-street-using-SKIP-look-trendy-alternative-place-hang-out.html">skipsters</a> of Melbourne to the <a href="http://www.mtlblog.com/2015/05/montreals-free-summer-boardwalk-village-is-back-this-june/">temporary villages</a> of Montreal to the worldwide <a href="http://betterblock.org/">Better Block</a> movement.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137496/original/image-20160913-19237-1676a7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137496/original/image-20160913-19237-1676a7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137496/original/image-20160913-19237-1676a7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137496/original/image-20160913-19237-1676a7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137496/original/image-20160913-19237-1676a7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137496/original/image-20160913-19237-1676a7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=722&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137496/original/image-20160913-19237-1676a7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=722&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137496/original/image-20160913-19237-1676a7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=722&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A pop-up parklet in Sydney in 2014 displays proof of payment for the use of the parking space.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amelia Thorpe</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At the core of PARK(ing) Day is an idea about law. Paying the parking meter was seen as a way to access ownership, albeit temporarily, in a city where the means to acquire legal title were beyond the reach of many residents.</p>
<p>Its instigators described this act as creating a “lease”, a property right that brought with it a right to engage in planning, by participating in the development of a vision of what could be and, significantly, in the (fleeting) material creation of that vision. </p>
<p>At first, the vision was for more parks in an area that – according to the city’s own maps – had little green space. In subsequent iterations in cities around the world, PARK(ing) Day participants have claimed and reclaimed the street in diverse and dynamic ways: from croquet greens to community health clinics, libraries to lemonade stands, bike workshops to weddings.</p>
<p>Turning a parking space into a park is a quirky idea, but even in 2005 it was not entirely new. Precedents can be found in many cities over many years: from the installations on California roads by Bonnie Ora Sherk in the 1970s, to the <a href="http://tlchamilton.blogspot.com/2001/07/parking-meter-party.html">Parking Meter Parties</a> held in Hamilton, Ontario, from 2001, to Ted Dewan’s <a href="http://www.wormworks.com/roadwitch/pages/livingroom.htm">road witching</a> in Oxford, UK, from 2003, to Michael Rakowitz’s 2004 <a href="http://www.michaelrakowitz.com/plot-proposition-i/">(P)LOT</a> projects in Vienna, Austria, and Trento, Italy. </p>
<p>Yet none of these precursors succeeded in engaging or inspiring people on such a grand scale.</p>
<h2>The power of a ‘sticky’ idea</h2>
<p>Rebar describes PARK(ing) Day as a “sticky” idea. With very little organisation – almost none in recent years, since Rebar no longer exists – the event has proved extremely durable. </p>
<p>While some participants engage consistently over many years (the Sydney office of <a href="http://fieldsofactivity.com/parking-day/">ARUP has built “parks”</a> seven times since 2008), most participate just a few times. PARK(ing) Day continues to attract new participants: North Sydney Girls High School and locals around Australia Street, Newtown, are some of the newest.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZjMLGCingNo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Local residents transform parking spaces in Australia Street, Newtown.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The reach of PARK(ing) may be traced to the power of the initial image, or to the success (or luck) of Rebar in connecting with particularly influential people. </p>
<p>More than this, however, a key part of the event’s success is its connection to law. PARK(ing) Day was not presented as a protest, a plea for change, or a proposal for reform. On the contrary, PARK(ing) Day was expressly presented as something already legal. PARK(ing) Day provides a powerful invitation to citizens around the world to rethink the city and their place in it.</p>
<p>Friday, September 16, is the 11th PARK(ing) Day. Information and guidance <a href="http://www.parkingday.org">are available</a> Check it out. Better still, build your own “park”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/65164/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amelia Thorpe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>This Friday is the 11th PARKing Day, when people pay a parking meter, then turn the space into a pop-up parklet. It’s a day that invites citizens to rethink the city and their place in it.Amelia Thorpe, Senior Lecturer and Director of Environmental Law Programs, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/639352016-08-22T00:29:26Z2016-08-22T00:29:26ZThe Panopticons are coming! And they’ll know when we think the grass is greener<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134712/original/image-20160819-12292-1ht8iqa.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tracking what you stop to pay attention to and what you 'don't see' can tell us a lot about what might be going on inside your mind.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Does a walk in the park during your lunch break make you feel relaxed? Does lush greenery or a glint of sunlight on running water catch your eye and allow you to stare and rest your brain? </p>
<p>We recently turned our attention to these questions when we asked park users in the City of Melbourne to view films of walks. </p>
<p>We used eye tracking – a technology that allows us to look deeply into exactly what you are looking at or paying attention to. Eye trackers follow your gaze as you look naturally around a scene. We see where your eye dwells and what things you skip over. </p>
<p>Where you stop is called a fixation and where the eye darts around is called a saccade. During saccades the eye is effectively blind. Watching what you stop to pay attention to and what you “don’t see” can tell us a lot about what might be going on inside your mind – what is driving your eyes to move about the way they do.</p>
<p>What you see can affect where you go, what you buy and how prone you are to accidents.</p>
<p>In addition, park designs have been shaped by a number of theories.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_restoration_theory">Attention Restoration Theory</a>, for example, predicts that natural scenes promote fixations, and these allow the brain to recover from extended periods of concentration. This explains why parks are relaxing.</p>
<p><a href="https://prezi.com/sydoyajztv-j/prospect-refuge-theory/">Prospect Refuge Theory</a> predicts that we feel safer when we have a clear view of a scene and so can identify potential dangers. This explains why people take certain paths and not others.</p>
<h2>Putting theories to the test</h2>
<p>Eye tracking can test these theories. In our study, 35 respondents were shown four short films of walks through Melbourne parks such as the one in this video. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l9QTAr0xG-E?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A walk through Royal Park was one of the videos used.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Respondents’ eye-tracking data were then overlaid with features that were automatically identified in the video, such as trees, the path and man-made objects such as lamp-posts. Our analysis required every tree, rock, shrub, pathway, seat, person and sky regions to be automatically segmented out, as shown below, and then data from these regions collated. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134645/original/image-20160818-12284-1lzm6a2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134645/original/image-20160818-12284-1lzm6a2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134645/original/image-20160818-12284-1lzm6a2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134645/original/image-20160818-12284-1lzm6a2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134645/original/image-20160818-12284-1lzm6a2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134645/original/image-20160818-12284-1lzm6a2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134645/original/image-20160818-12284-1lzm6a2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134645/original/image-20160818-12284-1lzm6a2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Each element of every frame of the video is segmented out to analyse what the viewer is looking at any moment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Royal Park, one of the drier-looking grassland-featured parks, the study showed that overwhelmingly respondents spent more time looking at man-made objects, relative to their appearance in the video. As an example, the figure below shows the proportion of different elements in the video for Royal Park. The next figure shows the relative amounts of time respondent A spent looking at those elements.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134646/original/image-20160818-12281-10jha9k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134646/original/image-20160818-12281-10jha9k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134646/original/image-20160818-12281-10jha9k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134646/original/image-20160818-12281-10jha9k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134646/original/image-20160818-12281-10jha9k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134646/original/image-20160818-12281-10jha9k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134646/original/image-20160818-12281-10jha9k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134646/original/image-20160818-12281-10jha9k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Proportion of different elements appearing in the video for Royal Park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Authors</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134647/original/image-20160818-12298-r6a2d6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134647/original/image-20160818-12298-r6a2d6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134647/original/image-20160818-12298-r6a2d6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134647/original/image-20160818-12298-r6a2d6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134647/original/image-20160818-12298-r6a2d6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134647/original/image-20160818-12298-r6a2d6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134647/original/image-20160818-12298-r6a2d6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134647/original/image-20160818-12298-r6a2d6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Proportion of time spent respondent A spent looking at different elements in Royal Park video.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>On the other hand, in Fitzroy Gardens with its dense green foliage, participants spent much more time looking at the bushes. In this case man-made objects weren’t as salient. </p>
