A city needs parks for many reasons. They are for beauty, entertainment and buffer zones. There are many items included in parks such as plants, playground equipment, gardens, swimming pools, playgrounds and parking areas. When planning for city parks, these are some of the things to think about.
Cars, trains and buses make a lot of noise. That's why parks are used as buffer zones. A buffer zone is like a blockade in between, say, a nuclear power plant and a residential area that blocks out noise. This urban green space is landscaped to look natural. Parks should have many trees to make the noise softer. If people surrounded a park with trees, it would look nice and make the park virtually soundproof. People like parks and at the same time they block noise making them multiple usage areas.
Parks need to be convenient because people like to go to them every day for fun. Play lots are small areas made only for the use of children. They should be near residential areas. This makes it convenient for parent, because the children need their exercise every day. Usually parks include play equipment such as swings, slides, sandboxes and benches. Neighborhood playgrounds are designed for short term activities. Usually they are located next to public schools. They include sheltered structures, open space, multiple usage courts for games, fields, lights and parking areas. They can also have picnic areas, drinking fountains, paths for nature walks and bike paths. They can be from 1 to 3 acres in size. Children of all ages like to play here. All neighborhoods should have parks.
Another type of park is a community play field which has lots of athletic equipment, lighted courts and a field for games. There can be at least one per community and can be 5 acres in size.
What most people like in parks and think is convenient is picnic areas, volleyball courts, playing fields, golf, tennis and swimming pools. They also enjoy year-round recreational activities, classes and special events for all ages.
The government usually maintains and finances all parks which are paid for mostly by taxes. While more and more people are visiting our parks, fewer and fewer real dollars are going to maintain and preserve them. In national parks over the past 20 years people who visit them has increased by 40 million to more than 265 million in 1996. But funding has decreased by more than 600 million dollars. The government has been raising the entrance and concession fees to raise more money, but this still is not enough.
The government maintains power for parks. If the public wants the government to provide more power for the park, it will have to ask the government for permission. Many people believe the government is not putting back enough money to run facilities in the parks.
Beauty and cleanliness are both very important things for parks. Many parks have vandalism in them. People don't enjoy using a bathroom with graffiti all over it. Air and water pollution have also become problems. People can join together to protect, restore and sustain the environmental, cultural and economic values of these unique areas. People need to start preserving their natural resources in order to improve their living conditions.
Unfortunately, parks are getting worse. It seems like the more complicated technology gets, the more pollution there is. But there are also new designs that can make parks prettier and more attractive. People are noticing that they must start conserving energy, protecting wetlands, beaches, hillsides, farmlands, forests and flood plains.
Many parks are losing their natural resources. More and more people hear about smog, mercury and acid rain. Lots of resources can never be replaced once they are gone. Public land is a natural resource which must be carefully watched over and conserved.
Parks can make use of all types of technology. There are new designs for play equipment and swings that are safer. This equipment has a special type of padding that can stand wind and rain. Automatic sprinklers can be installed. Lights, video monitoring and phones should be available for security. Fountains can use recycled water and recycle bins should be available in every park. Bathrooms can have more things such as toilets and faucets that work automatically.
It would be neat if there were a park website. People could look up information about their city parks and find out what special events were going on there. They could also learn more about how to preserve the beauty in their parks.