Thesis Proposal: Dreamlands

DREAMLANDS INVESTIGATING PARK SPACE AND THEMED DESIGN Off Campus Proposal | Central New York Jack Kenney Advisor: Robin Hoffman

Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

“You never understood...why we did this? The audience knows the truth - the world is simple... and miserable... solid all the way through. But if you could fool them, even for a second, then you can make them wonder. And then you... then you got to see something very special. You really don’t know? It was... it was the look on their faces.”

- Robert Angier, Prestige

Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

Table of Contents

PAGE 1

INTRODUCTION

PAGE 2

STUDY QUESTIONS

PAGE 3

ABSTRACT

PAGE 3-4

LITERATURE REVIEW

PAGE 5-8

TRADITIONAL PARKS

PAGE 8-12

THEME PARKS

PAGE 13-20

METHODOLOGY

PAGE 20-22

STUDY METHODS

PAGE 23-26

FIELD TEST

PAGE 27-29

SCHEDULE FRAMEWORK

PAGE 30-35

APPENDENCIES

Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

[INTRODUCTION]

The topic of this thesis proposal is to investigate and study the similarities and differences between traditional parks and theme parks. This is a critical theory thesis, as I wish to challenge the existing notion that theme parks and traditional parks are polar opposites. In my experiences, most individuals in the field of landscape architecture believe theme parks to be an “inauthentic” form of landscape that should be frowned upon and denounced by “true” landscape architects. By exploring the history of both theme parks and traditional parks, I want to show that they draw inspiration from similar (and sometimes the same) sources, and that overall the two have much more in common than most people believe. I will also be looking at some of the most influential figures in both topics, and looking at the concept of Themed Design, and comparing it to the design philosophies utilized by landscape architects who design more traditonal parks. Ultimately, I wish to explore this connection further by observing firsthand the layout, design and user-interactions within a theme park and similar landscapes that fall under the category of themed design.

The reason I believe this thesis project can be extremely beneficial is because it investigates a connection that has yet to be explored in any significant way. Although many sources will tell you that the first theme parks drew inspiration from and even began as traditional parks, this is about where the perceived connection ends. To the vast majority of people traditional parks and theme parks are polar opposites anyway.

So it seems sensible to think that beyond some very general history they share nothing in common. But by exploring the histories of the two, the design behind them, and investigating them firsthand, I firmly believe I can prove that they have a lot more in common than previously thought. When I say a space is “successful”, I am referring to a space that is popular and well used by a large group of users, and is a positive asset to the surrounding community. Themed design can teach us a lot about what makes a successful landscape design beyond application to theme parks. We will begin by first going over the questions this study will investigate, and then dive into the history of traditional parks.

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[THE BIG QUESTION]

HOW SIMILAR IS THE VISITOR USE AND EXPERIENCE IN TRADITIONAL PARKS AND THEME PARKS?

[SUB-QUESTIONS] 1. TO WHAT EXTENT DOES PASSIVE RECREATION TAKE PLACE IN THEME PARKS? 2. HOW DO TRADITIONAL PARKS AND THEME PARKS COMPARE AS SOCIAL SPACES? 3. CAN THEME PARKS PROVIDE HABITAT IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO TRADITIONAL PARKS? 4. ARE THEME PARKS A POSITIVE ASSET TO A COMMUNITY THE WAY TRADITIONAL PARKS ARE? 5. HOW DO TRADITIONAL PARKS AND THEME PARKS STAND AS EXAMPLES OF BETTER LANDSCAPE DESIGN? 6. HOW CAN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN BE INCORPORATED INTO THEMED DESIGN?

[THE OBJECTIVES] THE GOALS FOR THIS THESIS STUDY INCLUDE: • INDENTIFY AND ESTABLISH THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CHARACTERISTICS OF TRADITIONAL PARKS AND THEME PARKS. • INVESITGATE THE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES PRESENT IN BOTH TRADITIONAL PARKS AND THEME PARKS. • EVALUATE THE SUCCESS OF THEME PARKS IN THE TERMS OF TRADITIONAL PARK CRITERIA. •INVESTIGATE HOW THEMED DESIGN INFLUENCES USER ACTIVITY IN THEME PARKS, COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL PARKS. • EVALUATE HOW THEME PARKS INFLUNCE THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. • CREATE AN INDEX COMPARING THE DESIGN ELEMENTS AND DETAILS OF TRADITIONAL PARKS AND THEME PARKS. •EXPLORE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PRACTICES IN BOTH TRADITIONAL PARKS AND THEME PARKS. • DETERMINE WHAT THEME PARKS DO BETTER COMPARED TO OTHER FORMS OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN, AND HOW DESIGNERS COULD LEARN FROM THIS.

A shot of Mount Everest in Animal Kingdom, DisneyWorld.

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[ABSTRACT]

Over the course of researching the design and history of traditional parks and theme parks a great number of similarities become apparent. Both have their origins in the pleasure gardens kept by European Nobility, as well as being a recreation to an increasingly oppressive and industrial world. As such both of these landscapes are about escapism from everyday life to an environment that is much more pleasant and offers opportunities for recreation and leisure. There are also many similarities in the design of these landscapes.

Both utilize distinct regions within the landscape, each with its own unique set of structure and horticulture.

Circulation systems are important in both theme parks and traditional parks for moving guests around efficiently and easily, and making way-finding for the visitors as easy as possible. Horticulture is vital in both landscapes, since planted spaces reminiscent of the natural world are ideal for leisure, and help to “set the stage” for recreational opportunities. Extensive plantings help to shelter these landscapes from the unpleasant distractions of the surrounding area, as well as adding to the place-making. In general place-making is vital to both traditional parks and theme parks, as these landscapes should be very unique and offer opportunities that usually cannot be found anywhere else. But there are still differences between the two landscapes. One of the key differences lies in technology and structure: whereas traditional parks avoid anything reminiscent of city landscapes, theme parks embrace the power of technology and the advantages of human structures to add to the recreational opportunities that the landscape offers. In conclusion traditional parks and theme parks have many similarities, with a few distinct differences. Further investigation will be able to unveil a better understanding of how these landscapes work, their similarities and differences, as well as what designers can learn from them.

[LITERATURE REVIEW] “The American City: What Works, What Doesn’t” This textbook explores everything you would need to know about the design and practice that is behind the construction of every major American city and the surrounding suburban sprawl. Each chapter looks at the history of a specific area in design, such as “Downtown Management” or “Retail Shopping”, and breaks down the history as well as looking at key case studies. The success of each project is broken down into six key ingredients: market, location, design, financing, time and entrepreneurship. For the purposes of this study, the main chapter I focused on was chapter three: “Parks, Playgrounds, and Open Space”. The chapter begins by explaining the history of nature as a restorative power being used by people, many of these ideas inspiring Fredrick Law Olmsted’s design of Central Park. It then takes an in depth look at Central Park and later examples of park design: what made them work and what did not work. The text illustrates the evolution of the park space since Olmsted’s work, and provides a lot of great historical context surrounding the conception of these parks. In summary this text is a fantastic source for the history of park design.

“With People in Mind” This book focuses on “everyday nature”, which includes backyard gardens, corporate grounds and parks.

The book breaks down the individual design elements and how they influence the experience of a site user.

For example, in chapter four “Way-Finding”, the book explains the importance of having a space that is easy for a visitor to navigate. To most people this would mean installing visible and easy to read signs, and although signs are important, there is so much more to way-finding than most people would think about.

For example, having clear sight lines between spaces, prominent landmarks and distinct regions within a park space are all subtler design components that make a space much easier to navigate. This book has equally detailed chapters on every topic concerning park design, including “Restorative Environments”, “The Use of Patterns” and “Places and their Elements”. Overall this book is a great resource for exploring the design elements of parks and what makes them work.