<p>This seemed to correlate with the opinions that respondents had of the parks. In our study, Fitzroy Gardens came out as the favourite park with its lush green foliage, abundant bird sounds and water features.</p>
<p>Using data in this way will allow researchers to analyse and identify what matters to users of outdoor spaces. Urban decision-makers will be able to use this information to better refine urban design, signage and safety.</p>
<h2>Observation as a means of control</h2>
<p>At the same time, with eye trackers becoming cheaper and more ubiquitous, the collection of this kind of data could become a double-edged sword. </p>
<p>Studying what we “eye-ball” is of keen interest to advertisers. In academic research, subjects know we are watching what they look at, as do the users of <a href="https://theconversation.com/smile-face-recognition-for-google-glass-is-here-thanks-to-hackers-16262">Google Glasses</a> or Microsoft’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-hololens-the-future-of-reality-is-augmented-37104">Hololens</a>. However, we may be unaware of how data from our eyes are gathered by other means, as <a href="http://www.cnet.com/au/news/no-dummy-this-mannequin-is-spying-on-you/">spying mannequins demonstrate</a> . </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HSDtTxYxpJY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘Spying’ mannequins can be used to observe us in shops.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 1791, the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham coined the term “<a href="http://studymore.org.uk/ybenfou.htm">panopticon</a>”: an inspection house that allowed guards to see all cells in a prison, while remaining hidden from view. Although few prisons with panopticons were ever built, they became an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/23/panopticon-digital-surveillance-jeremy-bentham">essential concept for the analysis</a> of cities and government during the 20th century. </p>
<p>French philosopher Michel Foucault <a href="http://foucault.info/doc/documents/disciplineandpunish/foucault-disciplineandpunish-panopticism-html">argued</a> that a panopticon ably maintains social and power imbalances while using that most passive method of control: observation. As governments and private corporations increasingly use eye-tracking data, everyone can act as observers, recorders and the observed – whether they intended to or not. </p>
<p>In this sense we could argue that the increasing development of eye tracking could usher in the age of the mass panopticon. Yet, the relationship between a selfie society, an “all-seeing, all-knowing” culture and the future of eye tracking in open domains remains to be “seen”.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Jodi Sita and Marco Amati will discuss the study findings in a presentation at the RMIT city campus from 2.30-3.30pm on Tuesday, August 23. You can register to attend <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-panopticons-are-coming-applying-eye-tracking-research-in-urban-policy-tickets-26576331523">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63935/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jodi Sita received funding from the City of Melbourne to conduct the research from which this article has been based.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marco Amati received funding from the City of Melbourne for this work. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris McCarthy and Ebadat Parmehr do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Eye-tracking technology helps us understand how people interact with their environment. This can improve policy and design, but can also be a tool for surveillance and control.Jodi Sita, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic UniversityChris McCarthy, Lecturer of Computer Science, Swinburne University of TechnologyEbadat Parmehr, Research Officer, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT UniversityMarco Amati, Associate Professor of International Planning, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/618892016-07-01T14:04:42Z2016-07-01T14:04:42ZIs it right to use public parks for commercial events?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/128978/original/image-20160701-18328-1f5hbng.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tangentical/6025196819/sizes/l">Tangentical/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>During the summer, London is abuzz with large-scale cultural and sporting events – many of which are held in public parks. This season, <a href="http://london.fiaformulae.com/">Formula E motor races</a> will be held in Battersea Park, while music festivals will take over <a href="http://loveboxfestival.com/#">Victoria Park</a>, <a href="http://wirelessfestival.co.uk/">Finsbury Park</a> and <a href="http://www.bst-hydepark.com/">Hyde Park</a>. </p>
<p>Events like these are enjoyed every year by thousands of people – both locals and tourists alike. But they also shut down public spaces, and have a significant impact on park environments. There is growing resistance from local residents and <a href="http://savebatterseapark.com/">campaign groups</a>, who have instigated <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/wireless-festival-judges-throw-out-legal-challenge-to-ban-event-from-finsbury-park-a3268156.html">legal challenges</a> against the use of public parks for commercial events.</p>
<p>These cases give us cause to think about who, and what, parks are for. They also help us to understand the wider challenges currently facing <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Events-in-the-City-Using-public-spaces-as-event-venues/Smith/p/book/9781138788855">public spaces</a> around the world.</p>
<h2>Why is this happening?</h2>
<p>City parks have always been used for events – but now they are being used for larger and more commercially-oriented events than ever before.</p>
<p>This is mainly due to reductions in government funding: a recent <a href="https://www.hlf.org.uk/state-uk-public-parks">Heritage Lottery Fund report</a> found that 86% of UK park managers have had their budgets cut since 2010, with a third facing cuts of 20% or more. Many parks need to supplement grant income with revenue from <a href="http://www.nesta.org.uk/publications/rethinking-parks-new-business-models-parks">commercial activities</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/128981/original/image-20160701-18334-i5mug6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/128981/original/image-20160701-18334-i5mug6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/128981/original/image-20160701-18334-i5mug6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/128981/original/image-20160701-18334-i5mug6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/128981/original/image-20160701-18334-i5mug6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/128981/original/image-20160701-18334-i5mug6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/128981/original/image-20160701-18334-i5mug6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fenced off.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrew Smith</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Glen Searle <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-events-help-fund-public-parks-but-theres-a-cost-too-21343">identified how parks</a> can raise money by staging smaller, private events such as weddings and corporate functions. But now, big event companies are seeking distinctive venues and new audiences. They are keen to use urban parks, and are willing to pay large sums to hire them. For instance, Formula E <a href="http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/13340/statement_on_formula_e">paid Wandsworth Council £2.85m</a> to use Battersea Park for their events in 2015 and 2016 – a figure which includes compensation for the fact that future editions have been cancelled, due to local opposition. </p>
<p>The financial incentive to use parks for commercial events is clear. Events like these are also seen as valuable tools for “entrepeneurial” cities – to generate investment and to promote the city as a whole.</p>
<p>But there are more subtle justifications for park events, too. Professionals who represent parks feel that new events can help to diversify park <a href="https://www.royalparks.org.uk/events/holding-events-in-the-royal-parks/major-events">users and uses</a>. They think that music festivals, sport events and film screenings can make Victorian parks seem more relevant to modern life. Park officials also feel that they now have the technology and expertise to effectively minimise negative impacts such as noise pollution and environmental damage.</p>
<h2>Warning: temporary closure</h2>
<p>As we saw <a href="https://theconversation.com/public-spaces-are-going-private-and-our-cities-will-suffer-60460">recently in San Francisco</a> – when residents forced authorities to back down on plans to rent out park space – there is growing opposition to the privatisation of public spaces. Londoners are also beginning to push back against major events, which temporarily privatise parks by restricting <a href="http://usj.sagepub.com/content/51/2/247.abstract">when the public can use them</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/128982/original/image-20160701-18325-16g8tgf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/128982/original/image-20160701-18325-16g8tgf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/128982/original/image-20160701-18325-16g8tgf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/128982/original/image-20160701-18325-16g8tgf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/128982/original/image-20160701-18325-16g8tgf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/128982/original/image-20160701-18325-16g8tgf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/128982/original/image-20160701-18325-16g8tgf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Closed, for business.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrew Smith</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For instance, Battersea Park is closed to the public for four full days during the Formula E events, and there are partial closures scheduled on 15 more days while the event is set up and dismantled.</p>
