LAURA R. MUSACCHIO, PhD, ASLA, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and is on the research faculty in the Metropolitan Design Center at the University of Minnesota. She is also a research scientist in urban ecology with the Central ArizonaPhoenix Long-Term Ecological Research project.
Acknowledgments vii
An Introduction to Small Parks 1
Overview of Park Planning and Design Concerns 10
1: Size, Shape, and Number 13
2: Connections and Edges 23
3: Appearance and Other Sensory Issues 33
4: Naturalness 42
5: Water 48
6: Plants 54
7:Wildlife 60
8: Climate and Air 67
9: Activities and Groups 73
10: Safety 83
1 1 : Management 88
12: Public Involvement 95
SUMMARY Lessons About Small Parks 100
Design Examples 102
EXAMPLE 1 : Taking Advantage of Stormwater Management in a New Suburban Area 104
EXAMPLE 2 : Rehabilitating a Park for Community Revitalization 111
EXAMPLE 3 : Renovating a Suburban Park for Water Quality and Active Recreation 116
EXAMPLE 4 : Redefining the New Urban Town Square 123
EXAMPLE 5: Reusing a Vacant Lot in the Center City 128
Design Development Guidelines 134
Design Development Issues in Brief 148
Key Words 175
References 179
Index 193