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“Anatomy of a Park” This book covers “the essentials of recreation area planning and design”. It is a lot like “With People in Mind” but it focuses entirely on park design and its history. For the purposes of this thesis, I mainly focused on chapter one “Context: Past and Present”. This chapter gives a great break down of the historical context around the first parks: namely why they were built and why they were so successful. It explains the Romantic period and its influence on Olmsted’s design of Central Park. It then elaborates on what made Central Park so successful (the horticulture, the road systems) and explains the legacy this left for future designers to learn from. In particular, it highlights the concept of “active” and “passive” use in parks, and how land use has affect park design in different designs and time periods. It also explains the problem of mass-produced park design, and how it goes against everything a park should be, namely unique and refreshing. In summary this book is a great resource for exploring park design and why it works the way it does.

“Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment” Put simply, “Theme Park Design” is the ultimate resource for exploring and understanding every aspect of themed design. For the purposes of this thesis I focused primarily on the history, design philosophy and application of themed design, but the book also has chapters on investigating everything from the business-oriented side of themed spaces to the design of theme park attraction. This book really helped me break down and explain the design behind theme parks: what the landscape is supposed to do, how it does it and why it works. As well, this book gave me the framework to evaluate and rate the success of theme park design. It also elaborated on the scope of the field beyond theme parks, since themed design encompasses zoos, corporate head-quarters, and any other space that uses the landscape to tell a story to its visitors. In the end this book was an extremely helpful resource concerning themed design.

“Electric Dreamland” “Electric Dreamland” focuses on the history of theme parks in the United States. Beginning with the Industrial Revolution, it focuses on the theme parks in relation to social changes and trends. Specifically, it points out the links between the theme park industry and the movie industry, and how they closely linked they are and how they both are major corner-stones of mass consumer culture. The book explores this history by investigating different parks that represent different time periods, including Luna Park, Coney Island and White City. For the thesis study this book provided the starting point that got me thinking about theme parks in their relation to traditional park space. This was inspired by a section that discussed how many theme parks began life as park like spaces before evolving and expanding. This book overall is a wonderful resource for the study of the earlier years theme park history.

“Dream Worlds: Architecture and Entertainment” This book is much like “Electric Dreamland”, except whereas that book focused on the origins and early years of the theme park industry, “Dream Worlds” focuses on the latter half of theme park history. Although this book elaborates on the roots of theme park design in the pleasure gardens of Europe. However for the most part this book focuses on newer, larger scale examples of entertainment architecture, such as Disney World, Las Vegas and the Mall of America. While the text does get into some design concepts it also focuses on the history and appeal of these places: who built them and why they work (or don’t work) as well as they do. This book is an excellent resource for understanding how and why entertainment architecture fits into our modern world.

Now that I have reviewed the resources I used for this proposal, let us dive into everything that I discovered. We will begin with the history of traditional parks.

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Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

The old bandstand in Central Park, surrounded by visitors to the park.

[BACKGROUND ON TRADITIONAL PARKS] [THE HISTORY] Even in the infancy of human civilization, people strived to surround themselves with elements and reminders of the natural world. Although they may not have been able to explain it, they understood the restorative and therapeutic properties the natural world held, and the importance of maintaining that connection even as civilization expanded and advanced (Garvin pg.34). This need to stay in touch with the natural world is what drove the creation of the first parks, and why they became and continue to be popular public spaces.

The origin of parks as we know them today can be traced back to the pleasure gardens kept by the nobility of Europe. “In Europe, the nobility surrounded their residences with elaborate gardens as a way of maintaining the restorative powers of nature near at hand” (Garvin pg.34). Most of the first park-like spaces open to the public were in fact privately owned royal estates, like Hyde Park in London. These gardens were very formal and heavily maintained, with nature not being allowed to grow wild.

It was during the Industrial Revolution, beginning in the 18th century, that our collective views on nature drastically changed. The Industrial Revolution brought with it new technologies, energy sources and the increased specialization of the labor forces throughout the world. But with the rise of industrialization came the increasingly mechanized and oppressive landscapes within the cities where most people lived and worked.

By the 19th-century when the Industrial Revolution was in full swing, cities were very dirty, vice-ridden, poverty stricken and run-down (Molnar pg.2). These cities were by no means a pleasant environment to spend your time in.

As a psychological reaction to this bleak environment, Europe and the U.S. transitioned into what would be known as the Romantic Period. People mentally “escaped” the city through songs, poems and stories that expressed the nostalgic desire for idyllic natural landscapes, often quite fantastical in nature. Though this was the best most working class people could do, the nobility and elite used their financial advantage by seeking refuge with their families in the country-side outside of the cities. It is in these pastoral landscapes that the first inspirations for park-scapes can be found.

Designers during this time of course sensed the desire for relief from the city, and so strove to create spaces that were the complete antithesis of the city landscape. Cities were (and are) visibly organized by axes, circles, squares and other geometric patterns. Designers sought alternative precedents from these patterns in Page | 5

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nature; walkways and roads used a very “loose” organic organization that worked with the existing landscape.

Expansive meadows and sweeping lawns appeared, plants were allowed to grow as they did in nature, and any human works were fitted as neatly into the natural landscape as possible. These are landscapes that would become the first parks, that would allow the populations of the city some escapism.

The model for the park as we know it today originated with Frederick Law Olmsted’s design and creation of Central Park in New York City. Olmsted believed that there should be a rural landscape where a person could go “to put the city behind him and out of his sight and go where he will be under the undisturbed influence of pleasing natural scenery” (Molnar pg.3). Olmsted’s design draws inspiration from the English eighteenth-century private garden design, as well as from Birkenhead Park, also in England. The resulting landscape was 843 acres which included miles of pathways, thousands of flowers, shrubs and trees, expansive rolling green lawns and even an artificial lake. The park was created for the leisure delight of the entire city’s population, a form of escape from the increasingly industrialized cityscape. Besides offering a setting for leisure and recreation, the park was seen as an important social space, “a great gathering place for all kinds of people” (Garvin pg.36). Olmsted’s later designs would expand and refine the design philosophies first seen in Central Park.

Notably Olmsted was also the creator of the parkway concept; having planted roadways that linked multiple parks into one system, as is the case with Boston’s “Emerald Necklace”, a system of parks within the city.

The public park movement was very much a societal reaction to an increasingly mechanized and industrial world that created oppressive environments. Designers like Olmsted recognized the desire for relief from this difficult lifestyle, and looked to the natural world to create an alternative; a place that was visually pleasing, mentally stimulating and provided a proper setting for recreation and leisure. The design clearly registered with the population, as parks like Central Park continue to draw in thousands of visitors every day.

[CONTEMPORARY PARK DESIGN] The design of parks and park-like spaces has evolved much since the time of Olmsted, especially in the recent decades. Every park should be a unique and distinctive space, if for no other reason due to each park having its own unique set of existing site conditions. However many contemporary designs are so different from our collective visualization of what a park looks like that it is legitimate to question whether they should be categorized as parks at all. But no matter what they are called, these public spaces provide many of the same services as the parks from the time of Olmsted, mainly creating a relaxing social space that offers recreational opportunities and escape from the common city landscape.

One of the key differences between the creation of early parks and the spaces created now can be summed up by one word: reclaiming. In the time of Olmsted, when cities were still being established, parks could be planned out in advance and land could be set aside while the area around it was developed. Often these plots where dominated by an undesirable site condition that would have made it difficult to develop them in the traditional sense. For example, the area that would become Central Park remained undeveloped because it was almost completely swampland. But now our cities have developed and grown to almost completely fill in their desired areas, with little land left untouched. This is why the vast majority of parks and public spaces being created today are reclaiming an already developed area; usually a space that is no longer in use or under performing in terms of productivity.

This has produced a unique set of challenges for today’s landscape architects and urban designers. No longer is it an option to choose a desirable location, a clean slate to build whatever can be imaged. Now to create new park space, we have to utilize areas of run-down development, such as closed factories, old shipyards and unused parking lots. These sites all have their own unique set of challenges to make development difficult, but they all have the potential to become something great with a little creative design. To showcase how interesting and creative these projects can be, we will look at the work of two of the most prominent contemporary landscape architects working today: Thomas Balsley and James Corner.