<p>Disruption to normal park use is heightened by damage to turf and the timing of events. These tend to take place on summer weekends – the times when parks would be more heavily used by residents. </p>
<p>Hiring out parks to event companies has a symbolic impact too. It normalises the idea that public space can be “bought” and fenced off. Sanctioning commercial events sets a worrying precedent, which could be used to justify more permanent installations in the future.</p>
<h2>A way forward?</h2>
<p>The controversies, legal challenges and general disquiet surrounding the use of parks for major events suggest that a new approach is needed. </p>
<p>Park managers need to work with local organisations to consider what types of events are appropriate for parks – and what types of parks are appropriate for events. Clearer guidelines on what proportion of time and space events are allowed to take up will help to avoid the legal challenges and bitter conflicts seen in London this summer.</p>
<p>Better enforcement of <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/1967/29/contents/enacted">existing laws</a> could help to maintain the balance between public and private park use too. My ongoing research suggests that awareness of these regulations is low, even among events managers and park officials. </p>
<p>Of course, another way to avoid these conflicts is to provide more generous public funding for parks. This may seem idealistic in a time of financial austerity. But parks are much loved by the public; they enhance the urban environment, and the well-being of citizens. If their value was fully recognised and parks properly funded, local authorities would not be forced to use them for commercial events.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/61889/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From music festivals to motor racing –commercial events are taking over public parks. Here’s what can be done.Andrew Smith, Reader in Tourism and Events, University of WestminsterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/561242016-06-07T10:04:13Z2016-06-07T10:04:13ZAre we in the midst of a public space crisis?<p>Public space that encourages dialogue and welcomes everyone – regardless of age, wealth, race, religion or sexual orientation – is a core aspect of democracy. As artist and social activist Krzysztof Wodizko <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv3MP1d992o">put it</a>, these places exist for both “the privileged and the unwanted.”</p>
<p>But few of today’s public spaces adequately prioritize this mission. </p>
<p>Figuring out how to change this is at the core of my own work. In my creative practice and research, I investigate how classical concepts, buildings, and small structures for public space – the kind that existed during the earliest days of democracy – have been repackaged during contemporary times. </p>
<p>Bottom line: Welcoming public spaces are in decline – at least, those that exist in the real world. </p>
<p>Increasingly, debates that once took place face-to-face happen on the internet, on Facebook, Twitter and countless other digital forums and platforms. You might say the <a href="https://www.squarespace.com">Squarespaces</a> of the world are replacing public squares. </p>
<p>But if the internet is a democratizing place for debate – one with unprecedented capacity to draw people together – it is also one with flaws. The challenge, as I see it, is to fuse the advantages of both real and virtual spaces, while limiting the pitfalls. </p>
<h2>A place for debate</h2>
<p>Since ancient Greece, public space has been vital to people and cities. </p>
<p>It’s where citizens debated everything, from current events to business to the nature of the universe. It’s where they voted for politicians, preserved the law and participated collectively in making decisions for civic matters – <a href="https://web.stanford.edu/%7Eldiamond/iraq/WhaIsDemocracy012004.htm">all the elements that foster a functioning democracy</a>.</p>
<p>In fact, the birth of democracy in fifth century B.C. didn’t arise just from a combination of philosophical ideas, scientific discoveries and technological advances. Dedicated physical spaces <a href="http://www.ancientathens3d.com/hellenistic-agora/">also played a huge role</a>: civic centers and marketplaces, along with open spaces between buildings, where people often mingled.</p>
<p>The most notable example is the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/987633?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">Athenian Agora</a>, an open square that served as a place for political gatherings, the buying and selling of goods, religious services, athletic events, philosophical discussions, educational events and art displays.</p>
<p>Structures called <em>stoa</em> (for example, in Athens, the famous <a href="http://www.agathe.gr/overview/the_stoa_of_attalos.html">Stoa of Attalos</a>) were covered walkways or porticos that existed for philosophical discussions and debates. Here, speakers and politicians would converse with the Athenian people from a pedestal called the <em><a href="http://agora.ascsa.net/id/agora/monument/bema">bema</a>.</em></p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125244/original/image-20160605-8272-1gpjnes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125244/original/image-20160605-8272-1gpjnes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125244/original/image-20160605-8272-1gpjnes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125244/original/image-20160605-8272-1gpjnes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125244/original/image-20160605-8272-1gpjnes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125244/original/image-20160605-8272-1gpjnes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125244/original/image-20160605-8272-1gpjnes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Stoa of Attalos.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Stoa_of_Attalos_at_the_Ancient_Agora_of_Athens_3.jpg">DerHexer/Wikimedia Commons.</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s true that some of these building structures exist today. We might see <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/111002/beauty-and-inhumanity-oscar-niemeyers-architecture">versions of the <em>stoa</em></a> in <a href="http://www.aboutbrasilia.com/politics/supreme-court.php">certain buildings</a> (like Brazil’s Supreme Court), or a version of the <em>bema</em> <a href="http://outdoors.dartmouth.edu/activities/natural_areas/bema.html">on college campuses</a>. However it’s almost impossible to find contemporary examples of the <em>agora</em>, where anyone could actively participate and shape civic matters. </p>
<h2>Space for some, not all</h2>
<p>Today, urban growth eliminates accessibility to public spaces. And when public spaces <em>do</em> get created, they’re often designed for the privileged and wealthy. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tpl.org/sites/default/files/files_upload/2015-City-Park-Facts-Report.pdf">The City Park Facts database of 2015</a> shows how much park space exists for each citizen in cities across the United States, and, not surprisingly, high-density cities are squeezed for space. For example, cities such as New York and Chicago have 4.6 acres per 1,000 residents; on the other hand, low-density cities such as Anchorage have 2,397.2.</p>
<p>A 2003 <a href="http://www.eastshorepark.org/benefits_of_parks%20tpl.pdf">white paper</a> by The Trust for Public Land noted how “U.S. cities are park-poor,” with residents of many cities lacking adequate access to parks and open space. </p>
<p>But the report also noted how low-income, minority neighborhoods are especially lacking in open space. Take Los Angeles. In predominantly white neighborhoods, they found 31.8 acres of park space for every 1,000 people – a number that dwarfs the park space in predominantly African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods (1.7 and 0.6 acres per 1,000 people, respectively).</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in New York City, High Line Park is a relatively new public space that has been <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-yorks-high-line-why-the-floating-promenade-is-so-popular/2014/11/30/6f3e30cc-5e20-11e4-8b9e-2ccdac31a031_story.html">highly praised by media and press</a>. </p>
<p>The promenade, which winds along a former elevated freight rail line, borders some of the city’s wealthiest areas. It has become a major draw for the tourists and locals who populate Chelsea, now one of <a href="http://www.newyork.com/articles/real-estate/the-most-expensive-neighborhoods-in-new-york-city-75971/">the most expensive neighborhoods of the city</a>. To be sure, High Line does not bar entry to “undesirables.” But the rising rents and increasing living costs around it <a href="http://usj.sagepub.com/content/52/1/20.short">eventually dislocate existing businesses</a> and poorer populations to other parts of the city, making trips to these new, gleaming parks expensive and time-consuming.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125226/original/image-20160605-11593-dq3upj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125226/original/image-20160605-11593-dq3upj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125226/original/image-20160605-11593-dq3upj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125226/original/image-20160605-11593-dq3upj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125226/original/image-20160605-11593-dq3upj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125226/original/image-20160605-11593-dq3upj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125226/original/image-20160605-11593-dq3upj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People stroll along Manhattan’s High Line Park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidberkowitz/3692427372">David Berkowitz/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Keeping out ‘undesirables’</h2>
<p>So what’s behind our notable shortage of truly democratic public spaces? </p>
<p>On the one hand, budget cuts have crippled the government’s ability to invest in public spaces, such as parks, for poor neighborhoods. </p>
