Neal Peirce says this is a 'bonanza decade' for parks, thanks to the many benefits of parks to cities and a 'wow' factor found in some of the newest parks around the U.S., including St. Louis' Citygarden and Manhattan's High Line Park.
"For St. Louis, for years so forsaken its downtown had the feel of a big and mostly empty living room, the public's warm embrace of Citygarden caps a remarkable comeback decade which has seen the center city draw 5,000 residents and more than $4 billion in new investment.
But there's no single formula for new parks. Just climb up a short flight of stairs to the newly-opened 'High Line' park on Manhattan's West Side. You'll find clusters of families and couples strolling, chatting, sipping lemonade and nibbling on waffles or sandwiches along what for years constituted a desolate and weed-choked stretch of abandoned elevated freight railroad track."
Thanks to Alek Miller
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