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Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

Gantry Plaza State Park on the East River in Queens, New York.

Thomas Balsley is a beloved designer whose New York City based practice is known for fusing landscape and urbanism into public plazas, parks and waterfronts; having designed more than a hundred parks and plazas in New York City alone. Balsley himself has stated that what inspires his work is “the juxtaposition and harmony of natural and human habitat; the dynamics of public open space” (http://www.swagroup.com/ principals/thomas-balsley/). Although there are many projects in his portfolio that demonstrate this design philosophy, one of the best examples is Gantry Plaza State Park in Queens, New York. The area was once a hub of activity teaming with barges, tugboats and railcars, but deteriorated after the Industrial Revolution.

Working with the Queens West Development Corporation, Balsley and his design team wanted to do something different and innovative with the site:

“At Gantry Plaza State Park, we were doing things there that were unheard of in New York. Number one: don’t fill, use and celebrate the diverse shoreline. Number two: don’t erase history, celebrate history and culture. Number three: make it a blue collar place, not a corporate downtown place. Make it look like it doesn’t have money, like it’s a real park for real people” (https://www.asla.org/ContentDetail.aspx?id=42094) By embracing the site conditions, the Balsley team was able to create a stand-out park space that celebrates its past while looking to the future. The park is six acres in size, and includes the restored gantries that provide its name-sake, stands of willow trees and native grasses, a large lawn and a great view of the East River and the skyline on the other-side of it. The park has been a hit since its completion, becoming a point of pride for the surrounding neighborhood. In particular it is known as a great place to watch the Fourth of July fireworks. Overall the park is a prime example of what Balsley is great at and what other designers aspire to; creating parks and public spaces that utilize the best of what the natural world and what the human landscape have to offer. By combining the two together successfully, an ideal social space for recreation and leisure can be created.

James Corner is another well-known contemporary designer based in New York City, and the founding partner and CEO of James Corner Field Operations. “His work is renowned for innovative and bold contemporary design across a variety of project types and scales, with a special commitment to the design of a vibrant and dynamic public realm in cities, informed and inspired by the ecologies of place, people and nature” (http:// www.fieldoperations.net/about-us/people.html). If Corner’s body of work had to be summed up in one word, it would be “innovative”. His designs and work are constantly pushing the envelope for what is possible and what works for public park spaces. A great example is his innovative work with The High Line project in New York City.

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The High Line Park pathway on the elevated bridge in New York City.

Ever since it opened in 2009, the High Line Park has been an icon for creative design. Another deteriorating relic of the Industrial Age, the elevated railway was reclaimed as a 23 block-long public space in the heart of Manhattan’s West side. The walkway, when completed, will be 1.45 miles in length, has an intimate sense of movement, and connects to many different vistas and experiences along its pathway. The pathway itself is bold with distinctive plantings, paving, furnishing, lighting and social spaces. The connective corridor brings the city together in new ways, and creates a memorable New York City experience. The High Line is a testament to the importance of innovation and creativity in design; although it may be very different in nature to parks like Central Park, it was created for similar reasons and serves the public in the same ways.

The work of both Thomas Balsley and James Corner are verification of the diverse and innovative nature of park design. When most people visualize what a park looks like, they probably envision an expansive green lawn with trees, flowers and some benches, or something else similar to the work of Olmsted. The reason many park designs fail is because they are cheap imitations of this design; often in a site context where that kind of park is either not appropriate or simply does not work. Designers like Balsley and Corner respect the precedents and design philosophies behind the Olmsted-era parks but also recognize that the ideas that worked decades ago won’t work for modern problems and site conditions. Every park offers its own unique set of context and site conditions, and a successful design should incorporate and reflect this to its advantage.

Now that we have laid out a brief history of traditional parks and their design, we will be looking at the history and design of theme parks. As you will begin to see, there are many interesting parallels between the histories of the two.

[BACKGROUND ON THEME PARKS]

[THE HISTORY] The history of theme parks and themed design goes back farther in history and is much more complex than most people would probably assume. This history can be broken down into six key phases, the Pleasure Gardens, the World Fair, Trolley Parks, Kiddie Lands and Amusement Parks, in that order.

The earliest form of a permanent park design for amusement activities is found in the early modern era, with the opening of pleasure gardens such as the Vauxhall Gardens in 1661 in London. These parks had many of the components that would be key features in later parks. This included charging entrance fees, a focus on Page | 8

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The main entrance to Luna Park in Coney Island, New York.

entertainment and theming with fanciful architecture and sculptural creations that served no purpose beyond novelty and decoration. The entertainments found in these parks included gardens, mazes, artwork, hosted concerts, fireworks and parties. The Vauxhall Gardens were so popular that they even begin offering season tickets. Some of these parks would stand the test of time and continue to evolve into true theme parks that still operate today, such as the case with the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Industrial Revolution was the major driver behind the numerous developments that would lead to the theme park. In 1851, the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations was held at The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London. Known as the World’s Fair, it was championed by Prince Albert, and the exhibition was meant to showcase the industrial achievements of multiple nations while inspiring and educating the public. Many of the classic amusement attractions and concepts, such as the Ferris wheel and the Midway, made their debut at these fairs. Many future amusement designers, such as those from the Walt Disney Company, would look to the World Fairs for inspiration.

The Industrial Revolution would spawn factories that would bring together large numbers of workers into the cities, and with better workers’ rights, the working class had vacation time at their disposal. Thus Trolley Parks began to pop up, usually located by the seaside or in spa towns. These parks were located around the end of trolley lines to encourage the use of public transportation. The most successful of these was Coney Island.

This era saw the continued rise of mechanical rides, such as the carousel, created by Thomas Bradshaw.

The first theme park like spaces were small and designed for the amusement of children, originating with Kiddie Land (1925) in San Antonio, Texas. Collectively known as “Kiddie Lands”, most of these parks were based around fairy tales and the recreation of storybook houses for children to explore and play in. One of the most successful examples is Santa Claus Land (1946) in Santa Claus, Indiana, which has since expanded and today is known as the theme park Holiday World.

The claim to the world’s “first theme park” continues to be debated depending on the exact definition of a theme park, with the top contenders being Knott’s Berry Farm (1940), Santa Claus Land (1946) and Disneyland (1955). Many consider it to be Disneyland, as it was originally conceptualized and built as a true theme park, whereas the others started as smaller attractions that later expanded. Disneyland also introduced many revolutionary innovations to the industry. This would include an increased focus on sanitation, themed lands, employing filming techniques and synergy. As well it was the introduction of Disneyland that would led to the vibrant resurgence of the theme park industry, which had been in decline since the Great Depression. We will be exploring Disneyland in much more detail in the next section through two of the men who brought it to life.

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An aerial photo of Disneyland taken in 1956, a year after it originally opened.

[IMPORTANT INFLUENCERS] As with the parks section, we will now be looking at some of the most influential figures in the history of true theme parks and their design. Because Disneyland is very much the “Central Park” of theme park history, it makes sense to analysis the designers who created it and study the reasoning behind their methods. The two men we will be looking at are Morgan “Bill” Evans and Walter Elias Disney.

Walt Disney’s Disneyland is remarkable for a number of reasons. As stated before it breathed new life into the failing amusement industry; not only that but Disneyland would become the prototype for the entire industry after its opening. It is quite amazing how much Disney got right, but simultaneously it isn’t surprising considering the idea spent 15 years in development. The idea originated from the time Disney took his two daughters to trips to a local kiddie park. While his daughter rode the merry-go-round and other attractions, Disney would always be sitting on a nearby bench watching “I felt that there should be something where the parents and children could have fun together” (Younger pg.11). The initial concept began as a kiddie park called Mickey Mouse Land, proposed to be built on an eight acre plot adjacent to the Walt Disney Studios. But Disney’s ideas and concepts only continued to grow as the years went on. Disney drew a great deal of inspiration from the European pleasure gardens turned amusement parks such as Tivoli Gardens (which opened in 1843).