<p>Most of New York City’s 2,100 parks require public funding. But as a <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/advocates-argue-care-city-parks-key-quality-life-issue-budget-cuts-loom-article-1.1057462">New York Daily News article noted</a>, the city’s Parks Department staff has been cut by 40 percent since 2008. In addition, the budget for tree pruning and stump removal has been slashed from US$7 million in 2008 to $1.4 million. And the 29,000 acres of parks now have 20 percent fewer gardeners than in 2008. </p>
<p>On the other hand, wealthy philanthropists who often fund or contribute to public projects like the High Line will often end up simply <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/opinion/the-billionaires-park.html">serving their own interests and needs</a> by investing in convenient areas that are close to their homes and offices. Indeed, many high-profile parks in wealthy neighborhoods – the High Line, Bryant Park and Central Park – are maintained by a mix of of private and public funding, which mitigates the effect of government budget cuts.</p>
<p>Moreover, instead of prioritizing open public spaces for exercise or family gatherings (important for populations that cannot afford second homes outside the city), <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/opinion/the-billionaires-park.html">private funders tend to prefer particular types of facilities</a> – amphitheaters, footpaths and gardens – that are less amenable to large groups or physical activity. </p>
<p>When it comes to limiting accessibility, private funders aren’t the only culprits. Neighborhoods and cities have implemented a vast array of codes and regulations that block access to public spaces. </p>
<p>For example, cities ranging from San Francisco to Philadelphia now have <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/top-10-anti-homeless-measures-used-in-the-united-states/">anti-homeless measures</a> such as camping restrictions and cutting down on homeless food services. A few years ago, workers at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium even started broadcasting loud construction noises overnight to prevent the homeless from falling asleep on the steps of the building. </p>
<p>Other cities have purposely designed public places in ways that restrict “undesirables” – like the homeless – from getting too comfortable. <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/06/how-cities-use-design-to-drive-homeless-people-away/373067/">These include</a> the use of arms on benches to prevent people from lying down and the addition of spikes on flat surfaces. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125247/original/image-20160605-11608-e0p8xj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125247/original/image-20160605-11608-e0p8xj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125247/original/image-20160605-11608-e0p8xj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125247/original/image-20160605-11608-e0p8xj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125247/original/image-20160605-11608-e0p8xj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125247/original/image-20160605-11608-e0p8xj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125247/original/image-20160605-11608-e0p8xj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Raised bricks installed to prevent people from lying down.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/16835893824">Kake/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Extra security and ubiquitous surveillance – which have <a href="http://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/criminal-justice/surveillance-cameras-and-crime">increased</a> since the advent of global terrorism – not only discourage gatherings and eliminate services, <a href="https://theconversation.com/access-denied-how-security-is-transforming-public-space-32660">but they also transform public space in ways that make them even more dangerous</a>. </p>
<p>In sum, public spaces have gradually transformed into areas that are less open, less democratic, less comfortable, less enjoyable and less “ours.”</p>
<h2>The limits of ‘e-democracy’</h2>
<p>With <a href="http://www.publicspace.org/en/post/%C2%A0-public-space-is-shrinking-being-sold-or-being-monitored">public space shrinking</a>, it’s worth noting that web access is expanding and absorbing much of the dialogue and debate that once took place in person. <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/">According to the Pew Research Center</a>, approximately 65 percent of American adults use social networking sites, a number that is expected to only grow.</p>
<p>Internet, mobile and other communication technologies <a href="http://edemocracy1.blogspot.com/2011/02/e-democracy.html">certainly create opportunities</a> for citizens to participate in addressing public challenges. There’s even a term for it – e-democracy – and <a href="http://edemocracy1.blogspot.com/2011/02/tools-and-types.html">a number of public- and private-sector platforms provide an avenue to citizen engagement</a>, whether it’s social networking, online forums or argument maps. By being able to access to transparent information, <a href="http://edemocracy1.blogspot.com/2011/02/practical-issues.html">these platforms can</a> reinforce participation, create inclusiveness and promote voting equality.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, social media platforms allow people to express solidarity, raise awareness about global events and engage in what some have dubbed <a href="http://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/10/02/2016/amplified-messages-how-hashtag-activism-and-twitter-diplomacy-converged-thisisacoup-">“hashtag activism.”</a> For example, during Greece’s controversial bailout deal with European Union, activists started using the hashtag “#ThisIsaCoup” on Twitter. An analysis <a href="https://wasimahmed.org/2015/09/26/an-analysis-of-thisisacoup-using-visibrain-focus/">showed</a> that within a month, it had been used in more than 600,000 tweets around the globe, while reaching audiences on platforms other than Twitter.</p>
<p>However, despite these positives outcomes – and contrary to what some may think – social media does not necessarily foster a stronger democracy. New York Times journalist Thomas Friedman <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/03/opinion/social-media-destroyer-or-creator.html?_r=0">has argued</a> that social media can initially act as a powerful voice, but does a poor job keeping momentum and effecting actual change. This is evident in the aforementioned hashtag example: Even if #ThisIsACoup trended globally, it didn’t accomplish much beyond expressing anger, and it failed to influence the negotiations between the two sides. </p>
<p>Social media has also been shown to reinforce polarization and hate speech. Look no further than <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/04/21/barack-obama-and-the-psychology-of-the-birther-myth/the-echo-chamber-effect">the echo chamber phenomenon</a>, where people tend to listen only to those who share their beliefs, <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10304312.2014.924479">and the trolling of strangers</a>. </p>
<p>Moreover, social media is still not sufficiently accessible to scores of underprivileged people. <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/">Pew Research has shown</a> that in the United States, although the number of low-income households using social media has risen, those in higher-income households are still more likely to use social media. </p>
<p>But there also seems to something else lost when we resort to debating in online spaces, behind the comfort and security of our screens.</p>
<p>Social scientist Sherry Turkle <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/books/review/jonathan-franzen-reviews-sherry-turkle-reclaiming-conversation.html?_r=0">has found</a> that digital technology harms users’ abilities to feel empathy and self-reflect, which causes people to avoid face-to-face conversations and other traditional forms of communication.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/26/chapter-2-phone-use-in-public-areas/">According to Pew</a>, 29 percent of cellphone users even admit they’ll use their phones when out in public specifically to dodge interactions with other people.</p>
<h2>Speaking publicly and candidly</h2>
<p>In my work, one of my goals is to design public spaces that encourage dialogue, participation, collective activities, interaction and exchange – in other words, democracy. </p>
<p>Some cities <a href="https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/museumslibrariesandcomprehensiveinitiatives.pdf">are building libraries and museums in economically distressed neighborhoods</a>. This is one way to create public gathering places and foster community engagement. </p>
<p>My own project, <a href="http://designingforfreespeech.org/gallery/parrhesiastic-play/">Parrhesiastic Play</a> (inspired by the Greek word “parrhesia,” which means “to speak freely”), explores free speech at the intersection of public, physical space and the digital world. </p>
<p>For the project, chairs and sculptural letters can be placed in public areas; passersby are then free to rearrange in them into different forms, words and phrases. There are multiple locations, and cameras are constantly recording the people, allowing them to communicate with people in the other Parrhesiastic Play locations around the world. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/117203/original/image-20160403-6809-1tfaj15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/117203/original/image-20160403-6809-1tfaj15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117203/original/image-20160403-6809-1tfaj15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117203/original/image-20160403-6809-1tfaj15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117203/original/image-20160403-6809-1tfaj15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117203/original/image-20160403-6809-1tfaj15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117203/original/image-20160403-6809-1tfaj15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parrhesiastic Play.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Zenovia Toloudi / Studio Z, Awarded proposal for Theatrum Mundi’s </span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>By linking physical spaces with a live webcam network, Parrhesiastic Play gives people a stage to “perform” before the cameras. It’s a playful way to comment on the rise of surveillance while interacting with a large audience. </p>
