New Parks Across US Boom, Dazzle

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.

1 minute read

September 8, 2009, 2:00 PM PDT

By Alek Miller


"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

Friday, September 4, 2009 in Citiwire.net

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