Disney also sought out knowledge from the established amusement park industry, but he often ignored their advice because it did not align with his vision. Disney pushed for many concepts that the established industry told him would not work or backfire on him. Some of this feedback included: •Having elements like a castle would be unneeded expenses which would not return a profit, since it was believed visitors would not care about the quality.

•It was said that non-revenue-producing activities, such as custodial services, would cost too much and ultimately would be a waste of time and resources.

•Not selling alcohol would be a hard hit for profits.

•Having a single entrance would greatly limit the number of visitors.

•The theme park would not be able to operate year-round.

Disney carefully crafted and “sanitized” the theme park experience so that it would be appropriate and fun for the whole family. These ideas were clearly received well, as the average visitor spent twice as much money and time in Disneyland compared to the typical amusement park environment.

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Disneyland was also the first theme park to use organized themed “lands”, meaning it is actually several theme parks under the same banner. When it first opened Disneyland encompassed five themed lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. The common thread between each unique area was the use of themed design in the conception and creation. Themed design uses storytelling techniques and placemaking to create a detailed and convincing set for the attractions and experiences to take place in. Using many of the same techniques used to design sets for movies, the Disney team was able to raise the level of sophistication of theme park design, and made the landscape itself an attraction within the park. By recognizing the importance of landscape and utilizing it, Disneyland was able to stand out from and soar over their competitors.

A look at the scenery from the boat during the Jungle Cruise in Disneyland.

The layout and attention to detail in Disneyland’s landscape was one of the most (if not the) important elements that allowed it to stand out against and improve on the existing theme park models. Disney himself had a hand in designing, but the man who deserves the most credit for this endeavor is Morgan “Bill” Evans.

Evans was a third generation horticulturist who later went on to become a landscape architect. Known as “an artist with living plants” (https://www.designingdisney.com/content/morgan-‘bill’-evans), Evans first came into contact with Disney after he was hired (along with his brother Jack) to landscape the grounds of Disney’s Holmby Hills home and the gardens surrounding his backyard railroad. Apparently Walt was impressed with the work they did, as in 1954 Walt asked “How about you fellows landscape Disneyland for me?” (Storbeck pg.1). Bill’s particular responsibilities were picking out the plants and designing the planting plan for Disneyland, one of the most important areas being the Jungle Cruise ride. Bill had a large body of knowledge regarding plants, and he known for using rare and exotic plants in unusual ways. For example:

“In the Jungle Cruise, there’s a group of orange trees that most people would never recognize because Bill planted them upside-down. He decided the gnarled roots of the orange trees looked like suitably exotic jungle branches.” (Storbeck pg.2).

Evans pioneered landscape design for theme parks based on a three-part precept. The first point was considering guest comfort, in particular shade and shelter. The second was screening visual intrusions, by creating a berm( a ring of earth) and or using vegetation to hide the “real” world and to camouflage buildings and utilities in the park space. The final principle was telling a story through the landscape, and thus creating the right setting for that story to take place.

Bill would go on to become the head of the landscape architecture department for Disney, and besides working on the additions to Disneyland he worked on the masterplan for DisneyWorld. Bill was a consultant Page | 11

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for landscape design for most of the big Disney parks, including Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Bill would also play an essential role in teaching the Disney landscape architects, horticulturists and other imagineers everything he knew about plants and landscape design. A brilliant designer and a true imagineer, the impact Morgan “Bill� Evans had on the Disney parks and themed design in general cannot be understated.

Designer Matrix

This diagram compares the design philosophies behind some of the most prominant designers within the field of Landscape Architecture and beyond. Some interesting similarities between the five include the emphasis on horticulutre and using a leisure space to bring people together.

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[METHODOLOGY]

[CRITERIA: WHAT MAKES A PARK WORK?] According to “Anatomy of a Park: The Essentials of Recreation Area Planning and Design” all park design is encompassed by three main design phenomena: “The Three phenomena: design style suited to nature-oriented parks: a split of recreation authorities into two opposing camps, passive recreation enthusiasts and active recreation advocates.” (Molnar pg.2) These design phenomena can be traced all the way back to the creation of Central Park, and can be seen in most park design since then, although the importance and balance of each of the three tends to change between designs as needed. The phenomena of nature-orientated is admittingly very vague, but by using influential sources like “Anatomy of a Park” and “With People in Mind: Design and Management of Everyday Nature” we can create a set of criteria that is specific yet general enough to be able to evaluate a large variety of park and park-like design. This is the criteria that will be used to evaluate the chosen sites for this design study. But before we elaborate the design criteria we must first establish what “Anatomy of a Park” means by Active Recreation and Passive Recreation within the context of a park.

Passive Recreation The spaces within a park meant for passive reaction are generally un-developed and or environmentally sensitive areas that require minimal to no equipment or infrastructure for successful use, and create little disturbance in a landscape. Passive recreation activities include but are not limited to: • Walking and jogging • Hiking and nature walks • Wildlife viewing, such as bird-watching • Photography Active Recreation The spaces for active recreation usually require a significant amount of equipment for the purposes of an active sport, organized event or any other user-engaging activity that requires man-made infrastructure.

These are the kinds of activities are usually moderately to severely intrusive in a landscape, and often do not focus on the natural world or environment the activity is taking place in. Active recreation areas and activities include but are not limited to: • Sports fields • Playgrounds and plays areas • Zip-lines • Bungee Jumping Both passive and active recreational activities are for the sake of leisure and relaxation in a park setting, and almost all parks were created to promote and crater to these kinds of activities in some fashion. Although a park may have been created more for one category than another, all successful park design create a setting where both categories of activities can occur in some capacity. Now that we are familiar with the kinds of activities should be taking place in a park, now we can break down the major design components that lead to a successful park design.

[DESIGN CRITERIA: TRADITIONAL PARK SPACES] The following design components and concepts will form the criteria by which I can evaluate the success of a park or park space. Each component will be rated on a scale of one to five, five being the highest and best rating. Then there will be an explanation as to why this rating was given, what the park design does well and what could use improvement. The criteria categories are as follows: Page | 13

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Site Heritage: Like any good design, an ideal park reflects the surrounding landscape while also making improvements based on the wants and needs of the user population. Parks should stand as an example to promote higher design standards for the landscapes around them and in other kinds of development.

Sustainability: The use of smart land-use judgment is extremely imperative, as development missteps cannot easily be erased. As well, respectable park design has effective grading and drainage and that produces a landscape that requires as little maintenance and upkeep as possible.

Restorative Environments: As stated above, parks are primarily for the leisure activities of the users, involving passive and active recreation. Nature-oriented settings are particularly effective for R&R, and as a result most of these spaces are heavy with plant life or even replicate native habitats. Proper efforts to make unique and creative park design will result in a visually refreshing landscape that will stimulate pride in the surrounding community.

Separation from Distraction: A beneficial park is connected to the surrounding community, and promotes positive growth around it. Yet at the same time these are spaces meant for escape from the oppressive aspects of the city, and as such greatly benefit from screening out the unpleasant elements. A screen of trees to block a view of an ugly factory, creative grading and plantings to dampen the noise and visual intrusion of a nearby roadway are just two examples.

Idealized Horticulture: Colorful, interesting and sustainable planting plans are one of the driving forces to create a visually pleasing park landscape.

Habitat: As well as providing plant life for strictly ornamental purposes, ideal park landscapes provide native plantings that can create habitat for local wildlife. Although it may be limited in scope, having birds, squirrels and other animals in a landscape setting adds to the positive atmosphere of a park.

Circulation System: Most parks have different regions and pathways, and having easy to read and understand signage and waypoints helps visitors orient themselves and provide ideal movement throughout the park. Having distinctly designed regions also helps towards this goal.

Safety: Creating a safe and comfortable environment is important for an area meant for recreation, especially since they are a popular choice for families with children. Not only should safety codes and regulations be upheld, but most parks should have some kind of caretaker or security person present to oversee park activity and to help visitors as needed.