<p>While this is just one project, I hope to, in my own way, comment on the need to create architecture for the public that integrates the “free” dialogue that happens in the realm of social media with physical, everyday activities. Parrhesiastic Play is one example of how it’s possible to create user-friendly structures in public squares that promote dialogue and social interaction, while reinforcing freedom of speech and democracy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/56124/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zenovia Toloudi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many praise the internet as a democratizing force. But with online spaces replacing physical public squares as places for debate, what do we risk losing?Zenovia Toloudi, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Studio Art, Dartmouth CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/604602016-06-06T16:24:15Z2016-06-06T16:24:15ZPublic spaces are going private – and our cities will suffer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125373/original/image-20160606-13067-r5e1mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewmalone/15297005832/sizes/l">andrewmalone/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Recently, San Francisco’s parks department tested a policy which allowed groups to pay to reserve areas of grass in Dolores Park. Although the authority <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/24/san-francisco-dolores-park-reservation-policy-retracted">hurriedly backtracked</a> after an outcry from local residents, this incident represents a <a href="http://www.annaminton.com/#!ground-control/n8aal">worrying global trend</a> towards the privatisation of public spaces. </p>
<p>Across the world, parks, plazas and promenades – which were once in the hands of public authorities – are coming under the control of private corporations. </p>
<p>In some cases, you won’t even notice the difference. For instance, the recently regenerated area around Kings Cross in London features one of the <a href="https://www.kingscross.co.uk/parks-open-spaces">largest open spaces in Europe</a>; it is publicly accessible, but ownership remains <a href="https://www.kingscross.co.uk/development">in private hands</a>. </p>
<p>In other cases, the consequences are more troubling. Earlier this year in Little Stoke, south Gloucestershire, the parish council became the first in the world to vote to <a href="http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Little-Stoke-parkrun-cancels-Saturday-s-event/story-29109957-detail/story.html">charge Parkrun</a> – a free running event that is organised in 12 countries – a fee to use its grounds. The run was subsequently cancelled. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, in London, an old adventure playground in Battersea Park has been replaced by an ordinary swings and slides park, and a new “Go Ape” tree-top adventure ground, which costs £18 for a small child to use.</p>
<p>What’s more, open spaces are increasingly being created within gated communities, where access is restricted to those who can pay to live there. An extreme example of this can be seen in the branded housing projects, which are providing most new open space in Istanbul – a city where only 1.5% of the land is dedicated to public, green spaces.</p>
<h2>Why privatise?</h2>
<p>Part of the explanation for this trend is that local authorities are increasingly using existing public spaces to raise funds, by charging for events or leasing their spaces to companies. In many cases, cash-strapped authorities are suffering from <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Place-Keeping-Open-Space-Management-in-Practice/Dempsey-Smith-Burton/p/book/9780415856683">public sector cuts</a>, and trying to improve or maintain their open spaces by entering into deals with private organisations. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125372/original/image-20160606-13080-dun2qu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125372/original/image-20160606-13080-dun2qu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125372/original/image-20160606-13080-dun2qu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125372/original/image-20160606-13080-dun2qu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125372/original/image-20160606-13080-dun2qu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125372/original/image-20160606-13080-dun2qu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125372/original/image-20160606-13080-dun2qu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kings Cross makeover comes at a price.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/erase/10007369123/sizes/l">erase/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For instance, the UK government has introduced <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-improvement-districts">Business Improvement Districts</a>, where local businesses pay a levy to secure extra developments or services in their area. But these arrangements <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2427.2006.00643.x/full">have been criticised</a> for prioritising commercial interests, rather than focusing on what will benefit the community. </p>
<p>Internationally, the public sector is under no obligation to provide public spaces, so in many cases, there’s no incentive for authorities to forgo opportunities to privatise them. What’s more, many local governments have realised that attractively designed and well-maintained spaces can help to attract investors and certain types of users (namely, people with spending power).</p>
<h2>Exploring the options</h2>
<p>Universities and public sector organisations around the North Sea are researching alternative approaches to privatisation, as part of a project called <a href="http://www.mp4-interreg.eu/">Making Places Profitable</a>. </p>
<p>The Municipality of Emmen, in the Netherlands, experimented with a radical approach, giving power to the local people. Citizens were given responsibility for the management of public spaces, while local community councils were given budgetary controls, as well as the chance to test a locally-managed maintenance standard. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125375/original/image-20160606-13061-6j8tt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125375/original/image-20160606-13061-6j8tt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125375/original/image-20160606-13061-6j8tt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125375/original/image-20160606-13061-6j8tt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125375/original/image-20160606-13061-6j8tt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125375/original/image-20160606-13061-6j8tt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125375/original/image-20160606-13061-6j8tt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Open up, Unilever HQ.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mariano-mantel/14325027964/sizes/l">miradortigre/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And in Hamburg, the publicly-owned waterfront regeneration company – HafenCity GmbH – required Unilever to open up the ground floor of its new world headquarters to the public, as a condition for planning permission. These experimental approaches are still few and far between, and their long-term impacts are not yet clear. </p>
<p>Yet it’s vital for cities to find ways to preserve, manage and create new public spaces. For one thing, the physical and mental health benefits of using green open spaces are becoming ever <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/10/9/4086/htm">more apparent to researchers</a>. But perhaps more importantly, public spaces are the essence of a city. They are physical manifestations of the public sphere; places where different voices in society can be heard, and where people from all walks of life can meet – free of charge.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/60460/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Harry Smith receives funding from the British Council Newton Fund and ESRC. He has also received funding from the Interreg IVB North Sea Programme. </span></em></p>Open public spaces are good for mind and body – we shouldn’t have to pay to use them.Harry Smith, Associate Professor and Director of Planning and Real Estate, Heriot-Watt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/587902016-05-09T03:20:51Z2016-05-09T03:20:51ZBuild in good services from day one for healthier communities: lessons from Selandra Rise<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121314/original/image-20160505-1305-3dflqk.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many things go into making a healthy community, so the earlier services and infrastructure become available, the better.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cecily Maller</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Building new residential communities is no mean feat. Building healthy new communities is an even greater challenge. Released today by VicHealth, our <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/selandra-rise">five-year study</a> into the creation of one such community, <a href="http://cur.org.au/project/selandra-rise-researching-planning-for-health-and-wellbeing/">Selandra Rise</a> in Melbourne’s south-east growth corridor, points to the need for providing good services and integrated planning early on.</p>
<p>In most Australian cities new communities are usually set on greenfield sites. These have limited pre-existing infrastructure and services. Aside from housing and connections to water and electricity networks, at the bare minimum communities need parks, schools, shops, health services, public transport and roads. </p>
<p>Although the models and timing of the delivery of services and infrastructure vary, housing is usually delivered long before such essential services. For this reason early residents in new communities are often called “pioneers”. </p>
<p>Debates continue about the timing and delivery of public infrastructure in new communities. At the heart of the issue are two conflicting viewpoints. </p>
