Cooper Marcus, C. & N.H. Greene, 1997, Miniparks and vest-pocket parks, in: Cooper Marcus, C. & C. Francis, ‘People places’, Wiley & Sons, Ontario
- Author : Cooper Marcus, C. & N.H. Greene
- Year : 1997
- English Title : Miniparks and vest-pocket parks
- Published in Book : People places
- Pages : 149-174
- Abstract in English : This chapter offers guidelines and recommendations for the design of imparks and vest-pocket parks. It is dealing with: History and desciption of small neighbourhood parks. The name minipark is relative: in big cities of New York and Philadelphia, a minipark may be only twenty feet wide. In Texas, one minipark turned out to be three acres, But usually they are one to tree lots in size. They have ranged in Costs from millions of dollars for Paley park in New York, built with private funds on high-rent commercial land, to a few hundred dollars if built with volunteer labour and donated materials on leased land. More than in almost any other open space plan, the designers of vest-pocket park or minipark must understand the neighbourhood’s social and political complexities. Because they are providing for a wide range of ages and habits of the people who may use the park at different times of day or night, they want to get help from facilitators in recruiting representatives from the neighbourhood who can help make decisions about control, use, and design. Design recommendations (and issues) pp. 151-166: site selection, location and size, design program (users, community involment), entrance, boundaries, functional areas, play areas, plant materials, surfaces, site furniture, maintenance. Case studies (3) of minipark (successful features/unsuccessful features) pp. 166-171; References pp. 171-172. Design review checklist (59 points of attention: site selection, design program, entrance boundaries, function areas and circulation, play areas, plant materials, site furniture) pp. 173-174.