Now that we understand the complex components that go into a successful park design, lets break down the deign philosophies and components behind a successful theme park design.

[WHAT IS THEMED DESIGN?] Themed Design is the creation of a dimensional story experience using a unified theme (Younger pg.1) within a landscape. Themed Design can be broken down into three main components: the dimensional, the story and the experience. The dimensional refers to what happens within the physical space. The story refers to some kind of narrative component that removes the place from its full reality, however small that may be. The experience includes every single element that the guest encounters, no matter how big or small, intrinsic or peripheral, as they all come together to influence the guest’s overall perception. All of these are tied together by the named theme, whether dramatic, a manifestation or both. The core product sold by themed designs are the impressions in the mind of the guests. Everything encountered in the design adds to or subtracts to the experience. These experiences are created by orchestrating our natural desire to read story and emotion in everything we see. For example, we often see weeping willow trees as “sad�, despite the trees not having Page | 14

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emotions. There are many reasons to apply theme design to a landscape. These reasons to theme include: Demand: there has been and continues to be a targeted demand for themed entertainment, providing guests enjoyment, escapism, immersion and spectacle.

Differentiation: theming takes basic products such as a restaurant or off-the-shelf attraction, and helps to enhance it to create something new and unique Perception of Quality: theming is valuable in the creation of place-making, making aesthetically pleasing and spectacular environments that attract guests and customers.

Repeatability: themed design techniques including detailing, place-making and interchangeability. These can create an environment guests can return to multiple times and still find new experiences with each visit, which elongates business life.

Targeting Specific Audiences: themed attractions will often draw a larger demographic than an unthemed equivalent; people identify and are drawn to characters and stories they are already familiar with.

Increasing Secondary Spending: food and merchandise options can be coordinated with themes, brands and tied into experiences to encourage purchasing and add value to a landscape.

Decreasing Queue Fatigue: themed environments around queue lines decrease the perceived length of time spent queuing (waiting), which is one of the most frequent criticisms of visitor attractions.

Decreasing Capacity Demands through Environment: themed lands, through spectatorship, enable a guest to be entertained without being on an attraction, which can reduce demand on actual attractions without impacting guest experience.

Themed Design has many benefits to offer a landscape. By paying extra attention to the layout and details of a site, a design can create something very unique and attractive to potential visitors, that hopefully offers a lot of fun and excitement as well.

[DESIGN CRITERIA: THEME PARKS] After analyzing the key design components of themed design, and reviewing the history of theme parks, I am now able to create a set of criteria that will be used in the site analysis to evaluate the success of various themed landscapes and parks. As with the traditional parks, each component will be rated on a scale of one to five, five being the highest and best rating. As well, this set of criteria is also meant to call towards specific set elements, yet be open ended enough to apply to a range of design details. The criteria are as follows: The Narrative: The defining feature of any themed landscape is the story or setting interwoven into it. Everything present in the design must go along with this story and or relate back to it in some way. The landscape is the setting for the story, and each visitor is the protagonist of their own adventure in this design. The more detailed and through the setting, the more powerful the illusion of the story will be, which will create a better experience.

The Restorative Environment: The product that theme parks sell to guests is a relaxing and enjoyable experience, which will leave the guests feeling refreshed. Specific points to look for in this category include: • Guest Comfort: how accommodating to the leisure of guests is this space? For example does it provide shady places to sit, beautiful plantings and other elements that are not “neededâ€? but would make the environment more comfortable?

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• Perceived Quality: a successful theme park space has extreme attention to detail to keep up the illusion that the guests are in some kind of fictional place, fantasy world or a different time. How well does the illusion hold up in this space? Are there visual or auditory intrusions that take the user out of the setting the environment is trying to create?

• Differentiation: Much of the appeal from theme parks comes from the opportunity for an experience and activities that cannot be found anywhere else. What characteristics are completely unique to this site?

Are there design elements that can be found in more common design, or has everything been crafted to fit the story?

• Experience: Is the atmosphere of the space enjoyable, and does it appear to make the guests comfortable and relaxed? Although actually what a “comfortable and relaxed” guest actually looks like is something that will have to be investigated first-hand.

Recreational Opportunities: The main leisure delights in any theme park are of course the rides, shows and other attractions. But as stated previously successful themed design transforms the very landscape into an attraction, which should provide plenty of opportunities for passive recreation. So it will be important to look for both active and passive opportunities and activities taking place in a theme park space.

Separation from Distraction: How well does the theme park space block out the undesirable elements of the outside world? How well does it hide and or incorporate the utilities, servicescape and other unsightly elements with the themed area? How well does the landscape immerse the visitors into it?

Idealized Horticulture: Almost all successful theme park design utilizes the natural beauty of plant life to enhance a space and make it more comfortable. How effective is the horticulture within the given space? Does it work along with the desired experience of the space?

Circulation System: One of the keys to a successful theme park design is moving the guests around as efficiently as possible. But this must be done in a way that leads the guest on a meandering path that forces them to pass by snack stands, gift shops and other money-making ventures within the space. Besides the walkways, many parks have a transportation-base attraction, called “people movers” that can take guests to the farthest corners of the park. A great example of this is the steam engine that circles Disneyland. As well, signage is vital for directing guests around the space and advertising attractions and shops. Now that we have outlined the defining features and characteristics of both traditional park and theme park design, let’s compare them directly to see how similar they really are.

Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom in DisneyWorld.

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The Boston Public Gardens in Boston and Toontown in Disneyland.

[THEME PARK AND TRADTIONAL PARK COMPARISON] Hopefully by now the reader has begun to understand the many apparent similarities in the design and conceptual philosophies behind traditional parks and theme parks, as I have observed and discovered over the course of researching this thesis. To better clarify this however, I will define and explain the main points of similarity below. As well, I will also be highlighting a few of the key differences between the two, and elaborate on why this differences occur.

A Shared History Interestingly, the first examples of both traditional parks and theme parks drew inspiration from the pleasure gardens of European Nobility such as Hyde Park in London. At their core both of these landscapes harken back to the romanticized pastoral landscapes of the Romantic period. Both traditional parks and later theme parks first appeared and then grew in popularity during the Industrial Revolution. But the single most important thread that ties the history of these landscapes together is the fact that many of the earliest theme parks began life as park-like pastoral landscapes! For example, the Knott’s Berry Farm, a 160 acre amusement park, was originally opened as a stand on a farm that sold chicken dinners, “the farm offered little more than a shop and restaurant until 1940, when it was joined by a replica Ghost Town built by Walter Knott” (Younger pg.10). This “ghost town” was originally built to keep the guests (particularly the children) entertained until their food was ready. After the ghost town was a hit, Farmer Knott added more attractions, and over the decades the park overtook the farm to become what can be visited today. Similarly, Holiday World was first created as a Santa Clause themed Kiddie park, also on farm land. “However it was only in 1976 that the park began a program to target families as opposed to children with the inclusion of larger-scale attractions (Younger pg.10). The fact that these two landscapes share historical inspirations and that they are both derived from pastoral landscapes is a clear testament to their inherit similarities, but that is not where the resemblance ends.

Connected Spaces Interestingly both traditional parks and theme parks share an emphasis on connecting different park spaces together. For traditional parks it began with Olmsted, who “was also the creator of the parkway concept, having advanced the idea of this type of roadway to connect Riverside (which he designed as the country’s first residential subdivision) with Chicago in 1869” (Molnar pg.3). Olmsted would use this parkway concept most famously with the Emerald Necklace, a system of parks throughout Boston and Brookline that are connected by parkways and waterways. Most parks have distinct areas or regions within them, this is very similar to the way many theme parks, such as DisneyWorld and Universal Orlando encompass several distinct parks (or Page | 17

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regions) that are connected under one banner. By having a park system rather than a single park space, both of these landscape types can create more opportunities for recreation and offer a wider range of experiences while appealing to a larger number of people.