<p>The economic rationalist view requires a big enough population to ensure viability of services such as public transport or shops before these are delivered. In contrast, a health promotion perspective calls for health-enabling facilities, infrastructure and services from day one. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121442/original/image-20160505-19848-cbegf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121442/original/image-20160505-19848-cbegf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121442/original/image-20160505-19848-cbegf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=777&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121442/original/image-20160505-19848-cbegf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=777&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121442/original/image-20160505-19848-cbegf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=777&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121442/original/image-20160505-19848-cbegf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=977&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121442/original/image-20160505-19848-cbegf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=977&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121442/original/image-20160505-19848-cbegf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=977&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A new community can be designed in ways that promote healthier ‘active transport’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cecily Maller</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Major life changes such as moving house create an opportunity to intervene in unhealthy lifestyles and encourage new residents to adopt healthier travel practices, or “active transport”. Examples include walking, cycling and taking public transport. However, the lack of infrastructure and services in the early years can force residents of new communities into car dependency.</p>
<h2>Long-term returns on early investment</h2>
<p>Taking a longer-term view and considering broader economic impacts, the health promotion perspective makes more sense. That’s because having healthier communities reduces the cost of the burden of disease. </p>
<p>Recent work on obesity by Pricewaterhouse Coopers estimates the potential cost savings. A <a href="http://www.pwc.com.au/obesity">2015 study</a> found that if no action is taken, obesity and its health impacts are estimated to cost the Australian economy A$87.7 billion from 2015-2025. Over the same timeframe, it shows interventions to target obesity would provide a benefit of $2.1 billion. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, this report did not include environmental interventions such as active transport. Filling this gap, a <a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/how-the-world-could-better-fight-obesity">2014 report by the McKinsey Global Institute</a> argues interventions to “reset” default lifestyle patterns – without relying on conscious choices by individuals – will play a vital role in improving population health. This, in turn, will cost-effectively reduce health-care costs and improve productivity. </p>
<p>An example is designing urban environments that promote physical activity. As others have pointed out, such interventions involve sectors beyond health – such as finance, transportation and urban planning. These sectors will “<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3417037/">arguably have the greatest influence in creating environments conducive to obesity prevention</a>”, as well as reducing other negative health outcomes of sedentary lifestyles. </p>
<h2>What did the project set out to do?</h2>
<p>Early delivery of health-enabling infrastructure and services requires long-term planning, co-operation and partnerships among multiple government and non-government partners. </p>
<p>As a new community, the <a href="https://www.planning.org.au/viccontent/selandra-rise">Selandra Rise demonstration project</a> presented an opportunity to explore such an approach. Our research set out to evaluate the viability and success of embedding principles of health and wellbeing into urban planning as a blueprint for future communities. </p>
<p>A key outcome was the early delivery of some facilities and services. These included a community centre, a school and a park before or close to when the first residents moved in. More parks were completed within two to three years. </p>
<p>Public transport via a bus service was delivered after three years, before standard business practice of about five years. This service connected residents to the Cranbourne shopping centre and train station.</p>
<h2>What did the study find?</h2>
<p>Our research, funded by VicHealth, assessed key design features. It was undertaken by RMIT University’s Centre for Urban Research in collaboration with Stockland, the Metropolitan Planning Authority, the City of Casey and the Planning Institute of Australia. </p>
<p>The research found the community centre reduced social isolation for some residents; provided a meeting place for new mothers and residents planning the community garden; and was a hub for other community development activities. </p>
<p>Overall, residents were more satisfied with opportunities to meet people compared to those living in pre-Selandra Rise neighbourhoods. Our research also showed that residents were more satisfied with parks at Selandra Rise. </p>
<p>Although 42% reported that physical activity increased on moving there, most reported no change or their physical activity decreased. We found decreasing physical activity and weight gain were associated with long commute times. More than one-third of residents commute over an hour each way to the CBD or northern suburbs. </p>
<p>This finding illustrates the importance of the spatial dynamics of where people live and work. Integrated planning across housing and transport systems is needed. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121322/original/image-20160505-13603-dcsxg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121322/original/image-20160505-13603-dcsxg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121322/original/image-20160505-13603-dcsxg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=611&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121322/original/image-20160505-13603-dcsxg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=611&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121322/original/image-20160505-13603-dcsxg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=611&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121322/original/image-20160505-13603-dcsxg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=768&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121322/original/image-20160505-13603-dcsxg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=768&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121322/original/image-20160505-13603-dcsxg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=768&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Having a bus service can make a big difference to the lives of some residents.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cecily Maller</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite most residents using their cars to get to and from work, the bus was shown to be highly important. It provided a vital service to residents without access to other forms of transport or who were reliant on other household members for a lift. </p>
<p>After the bus was introduced, public transport patronage (a combination of bus and/or train), although not high to begin with, returned to the same level it was in residents’ previous neighbourhoods (14%). </p>
<p>The early delivery of some key features of Selandra Rise has had small but positive impacts on health and well-being. However, such gains are unevenly distributed in the resident population and were offset by long commute times and increasing resident dissatisfaction with this. </p>
<p>The early delivery of services at Selandra Rise is a step towards integrating health into community planning, but more needs to be done. Early delivery in new residential areas depends on partnerships and long-term collaboration, involving multiple levels of government, planning authorities, developers and service providers. </p>
<p>Any blueprint for the creation of healthy communities in the future requires that early delivery and integrated planning for resident health become standard practice. Many things will be required to make this happen – including, above all, a whole-of-government strategy for implementation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/58790/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cecily Maller receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program of the Australian Government. For the research cited in this article, she received funding from VicHealth's Research Practice Fellowship scheme, with additional funds provided by the Metropolitan Planning Authority, The City of Casey, and Stockland. She is affiliated with the Institute of Australian Geographers and The Australian Sociological Association.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Larissa Nicholls has previously received funding from the Consumer Advocacy Panel and Consumer Action Law Centre for research unrelated to this article.</span></em></p>Early residents in new communities are known as ‘pioneers’ – they arrive before many services are in place. A five-year study points to the many benefits of putting in good services early on.Cecily Maller, Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellow, RMIT UniversityLarissa Nicholls, Research Fellow, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/564212016-04-24T20:51:37Z2016-04-24T20:51:37ZMost people just park themselves, so how do we promote more healthy activity in public parks?<p>Parks are central to the concept of liveable cities. They are an important public resource that provide opportunities for people of all ages to be physically active, connect socially with family and friends, meet and interact with others, and for children to play freely. </p>
<p>Despite the opportunities parks present for physical activity, our Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition research, in partnership with Parks Victoria, Brimbank City Council, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation and City West Water, has shown that parks are generally under-utilised and most visitors are <a href="http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-1960-6">not very active in the park</a>.</p>
<p>It is predicted that Australia’s <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/3222.0Media%20Release12012%20(base)%20to%202101">population will double by 2075</a>, with most growth expected in capital cities. By 2026 it is expected that <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3222.0Main%20Features82012%20(base)%20to%202101?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3222.0&issue=2012%20(base)%20to%202101&num=&view=">two-thirds more people will live in Melbourne</a> alone. Similar growth is expected in <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3222.0Main%20Features32012%20(base)%20to%202101?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3222.0&issue=2012%20(base)%20to%202101&num=&view=">other major urban centres</a> across Australia. </p>
