Park planning in the fifth era: Perceptions of selected Texas professional

Public parks are, essentially, an American invention. The first public park designed expressly for a democratic client was Central Park in New York City. Its designers were Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1857. Since that time there have been thousands of other parks designed around the world to provide recreational opportunities to millions of people. The need for parks and recreation continually changes. Parks have become more than just amenities for the community; they have become a necessity. Initially, parks were planned and designed to relieve the people from crowded and diseased cities. Parks were known as places of retreat and spaces to connect with nature. Historically, changes in society and politics, from as far back as the nineteenth century, have resulted in four shifts or "Park Eras" (as defined by Galen Cranz). These historical changes had far-reaching effects on the profession of landscape architecture, as well as on the ways parks were viewed, used, planned, designed, financed and maintained. Each shift was a response to the changing times and the changing needs of society.;This thesis proposes a new fifth shift in park planning in the twenty first century. The objectives are: (1) To identify the current trends in park planning as perceived by selected Texas professionals, and (2) To identify the impacts that the fifth era in park planning has on the field of landscape architecture. It is the intent of this thesis to identify the characteristics of the new park era and yield insights about the challenges in park planning. Landscape architects were leaders in each of the four earlier eras of park planning. In order for landscape architects to continue in that leadership role, they must understand the emerging trends and changes. These changes are significant and necessary, and need to be understood and applied by the appropriate design professionals and leaders.;The fifth era in park planning continues to emerge from the needs of society. There are two park movements occurring at this time. One is occurring in existing urban park systems and the other in the new urban and suburban park systems. The existing urban park systems across the United States are reviving their parks by redesigning or enhancing the existing amenities to meet the needs of today's park user. The new urban and suburban parks are including the new trends in undeveloped parks. In either case, emerging trends and issues are evident in both movements.;Trends in park planning, have evolved to consider a larger range of issues and a variety of needs for different people. One trend seen today is the range of people that are interested in parks. Today's public park users consist of infants to senior citizens and people with disabilities. Another trend emerging in both existing and new park systems are the need to provide a variety of amenities and facilities. Both existing and new park systems, for example, are incorporating facilities such as water parks and dog parks. Park advocate groups are a popular trend. They provide park leaders support in park development and maintenance. With their help, city leaders have recognized the importance of parks and recreational facilities, but funding has become an issue. Park departments and private entities have built partnerships in order to fund public park projects. Another trend in park development is providing alternative design solutions to promote sustainable park design. Design professionals and park leaders are becoming aware of the impacts the new development has on the environment. New techniques are emerging in order to provide cost efficient park designs with lower maintenance regiment and continue to provide park facilities that meet the needs of the public park user.;In this research, open ended interviews are used to identify the perceptions, of selected Texas park professionals in park planning in the twentieth first century. These selected professionals share their perceptions based on their knowledge and experience in park planning.;Park planning in the fifth era, based from the literature found in this research and responses from the interviews of Texas park professionals, consists of an evolution of creative ideas to generate new techniques for more sustainable park systems. This era has yet to be defined as a whole, but the dynamic changes in today's society will generate diversity in park planning.;More time and research is needed to determine the fifth era in park planning. This study concludes with a summary of the findings and a discussion of how park planning impacts the field of landscape architecture. Suggestions for additional research needed on this topic are discussed in the summary section of the study.