Circulation Systems A well-crafted circulation system is a vital component that often determines success in both theme parks and traditional parks. When designing Central Park, Olmsted understood he would have to accommodate tens of thousands of visitors on daily basis in an organized manor.

“For it to do this, they designed a unique circulation system that enabled masses of people to get to a series of very different of very different places of recreation. Coming by carriage (or today by car), one enters a selected spots along the park’s perimeter and rides along a beautifully landscaped roadway that encircles the park…Coming on foot, one enters at different spots and strolls to one’s destination. There is also a separate bridle path for horseback riding. These three routes seldom intersect. When they do, there is often a pedestrian underpass that minimizes the chance of accidents (Garvin pg.37).

In a very similar manor, when designing plan for Disneyland, there was a strong emphasis on creating an easy to follow system of pathways for the guests. As well, attractions called “people movers” such as the steam engine that runs around Disneyland, are rides that can also take people between the different lands and even between the parks and the Disney hotels. These rides serve as a fun and efficient way of moving guests between the far corners of the park. On top of all of this (or rather, below) there is a complex of tunnels and building built underneath the theme park. These tunnels are used by the Disney staff and performers as a way of moving around the park quickly without having to deal with the crowds. By separating the different forms of traffic and utilizing complex circulation systems, both traditional parks and theme parks can get there guests where they want to go as easily and efficiently as possible.

Horticulture As previously stated, employing the natural beauty of plants is a very efficient design element in creating spaces that are comforting and relaxing. So it is no surprise that both traditional parks and theme parks, being spaces for leisure and recreation almost always use plants to the fullest extent. Whether it be to create a habitat for wildlife, provide a shady spot for people to sit, create a themed atmosphere or simply for ornamentation, plant life can go a long to transform a park space into something that is truly special.

Escapism and Nostalgia Both traditional parks and theme parks first became popular during the Industrial Revolution, and continued to be popular as the modern world became more mechanized on a global scale. As stated with traditional parks, their increased attractiveness owed a great deal to the Romantic Period, which itself was a reaction to the oppressive, dirty and crime-ridden environments that industrialized cities were becoming. In such a depressing environment, people did whatever they could to escape from their surroundings, even if only mentally. “Its people escaping from their oppressive environment through songs and poems that expressed nostalgia for idyllic nature and had a strong component of fantasy” (Molnar pg.2). It is no wonder why Central Park was such an instant hit with the population of NYC; it was exactly what they were dreaming about, a place offering an idealized setting of nature where they could escape from the city, even if only for a little while. But nostalgia and fantasy are also central aesthetics to theme parks as well. Theme parks were of course built as true “fantasy lands” that you and your loved ones could visit and leave behind the troubles of the real world. More often than not theme parks are themed around a movie or concept aimed toward children or reminiscent of childhood interests. This is where the nostalgia comes in, many of these theme parks are made to be the physical embodiment of everything the “child within you” loves. Often people return to these parks to relive childhood experiences they had there and or to share it with their children, ensuring a new generations of guests will continue to visit.

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I have come to the conclusion that theme parks are the modern reaction to an increasing bleak, troubled and oppressive world in the same way that parks were originally meant as an escape from the plights of industrial cities. But because it is the entire state of the world people are trying to momentarily forget (not just one place) theme parks have to create a reality of their own in order to fully immerse its visitors within the experience. That’s why an entire different world has to be created, it’s the only way to truly transport the visitors to a different reality successfully.

Recreation and Leisure But being in a fantastical landscape isn’t enough for the visitors in both traditional parks and theme parks, and so the most significant components of a park are the recreational activities that the spaces offer. As discussed before, there are two kinds of activities that take place within a park; active recreation and passive recreation. But theme parks also strive to possess this two distinct categories of recreation. Of course all of the theme park rides and attractions fall under the category of active recreation, since they require equipment and infrastructure. But what is less obvious is that (in concept anyway) there is also passive recreation. This is best demonstrated by the design of Disneyland. As one commentator who was present on the opening day noted:

“It was full of things we didn’t need but really needed. “We don’t need a lot of trees.” You plant them.

“We don’t need a lot of flowers.” You plant them. So [Walt] built Disneyland as an example of a way of living – not just an entertainment center. You could go there and sit on a bench and people watch because it’s a happy experience. Why? Because of the flowers, the trees, the fountains, all over and above all the other elements.” (Younger pg.315) Clearly Disney wanted to create an ideal passive recreational environment as the setting for his park. This was meant to differentiate it from the chaotic environment of the typical carnival: “a pleasant theme park environment encourages guests to simply enjoy the experience of being in the park, people watching, relaxing and socializing, which in turn cuts down on ride demand” (Younger pg.315). So while it the balance between the two categories may be different, both traditional parks and theme parks are at least trying to create an environment that lends itself to both active and passive recreation. The question of how much passive recreation actually occurring in theme parks is something I plan on investigating further.

Social Space Parks are well known to be important spaces for social activity and gatherings. The opportunities for leisure and recreation lend themselves well to families, friends and organized sports teams. But Olmsted believed that a good park would work well for the social well-being of an entire population. Since a public park is created for the entire city, it serves as a melting pot for people of various backgrounds. A park can literally bring an entire city together. While not to the same manor, theme parks are social spaces as well.

“Unlike other media, such as a film which is watched individually and only discussed afterwards, the theme park engages groups of guests throughout the experience, whether they are deciding which attraction to ride next, experiencing it together (particularly evident on a River Rapids ride where a group dynamic manifests even amongst strangers), and raving about the experience and laughing at the ride photos together once it concludes, through to dining, shopping, and even sharing a hotel together” (Younger pg.8).

As discussed before Disneyland was originally built the idea around the desire for Disney to experience attractions and rides along with his daughters. This seems to be a common theme among many of these theme parks; creating new memories and strengthening the bonds that hold a family together.

Leading by Example One of the most profound observations I came across while researching was how both traditional parks and theme parks were meant to stand as example of better landscaping practices and a more fulfilling way to lead Page | 19

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a life. For traditional parks, it was about demonstrating the importance of green space, and that nature should still have a place in a world even as it becomes increasingly technology-based world. Theme parks also embrace similar philosophies but with one important add on. Whereas parks sought to distance themselves from everything that the Industrial Revolution produced, theme parks embraced the technological advancements born from the revolution. By innovating and designing new rides and amusements, theme parks stand as evidence to show that technology is not inherently bad, it is what we make it. The best theme parks accomplish what many other spaces do not; the blending of nature and human structures into one setting, one landscape.

[STUDY METHODS] These study methods are the procedures that I will use to compare, contrast and investigate theme parks and their connections to traditional parks, and all the other questions I have. While the core principles for each will remain the same, keep in mind the exact procedural details will be likely to change once I am actually on my chosen sites and beginning research.

Field Observation and Notes Although the exact time periods will vary, field observation and site analysis will take place during a time interval of at least 30 minutes each, but preferably done at various different times of the day within the same space. I will be picking between three to five different sites, which I will be visiting multiple times at different times of the day. Observation will focus on investigating the criteria listed for both traditional park and theme park design. Particulars to take observe and take notes on will include the overall layout design, active and passive recreation taking place, the space’s horticulture, the circulation of the visitors along with the present circulation system. It will also be important to record the overall experience I have staying in this one site for an extended period of time. As well it will be critical to observe the behavior of the other visitors of the site.

But it is imperative to remember that there will be a great number of observations to be made that I will only be able to document once I am on site. As such it will be vital to take note of anything that stands out or appears to be impactful to the overall space. Each set of observations will also include the time and weather conditions, as it will be helpful after all the site visits are done to evaluate the impact weather had on the usability. These observations will be recorded in the form of sketches and notes in my project journal, and will be supplement with photographs and video recordings (see below).

After the field observation itself, I will do a follow up research on any questions or thoughts that came up during or after the field observation session. These added notes will be included after the corresponding field note entry in my project note book. As well, all photos and video will be complied into a project folder on my computer for easy viewing and reference. Overall this study method will allow me to break down the individual elements and components of a site’s design and experience in order to understand as much as possible.

