Park
A
park is any of a number of geographic features.
Originally, the term referred to an area maintained as open space where residences, industry and farming were not allowed, often originally so that nobility might have a place to hunt. These were known for instance, as
deer parks (deer being originally a term meaning any wild animal). Many
country houses in
Great Britain and
Ireland still have parks of this sort, which since the 18th century have often been carefully landscaped for aesthetic effect. They are usually a mixture of open grassland with scattered trees and sections of woodland, and are often enclosed by a high wall. The area immediately around the house is the garden. In some cases this will also feature sweeping lawns and scattered trees; the basic difference between a country house's park and its garden is that the park is grazed by animals, but they are excluded from the garden.
Today, the primary meaning, based on the original meaning, is an area of open space provided for recreational uses. Parks in this sense are usually owned and provided by the government. Park uses are often divided into two categories: active and passive recreation. Active recreation is that which require intensive development and often involves cooperative or team activity, including playgrounds and ball fields. Passive recreation is that which emphasizes the open-space aspect of a park and which involves a low level of development, including picnic areas and trails.
In some countries, especially the
United Kingdom, the concept of the
country park was popular in the
1970s, and many such parks were established with government support during that time. Country parks are often located near to urban populations, and provide recreational facilities typical of the countryside rather than the town.
In the
United States the concept of preserving unique landscapes for the pleasure of the people of the entire nation was established on
June 30,
1864, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill creating
the Yosemite Grant. But
Yellowstone National Park became the first
National Park in
1872. A policy of preservation, rather than co-usage as in the
National Forests, where grazing, farming and logging are licensed, was implemented four decades later during the presidential administration of Teddy Roosevelt, and Yosemite became a National Park. Tourism and, later, recreation, were the intended purposes of the lands Roosevelt set aside in the system.
John Muir was instrumental in this effort. These parks were ultimately termed
national parks and today constitute the US National Park System. Similarly, US state governments have also set aside and continue to set aside lands of various sizes to preserve them for the enjoyment of the public. National and regional parks are found in many other countries, and vary greatly in the sort of management and administration which they enjoy. There are also
national parks in many other countries; the usage of the term varies greatly from one country to another.
A linear park is a park that has a much greater length than width. A typical example of a linear park is a section of a former railway that has been converted into a park (i.e. the tracks removed, vegetation allowed to grow back).
The term park is also used in reference to industrial areas, often termed
industrial parks. Some technology research areas are also called
research parks. Small environmental areas, often part of urban renewal plans, are called
pocket parks. The word park may also be used in community names, such as
Oak Park or
College Park. Sometimes the active recreational aspect may be expressed in the extreme of naming an
amusement park, usually privately-owned. A
car park is an area of land or a building in which cars are parked.
*
Amstel Park,
Amsterdam,
Holland*
Banff National Park,
Canada*
Birkenhead Park,
England*
Bois de la Cambre,
Brussels,
Belgium*
Casa de Campo,
Madrid,
Spain*
Central Park,
Manhattan,
New York*
Chain of Lakes Park,
Minneapolis,
Minnesota*
Everglades National Park,
Florida,
USA*
Englischer Garten,
Munich,
Germany*
Fairmount Park,
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania*
Forest Park,
Portland,
Oregon*
Golden Gate Park,
San Francisco,
California*
Hong Kong Country Parks*
Hyde Park,
London,
United Kingdom*
Hyde Park,
Sydney,
Australia*
Kaivopuisto,
Helsinki,
Finland*
Parks and gardens of
Melbourne,
Australia*
Mill Ends Park,
Portland,
Oregon*
Millennium Park,
Chicago,
Illinois*
Mount Royal Park,
Montreal,
Quebec*
Greenbelt,
Ottawa*
Parks and gardens of
Paris,
France*
Park von Muskau,
Bad Muskau,
Germany*
People's Park,
Berkeley,
California*
Phoenix Park,
Dublin,
Ireland*
Piedmont Park,
Atlanta,
Georgia*
Royal Parks of
London,
England*
Parque Simon Bolivar,
Bogotá,
Colombia *
Stanley Park,
Vancouver,
British Columbia*
Sutton Park,
Sutton Coldfield,
Birmingham,
England*
Yellowstone National Park,
United States*
Yosemite National Park,
California*
Urban park*
List of national parks*
List of municipal parks in the United States*
Greenway (landscape)*
Public Open Space*
London Parks*
Essay on public parks*
The Trust for Public Land Center for City Park Excellence*
UK Government Policy on parks
