Public greenspace, like a city street or a room in a house, is a multipurpose environment. Some are created for very specific uses, while others accommodate almost any activity imaginable. What differentiates these greenspaces is the intention with which they were conceived. It seems to me that there are three categories of intention that encompass most public greenspace in an urban context:
1. Environmentally performative
Greenspace is one of nature's tools. Urban environments generally tend to be engineered as hardscapes, dominated by roads, sidewalks and buildings with impermeable roofs. Most water is handled through troughs, gutters and underground stormwater and sewer systems that carry it away, unseen until the occasional overflow. Greenspace can be used to mitigate that overflow, and to reduce the need for these systems in general. Soil and plants have a holding capacity for water that can slow down runoff or delay it for extended periods of time. These plants can also improve air quality and mitigate heat island effect if properly implemented.
2. Psychological / Aesthetic
Many greenspaces are intended to "beautify" urban environments. Flower beds often hold no purpose other than to change the look and feel of a space (obviously important from a design standpoint). Though I am not a psychology student, I know that providing views of plants can improve the moods and learning capacities of users. Beds can be as small as a window box or as grand-scale as the parterres and flowers at Versailles. This psychological effect is especially important in cities, where people are constantly surrounded by hard surfaces, sharp angles and loud noises.
3. Recreational / Social
Shared public space inherently encourages interaction, and greenspace invites recreation and relaxation. Many greenspaces are intended for play, exercise, picnics and socializing, but the mistake of a one-size-fits-all solution is often made. Our reading from class states the issue:
One of the problems with the simplistic notion that more parks are required when density is increased is that it does not consider the characteristics of people living in higher density environments. The idea assumes a homogeneous population of townhouse and apartment dwellers who need access to a generic park. –Jason Byrne and Neil Sipe. Griffith University Urban Research Program. Green and open space planning for urban consolidation – A review of the literature and best practice. March 2011.The key here is specificity. For a recreational and social greenspace to really work, the users and surroundings must be sufficiently researched and understood.
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| garden beds in a cobblestone square near Kastellet |
Greenspace in Copenhagen seems well orchestrated and highly valued by its users. Most of the parks that I have visited were in use: families walking dogs and pushing strollers, fitness buffs out for a run, couples riding bicycles, people laying about on blankets, and the occasional down-and-out individual with a cigarette and a pile of belongings.
Beyond the generic purposes that I have outlined already, Copenhagen uses greenspace as a planning tool. The Five Finger plan for urban development is exactly what it sounds like: five corridors of buildings, streets and public transportation that extend from the city center. These corridors are separated by wedges of greenspace, giving all residents easy access.
As we saw in our parks tour on Thursday, greenspace has also been integrated historically as the city developed. As Copenhagen transitioned from a medieval fortress to a larger defensible area with a moat, and eventually to a large metropolitan environment, the land had to be adapted over and over. Former moats are now urban ponds surrounded by green spaces. The military fort Kastellet is now home to a memorial for Denmark's troops and a gorgeous walking path that follows the pentagonal earthen walls. Repurposing these antiquated infrastructures is not only cheaper than totally razing and reworking them, but it can improve urban environments and the lives of urban citizens.
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| memorial to Denmark's deployed troops: ONE TIME – ONE PLACE – ONE HUMAN BEING |
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| walking along Kastellet's wall, looking back towards the gate |
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| looking out to sea from Kastellet |
This post focused mainly on the historic parks of Copenhagen. Next week, I'll be touring the more modern ones. Stay tuned for that write-up on Monday or Tuesday.
Robin