Design Detail Cataloging Whereas Field Observation and Notes focuses on the broad strokes of a site, Design Detail Cataloging focuses on all the small details that make up a site. One of the key components to themed design is the place-making of a landscape, and a large part of that are all the little details in the site that help create the desired theme and experience to a place.

In order to better understand a large sum of parts, this process calls for the detailed cataloging of the site elements and components that work together to create the overall design. This catalogue will take the form of a list for each site, cataloging each individual element and then noting its important characteristics and traits. For example if a space has a concrete paver pathway, I will make note of the size, color and shape of the pavers, as well as any other key characteristics. I will explain how they work with or relate back to the theme of the site. Elements to be recorded include the hardscape, planting, lighting, furniture, signage, snack stands, entrance and exit ways, utilities and anything else important observed on site.

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Each page will begin with an outline and break down of the site theme in general; what the theme is supposed to be (Wild West, Outer Space, Jungle Safari) and what the intention of the design is supposed to be (to entertain, to educate, to act as a movement corridor). Next will come the list of materials and elements, which would be similar if not the same list for each of the visited sites. The list would record if that particular design element appeared on site, what form (or forms) it took and where, and it related back to the overall design theme. So for example, in a “Dinosaur-land� a concrete sidewalk with dinosaur footprints and fossils imprinted into it would relate back perfectly to the theme. There are concrete walkways all over the world, but by having the footprints and fossils in the walkway it reinforces the theme and ties the walkway into the rest of the design.

By cataloging the individual materials of each site, I can create a deeper understanding of the design, how it works and how it all comes together. I can also use this to show the versatility and creativity of materials and elements, that many materials can be both functional and decorative with a little extra thought put into design.

It will also be interesting to see how common build materials can be used in these very uncommon spaces.

Transecting Transecting a site means to create an imaginary line going through a specific area, based on elevation, and record and study everything of interest that occurs along this line. By doing this a very detailed section cut of a specific site can be created, which are particularly useful for studying a site. By transecting a site, you can highlight the major components while also show casing all of the little details in between. It creates a very clear picture of the site, and offers yet another way to view an area. As well, transecting will be extremely helpful with producing section views for the final components of the thesis project.

For the purposes of this project, there will be at least three transect in each selected site, spanning the entirety of the selected space. Although the exact length of the transects will vary and be entirely based on site conditions, the transected sections should be at least 25 feet wide, but would preferably be at least 50 feet wide. The transects will focus the layout and connections between the design elements and categories referenced in the park and theme park design criteria. These will be done first in the project notebook as pencil drawings, and then later detailed in with pen and color, a human figure will be included in each drawing to demonstrate scale. Eventually these will be turned into computer graphics to be used in the final presentation and in particular the poster to illustrate the different sites I visited and what I observed within them. Having comprehensive and detailed transects will go a long way to help illustrate the site conditions and details and help to support the information I am trying to convey.

Photography and Videography Photography and videography can be used to efficiently record data in ways that other methods cannot. For example, drawing and sketching is a great way to document essential details of a selected site. However the main disadvantage it has is that it takes a lot of time, especially if you are creating something that is highly detailed. With photographs of course, you can instantly capture as many images as you want for later use, and they can be used in many different ways. Videography is similar but also offers other benefits that cannot be recorded in a photograph or drawing. Besides visually capturing everything, video can be used to show all the motion and sound that is present in a site. Understanding both sound and motion will be important in any kind of design, and videography offers a relatively easy way to showcase these elements. By using both photography and videography I can create a clearer and more understandable picture of whatever it is I am studying.

For the purposes of my study, I will be spending a minimum of a half hour on each selected site. I plan on visiting the same sites multiple times, to record the differences in activity at different times of the day. I will be of course be taking pictures of anything as needed, whether it relates to the stated criteria or anything that Page | 21

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seems like it will be important or influential in any way to the site. While the amount of video and photo taken during each session will vary, my goal is to take at least 5 minutes worth of video, and take at least 20 photos per site. Again it will be hard to predict how much data I will be recording during each session, but my goal is to simply get as much as possible, I would rather have too much recorded than too little. As well re-visits to past sites will occur as well, since inevitably questions will come up after a recording session.

Mapping and Contextualizing When studying any area, it is vital to understand the elements and conditions that influenced it into becoming what it is today. Mapping and contextualizing a site and the area around it will help to answer those questions.

In general mapping a site is very helpful when studying it; it creates a clear view of the layout of all the major design components and how they fit together. By mapping out the context of the site, you can determine how it fits into and works with the surrounding landscape. For example, by looking at a wider area, you can determine how a site fits into a transportation corridor, how it directs and influences the flow and speed of traffic throughout the surrounding area, whether is a hot spot destination or simply a corridor to be traversed through and so on. By using this study method I can illustrate how the influence of a site design can extend beyond its borders.

To begin I will look at the select sites and areas through google earth, and through any other maps of the place available. This will help me to get an understanding of the general area before I investigate it. Then I will precede to investigate the areas surrounding the sites, for as long as it takes to get a clear understanding of the area, which will most likely require multiple trips. This investigation will use note taking, field sketches, photography and video as required to record information as efficiently as possible. This will all be recorded within my project notebook, and will include anything that is important or required to properly understand the context of which each area takes place. Having adequate contextual information will go a long way to further paint a complete picture and understand my selected sites as a whole, and how they relate to the surrounding themed landscape in its entirety.

It is only through intense study and documentation that a designer can fully understand a site.

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[FIELD TEST]

The following pages contain the data recorded from my sketchbook pages from the field test for my methods that I conducted in Thornden Park, which is located in Syracuse, New York. The particular area I studied was a place I later found out was called Lily Pond.

Location: Lily Pond in Thornden Park, in Syracuse New York.

Materials: A sketchbook with an assortment of pens and pencils, as well my iPhone to take pictures and video.

Time: Starting at 11:45 I spent an hour and a half in the field, and then spent another two hours complinging and organzing all of the information I recovered.

Why: This area is a unique green space that is in close promixity to the University and the surrounding neighborhood, which made it seem like the ideal example of a park space in an urban setting.

While studying the North half of the site, a doe appeared in the nearby brush. It was quite a surprise!

A view of Lily Pond from the stairs leading down to the turf-grass area.

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One of the granite seated benches embedded into the slope next to Lily Pond, surrounding by plantings.

[Mapping and Contextual Information]

Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney [Notes & Observations] The circular garden is actually two-tiered: the North end with granite benches and trees where the waterfall orignates overlooking the surrounding area, and then the bottom half, the Southern-side which possesses the half-circle pond and a turf-grass area bordered by a system of brick walk-ways. The plantings I noticed for the most part were dormant old growth trees, which evergreens (mostly junipers) planted around them.

At the time of the site visit the snow had just melted away, so the first spring blooms were just beginning to sprout. Besides myself there was about a dozen of so people around the space as well, either jogging or walking. In the distance there was a group of people playing basketball. While sitting on the bench I heard and swa quite a number of birds, and I even saw a deer at one point.

[Overall Impressions] In general the site had a charming “old antiquity� feeling to it, mostly due to the clearly old benched and walkways. The site (and the park itself) is very different from the surrounding context of the university and neighborhoods. With the amount of green space it has, it is easy to see why it is so popular around here once the snow melts. The space is most likely more secluded when the trees grow back there leaves.

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[Photography from the Field]

Looking South from the North end of the site.

Bench and walkway from the North half of the site.

Looking down from the mouth of the waterfall into Lily Pond.

A juniper and decidious shrub from a planting bed on site.

The Southern walkway which lead up to the Lily Pond Site.

A sketch of Lily Pond down on site.

On the right are the detail catalog notes that I took while in the field.

Overall this was a simple site, which trees, benches, pathways and all the other elements you would find in any park. The pond is what made the site unique, especially with its rockwork and waterfall.

