PORTLAND PARK BLOCKS
GREAT PARKS ARE:
1.
Located in
the Heart
of Downtown
Great cities have parks at the edges and
in the centers of their downtowns. Portland
has the Park Blocks and Washington Park.
Corvallis has Central Park and Willamette
Park. Vancouver has Esther Short Park
and Fort Vancouver Park. Edge parks
cannot replace parks in the center of town.
In Eugene, we frequently hear that Alton
Baker and Skinner Butte Park suffi ce for
downtown. But the former is across the river
and cannot be considered a downtown park,
bit of close-in nature. Great parks are also
big enough and fl exible enough to host a
dizzying array of events — from concerts to
movies, from wine tasting parties to farmers
markets.
3.
Surrounded
by Homes
and Shops
Housing and shops must surround
downtown parks. The public benefi ts from
the “eyes on the park,” and residents benefi t
from what one young mother who lives
When parks are at the
heart of town, they become
destinations to enjoy
and the latter is hidden behind a hill. They
are also about a mile by foot from the heart
of downtown. A central location is critically
important because it translates into easy
accessibility throughout the day. When parks
are at the heart of town, with a strong visual
and physical connection to neighboring
uses, they become destinations to enjoy
and places to pass through. The natural
surveillance that results when people walk
by the park enhances safety and encourages
greater use.
2.
Open to
Many Uses
Successful parks are not just the physical
heart of the city but the cultural heart as
well. They accommodate all ages and
abilities. They are at least an acre in size,
which is large enough to have playgrounds,
bandshells, open fi elds and fountains. They
have ample places to sit and enough open
lawn area to throw a Frisbee. Parks with
these features attract people from all over
— not just from the immediate area. They
come to read, play, exercise, walk their
dogs, socialize, people-watch and enjoy a
next to a downtown park calls “a backyard I
don’t have to maintain.” People pay for this
amenity. At Esther Short Park, condominiums
facing the park command a $30,000
premium. After all, it is more desirable to
face a park than a street. Businesses are
also attracted to great parks, and people are
attracted to the businesses around the park.
At Esther Short, the owner of a children’s art
supply store knows that the park has brought
more business. “Families come in from the
playground,” she said. “The parents will take
turns coming in while their kids are playing.”
Ideally, these surrounding businesses have
active ground fl oor uses — they can be retail
shops, coffeehouses, cafes and restaurants.
Their entries should face the park, and their
walls should be glazed so that people inside
can still see the park.
4.
Shaded by
Tremendous
Trees
Downtown parks do not need complicated
landscaping. Rather, they need big trees
located to provide ample shade in the
summer. Portland’s Park Blocks are the best
example; they are like “a cathedral of trees
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EUGENE WEEKLY
JANUARY 24, 2008 13