<p>This means more people living and working in higher-density neighbourhoods in the very near future. And, in turn, there will be more people needing to use parks to maintain their physical and mental health. </p>
<p>Thankfully, parks are available in most neighbourhoods, are generally free to use and are enjoyed by diverse population groups. But population growth will increase demand on existing parks and heighten the need to provide sufficient and appropriately designed parks. </p>
<p>The availability of high-quality parks will be critical for future generations. Unfortunately, local councils often need to justify keeping existing parks and providing for essential maintenance and refurbishment. </p>
<h2>Why do park activities matter?</h2>
<p>Inactivity is one of the top contributors to the burden of disease in Australia, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and is one of the drivers of the current obesity epidemic. A staggering 70% of children and adolescents and 60% of adults do not do enough physical activity. </p>
<p>This is where parks provide an important free venue where people can be active. Examples of this include walking, jogging, cycling, group fitness, ball sports and exercising the dog. Walking to parks provides further opportunities for people to be active. </p>
<p>Just last week an international study involving 14 cities in ten countries found that the more parks people had near home, the <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)01284-2/abstract">more active they were</a>.</p>
<p>In our recent study, however, we observed activity levels of park visitors and found that, of 4,756 visitors, most (62%) were reclining, sitting or standing. Only 29% were observed in moderate-intensity activities such as brisk walking and 9% in vigorous-intensity activities such as jogging. </p>
<p>Although spending time in parks may benefit mental health, it is important to provide settings that encourage park users to engage in physical activity. This includes overcoming some of the barriers to visiting and being active in parks, such as: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>safety concerns about strangers in the park;</p></li>
<li><p>parents not allowing children to visit the park without parental supervision;</p></li>
<li><p>poor park quality, condition and attractiveness;</p></li>
<li><p>lack of suitable facilities and amenities;</p></li>
<li><p>unsuitable size for physical activity; and</p></li>
<li><p>poor access making parks difficult to reach.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>So how can we promote more active use?</h2>
<p>Creating new parks or modifying existing parks to provide amenities and facilities that encourage visitors to engage in physical activity may be important long-term ways to increase physical activity in our community and enhance liveability. </p>
<p>However, to increase park visits and physical activity we need to know what features and amenities are needed for whom and what is most important. It is essential to understand these factors so we can design and create parks that meet the needs of our growing population.</p>
<p>Several natural experiments we have conducted have started to examine just this. We are conducting a study to examine the impact of installing a playscape <a href="http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-14-600">in a large metropolitan park</a>. </p>
<p>A previous study in a small park (25,000m²) found that modest improvements (installing a small playground, walking track, off-leash dog area and landscaping) resulted in increases of more than 400% in park use and 600% in people <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22608379">engaged in vigorous physical activity</a>. So even modest improvements can dramatically increase park usage and physical activity.</p>
<p>Parks are fundamental to vibrant and healthy liveable cities. Evidence-based planning and investment are needed to protect, maintain and improve our parks. This will enable parks to attract visitors, provide opportunities for a range of physical activities and meet the needs of a growing population in a changing urban landscape.</p>
<p>In particular, based on our research, we offer these conclusions: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Government policy at all levels is needed to protect existing green space.</p></li>
<li><p>Government policy on access to green space must consider the quality and usability of the space.</p></li>
<li><p>Guidelines for optimal park size, placement and design are needed to maximise visitor numbers and enhance levels of physical activity and social connectedness.</p></li>
<li><p>Parks must be designed to be appealing and beneficial for people of all ages.</p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/56421/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jenny Veitch is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (ID 1053426). She has received relevant funding from the Australian Research Council, VicHealth and City West Water.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna Timperio is supported by a National Heart Foundation of Australia Future Leader Fellowship (Award 100046). She has received relevant funding from the Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, US National Institutes of Health (sub-award), Department of Human Services, VicHealth, Healthway and City West Water. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jo Salmon is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Principal Research Fellowship (APP1026216). She has received relevant funding from the Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, US National Institutes of Health (sub-award), Department of Human Services, VicHealth and City West Water.</span></em></p>Parks are found in most neighbourhoods, generally free to use and are enjoyed by diverse groups. Although most visitors don’t use parks for physical activity, modest improvements can change that.Jenny Veitch, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin UniversityAnna Timperio, NHF Future Leader Fellow, Deakin UniversityJo Salmon, Alfred Deakin Professor, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/561472016-04-12T01:18:32Z2016-04-12T01:18:32ZIs there a place for dogs in public space, or must they make do with ‘dog parks’?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/115652/original/image-20160319-4417-1dn2p2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Do we see Yarra Trail in South Yarra, Melbourne, as being purely for people, or should dogs be able to enjoy it too? </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Who let the dogs out? I’m sure one of us did! </p>
<p>In saying this, <em>you</em> might not have ever chosen to domesticate dogs, but <em>we</em> as a species did. Likewise, you might not feel any obligation towards dogs – indeed, you might not even like them – but we as a species surely owe dogs something in exchange for our historical actions. </p>
<p>After all, dogs didn’t ask to be domesticated and live alongside us; we thrust that upon them. By forcing them to live as our companions, we must be responsible for their welfare. That is, unless we as a society subscribe to some primitive master-slave relationship between us and our companion animals.</p>
<p>As humans, we routinely think of ourselves before other species. We like to think of ourselves as a <em>humanitarian</em> species, after all. We recognise our own need to flourish and to act in the community’s best interests. </p>
<p>Where <a href="https://theconversation.com/johnny-depps-dogs-show-evolving-ideas-of-animal-citizenship-41968">animals do succeed in gaining rights</a>, those rights exist only because we have let it happen. We as a species control the supply and distribution of rights. We grant animals certain rights simply because it was in our interests, at that moment, to act in favour of animals.</p>
<h2>The public dog</h2>
<p>Dog ownership is hugely popular in Australia. For instance, my research estimates that Melbourne has <em>at least</em> one dog for every eight people: that’s a lot of dogs. Since humans invited (forced) dogs to join us in urban environments, we have a basic ethical obligation to face the consequences of our collective actions.</p>
<p>By commonly describing dogs both as <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201105/journal-animal-ethics-banning-common-words-describe-pets-and-other-animals">being <em>owned</em> by</a> and <a href="http://www.ava.com.au/policy/61-benefits-pets-and-human%E2%80%93animal-bond"><em>companions</em> for</a> people, we are essentially describing dogs as human accessories. Can a dog be a dog <em>without</em> their human companion? What individual identity is a dog entitled to? These questions ponder the inferior position of dogs in their pack.</p>
<p>Urban parks are a melting pot for human-dog interactions and a great place to explore attitudes towards planning urban places for dogs. In practice, urban parks are primarily designed with humans in mind. Urban parks are sites of <a href="https://theconversation.com/public-park-or-private-gym-boot-camps-or-bloody-nuisance-11664">contested uses</a>, manifestations of <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-events-help-fund-public-parks-but-theres-a-cost-too-21343">conflicting community priorities</a> and anthropocentric values.</p>
<p>All the while, dogs sit (and stay) along the edge of this debate. Dogs are important <em>users</em> of urban parks, but are clearly not important <em>stakeholders</em>. Whether an urban park can be safely negotiated by dogs is clearly not the primary consideration of planners. </p>
<p>Human luxuries, such as unfenced playgrounds and oversized sports fields, dominate the anthropocentric interests of planning urban parks. <a href="http://soacconference.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Carter..pdf">My research</a> finds that these exclusive uses tend to exclude dogs (and perhaps others), rather than promote the sharing of a public resource.</p>
<h2>Not in our backyard …</h2>
<p>There is a common perception that dogs make a mess and increase maintenance and upkeep of urban parks, digging holes and <a href="http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/pets/dogs/legal-requirements-for-dog-owners/dog-poo">leaving dog litter everywhere</a>. Dogs are utterly incapable of taking responsibility for their own actions, let alone the actions of other dogs, and yet we punish <em>all</em> dogs because of the actions of a few irresponsible dog <em>owners</em>. </p>
<p>Do humans suffer the same fate? Of course not. We don’t generalise human misbehaviour in the same way as we do for dogs, nor do we show the same intolerance of human wear-and-tear. In other words, urban parks are <em>intended</em> for people.</p>
<p>When we do create “dog parks”, however, we typically locate them in remote places. Out of sight and out of mind, dogs can do whatever they like so long as it is “not in my backyard”. </p>
<p>The need for dog parks also goes curiously unchallenged in practice: are these parks for dogs, or are they <em>really</em> for the dog owners? How can we know what the needs of dogs actually are?</p>
<h2>And so who let the dogs out?</h2>
<p>The answer to this question is simple, but the ethical consequences are only too real. As Melbourne is tipped to exceed seven million people in the next couple of decades, increasing demands will be made of its precious urban parks. And with seven million people, how many dogs will there be? </p>
<p>Dogs are a polarising force in the community and more people will bring more dogs into higher-density communities. The problem of dogs in urban parks and the public realm more broadly is here to stay. Resolving it will become more critical in years to come. </p>
<p>Understanding our own human inclinations ought to help us plan better urban spaces for both humans and dogs alike.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/56147/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Carter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Dogs are important users of urban parks, but these are clearly designed for the use of people – except for a few out-of-the-way dog parks. Is that fair to dogs that have no say about living among us?Simon Carter, Sessional Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/472212015-09-10T05:32:44Z2015-09-10T05:32:44ZHow should we design cities to make the most of urban ecosystems?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/94269/original/image-20150909-18672-539wsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/quintanomedia/15351915006/sizes/l">Anthony Quintano/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Back in 1839, public health expert J F Murray published his article <a href="http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.42305420;view=1up;seq=230">The Lungs of London</a>, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine. Even then, city dwellers appreciated the advantages of open, green spaces. Murray described the benefits of the parks of London as “great vehicles of exercise, fresh air, health, and life to the myriads that congregate in the great metropolis”.</p>
<p>Living in cities offers numerous advantages in terms of employment, education, healthcare and social communication, among others. But urban living also comes with its challenges: in particular, urban environments can put a strain on mental and physical health, because they tend to be noisy, polluted, overcrowded and hot. </p>
<p>Ecologists are increasingly turning their attention to urban areas, in an effort to find solutions to these problems. Their work is beginning to show us how cities can be designed to accommodate all the advantages – and minimise the disadvantages – of urban living. </p>
<h2>A public service</h2>
<p>Specifically, urban ecologists are considering how we can enhance “<a href="http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org/EcosystemAssessmentConcepts/EcosystemServices/tabid/103/Default.aspx">ecosystem services</a>” for those living and working in cities. It is now widely recognised that ecosystems – including urban ecosystems such as parks, protected areas and waterways – provide essential services for people. Temperature regulation, air purification, noise reduction, human well-being, carbon storage (both above and below ground), water infiltration, agricultural production, pollination, and pest control are examples of the services that urban ecosystems can provide. </p>
<p>Of course, besides services there are also so-called disservices, such as noise pollution and high temperatures, that can be associated with open spaces. For instance, some people find that the dawn chorus of birds in spring affects their sleep patterns, or that they suffer from hayfever when there are high pollen counts.</p>
<p>But now, armed with an understanding of ecosystems and the services they provide, ecologists are now able to shine some light on a central question in urban planning: should cities be designed so that intensive and extremely compact urbanisation sits alongside separate, large, continuous green spaces – an approach known as “land-sparing”? Or, is it better to adopt “land-sharing”, where compact green spaces are scattered throughout the urban sprawl? </p>
<h2>New research</h2>
<p>A <a href="http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/140286">recent study</a> by researchers from the University of Exeter and Hokkaido University, Japan, found that land-sparing is the most effective approach to maintain the majority of ecosystem services. But they also recognise that some degree of land-sharing is important, especially when it comes to the ecosystem services that benefit our well-being. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/94274/original/image-20150909-18658-1n3ogp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/94274/original/image-20150909-18658-1n3ogp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94274/original/image-20150909-18658-1n3ogp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94274/original/image-20150909-18658-1n3ogp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94274/original/image-20150909-18658-1n3ogp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94274/original/image-20150909-18658-1n3ogp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94274/original/image-20150909-18658-1n3ogp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A bit of both.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/14366479257/sizes/l">Lawrence OP/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Being near high-quality green space can provide important health benefits, as well as “cultural ecosystem services”, such as places for recreation, spiritual and religious enrichment, education, cultural heritage, inspiration, social gatherings, and cultural diversity. If a city is to provide these services, it needs to be designed so that people can quickly and easily access green spaces as part of their everyday activities.</p>
<p>The authors of the study concluded that the best way to ensure the optimum distribution of development and green space is to take a top-down, policy-led approach. Changing the design of a city is no easy matter, but we know from experience that it can be done. </p>
<h2>Sharing or sparing?</h2>
<p>As far back as 1809, architect John Nash began work on Regent’s Park in London, where much of his input can still be seen today. In 1858, Frederick Olmsted won the competition to design Central Park in the heart of New York. And in the 1870s, Baron Haussmann – who was charged with redesigning Paris – wanted to join the Bois de Boulogne with the Bois de Vincennes to make a green belt around the city. </p>
<p>These are all perfect examples of land-sparing, but it is worth noting that these green spaces were established when the cities were already in the process of being redesigned. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/94272/original/image-20150909-18642-1aj7ui0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/94272/original/image-20150909-18642-1aj7ui0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94272/original/image-20150909-18642-1aj7ui0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94272/original/image-20150909-18642-1aj7ui0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94272/original/image-20150909-18642-1aj7ui0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94272/original/image-20150909-18642-1aj7ui0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94272/original/image-20150909-18642-1aj7ui0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tempelhof Park in May 2010.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Tempelhofer_Flugfeld_Mai_2010.jpg">Times/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A more recent example of land-sparing is the 300 hectare Tempelhof Airport in Berlin. The site was earmarked for development, but the <a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2014/05/27/berlin-residents-block-plans-for-tempelhof-airport/">public voted to retain it</a> as a large, open, green space in May 2014. Ingo Gräning, of the state-run Tempelhof Project <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/05/how-berliners-refused-to-give-tempelhof-airport-over-to-developers">stated</a>: “No other city would treat itself to such a crown jewel [of open space]”. </p>
<p>Of course, not all cities have enough available land to “treat” themselves in this way. In densely-built cities like Hong Kong, the opportunity to create large open spaces may never arise. Berlin is an exception – many cities do not have the option of dropping a large park into a built-up area, and in most cases it is not feasible to combine lots of small parks and gardens into a large green area. A lot depends on the history of a city and its geography, and land-sparing is not an option for every location.</p>
<p>Ebenezer Howard – the first modern urban planner theorist – recognised this, when he initiated <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2014/mar/17/ebbsfleet-garden-city-george-osborne">the Garden City movement</a> in 1898. His aim was to bring the advantages of nature to city dwellers, by introducing compact green areas and small parks into cities. The <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/apr/20/garden-cities-can-green-spaces-bring-health-and-happiness">first examples</a> of Howard’s organised land-sharing can still be seen today, in the UK towns of Letchworth and Welwyn.</p>
<p>So when asking ourselves which approach is best, there is no straightforward answer. Whether land-sparing or land-sharing is most effective will depend on the context; factors such as the shape of the land and the existing developments in the area will all play a part. But there is no doubt that cities benefit from the services offered by urban ecosystems, and both land-sparing and land-sharing are important means of providing these advantages.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/47221/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Philip James receives funding from NERC and Natural England</span></em></p>Having all your green in one place or not has been taxing urban planners for some time.Philip James, Professor of ecology, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.