On the left are the transects that I did while in the field, taken from my sketchbook. In the future I will try to be much more detailed when making my transects. Admittingly it was rather cold (just above freezing) the day I was in the field, and my hands were numb after 20 minutes of drawing. But even in the limited capacity of which I did it transecting the site was very helpful: it definently made me think of the site in a different way, and it helped me understand how the landscape worked overall in the surrounding context.

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Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

After Field Test Overall field testing my methods was very insightful, and is something I am glad I took the time to do, as I will now be better prepared when I investigate the actual sites. To begin with it made me drastically rethink about the kind of supplies I will use when taking notes, particularly with the sketch book. The sketchbook I used for this exercise had a basic 8.5 by 11 inches page size that was plain white. I immediately found that it was very difficult working with a book that size when you don’t have a table and you are moving around. As well, especially when I was drawing my transect sections, I found myself wishing I was using paper that had lines like graph paper. It would have made things much easier when attempting to draw any kind of scaled rendering.

So when I begin shopping for my project notebook, I will be looking for something smaller than what I usually get, hopefully with lined paper.

Something else I will have to pay close attention to moving forward is my phone’s battery life. Taking a lot of pictures and videos on top of doing all the stuff you usually do on your phone quickly drains the battery life.

As such moving forward I will have to make a point to have my phone charged before leaving for a site visit and or have a portable battery pack with me for my phone. Going back to using a sketchbook on site, I tried drawing using several different mediums and I found that micro-pens and markers was the most efficient. As such it looks like that most of the work done in my project notebook will be done using micro-pens and other similar kinds of markers.

Bird Field Study Another interesting thing that came up during my field test concerned birds. I took a Field Biology class back in high school, and in that class we spent an entire unit learning about birds and bird songs. As the teacher pointed out, 90% of the time you hear birds rather than see them, so if you’re a biologist or investigating habitat it is good to know the different calls of the birds that inhabit the area. We also learned in this class that birds are great for use as environmental indicators when studying ecosystems. Because of my experience one of the aspects of Thornden Park that really struck me were all the birds I was hearing. So I am planning on brushing up on my bird-calls, and as another method I can gauge the success and health of the horticulture in a traditional park or theme park based upon the bird species that were present there. After all bird and wildlife watching is one of the major passive activates that takes place in traditional parks. It will take the form of another list, first researching the species that are native to whatever region I am in and marking down each instance I see or hear them in the chosen site. The overall success and health of a landscape’s habitat will be based on the diverisity and numbers of birds observed during the site visits. The more species and individuals that are found in each space, the more successful the horticulture of a site is.

By creating a spectrum of bird populations and species, a better understanding of how habitat works in traditional parks and theme parks can be made. It will also create a better understanding of a selected site by observing another user group besides people. To create an ideal habitat all species must be considered, and what this method reminds us is that there are always non-human users present, whether intended or not. The main problem with this method at the moment is that I cannot plan that far ahead of time beyond general research. I know what I am looking for of course, but this is an element that is extremely site specific that may in fact require the most visits of any method. This is drastically different from all my other methods, but I think that is what makes it appealing: it offers yet another unique way to study my chosen sites.

In summary doing this field test really helped me figure out how to apply my methods in the future. Most of my problems stemmed from having inadequate or the incorrect supplies for the job, and so in the future I will be better prepared. As well I stumbled across a new study method in the form of observing and recording bird calls, which is something I think would be very interesting and unique to include for my project. In the end field testing my methods was definitely time well spent.

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Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

[SCHEDULE FRAMEWORK]

The following pages contain the framework I will use to organize my time and plan out how to carry out my study methods and site selection for the Off Campus Experience. Although this was planned out as detailed as possible, keep in mind that plans are likely to change as experiences and events come up on a day to day basis. However the core framework seen in the accompanying diagram will not change.

[DAILY TASKS]

Project Notebook Write notes and diagrams about the day’s progress in terms of the main study and or field notes. Organize all of the data and research collected from the day’s work, and add any needed information. Collect any material that would be helpful for the purposes of the study, which would include brochures, maps, and pictures.

Sketchbook/Journal Record the major happens of the day and write about any interesting occurrences that would be nice to remember. Draw pictures, and collect material that would relate back to the day’s events, such as tickets, coasters or other small collectables that could fit into a sketchbook.

[WEEKLY TASKS] Project Notebook Compile and organize all of the data and research collected from the week. Format all the information for easier reference at later points in time. Determine what has been completed, what could use some more work and what needs to be done. Plan out what needs to be done in the following week or weeks.

Advisor Updates Reflect and inform about all the progress and experiences that have been made in the last week. If in a video format, show video and pictures taken from the week’s activities.

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Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

[SITE IDENTIFICATION] The study sites will be chosen and evaluated based on the criteria discussed in the Study Methods section (see page 20). A minimum of four sites will be chosen for this study. One will be a traditional park, and the other three will be themed design landscapes, all within the same (general) geographic region. Each site will be studied on three different design levels. This will allow me to better comprehend how landscape works on the different levels of design: from the entire landscape to the smallest details. Those levels are: Park: The entirety of the landscape. This level breaks down the main components of the design as well as the general context surrounding it. This will include major structures and circulation systems, as well as the traits of the horticulture found within the landscape.

Region: Within traditional parks this refers to a distinct area such as a picnic field or duck pond. Within themed design this refers to a distinct “land” or design level at which the theming takes place. It is at this level that I can begin to look at a design in detail, taking a closer look at the structure and circulation. But also we can view planting design in a much more detailed way, and we can really look at materials and how the area is put together. It is at this level that we can begin observing how visitors use the site, and we can see how the regions with the overall landscapes connect to and work together with each other.

Detail: This is a highly specific area within the selected region. It can be a specific attraction or design component, essentially anything that is noticeable and appears to influence the visitor’s experience. This is of course the most detailed level of investigation: all the criteria previously discussed are looked at in great detail. It is at this level that I look at the little design details of the site, and how they all come together. At this level that I can really observe and evaluate the user experience of the site, and understand how all the design components come together to create that experience.

[EQUIPMENT] Project Notebook Used to record all the information needed related to my main study and everything else academic. Size undetermined, but it will have lined paper for more organized note-taking and diagram making.

Journal/Sketchbook Used for sketching and recording my experiences and feelings throughout the Off Campus experience. Exact dimensions undetermined, but it will have “multi-use” paper so use many different mediums within the same book, such as pencil, pen and watercolor.

IPhone My cell phone, which I will use to take pictures and video in the field and of anything else important to then send to my computer.

Computer Used to create, document and organize all of the information I will gather throughout my Off Campus experience. Specific programs I will use include Auto CAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere and the Microsoft Office programs.

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Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

[PRESENTATION IDEAS]

Book The format of a book would be the perfect way to trace my journey and research throughout the Off Campus project. It would be the ideal way to present my research, notes, drawings and pictures in an organized and easy to understand way. As well, putting together all of my work in the format of a book will help to organize and synthesize my information and the overarching narrative it will possess. A book would be the ideal way for me to present my work to a large number of people.

Poster Presenting my thesis project in the form of a poster offers many of the same advantages of the book format.

But the information on a poster would be much more condensed and simplified compared to the book. This would be a good thing, as I would be able to present my key ideas in a clear and easy to understand way. A poster would be the ideal companion to a book, as the poster would act as an abstract for all my key points and highlights, of which the book would elaborate on in much greater detail. Essentially the poster would act as the hook to get people interested in my project.

Short Movie As mentioned previously, one of my study methods involves taking an extensive amount of video and pictures of my research sites and experience. So I think it would make a short movie of my experiences and research doing the thesis project. The video would be around 10 to 15 minutes long, possibly longer, and act as summation of my experience doing the Off Campus project. I am thinking it will be more narrative driven than the other presentation formats. Although it would highlight the major research and data I collected, it would also focus on the journey I as an individual have taken and how I have (hopefully) grown and become better because of it. Creating a video would also be another format for people to access and hopefully allow me to reach a wider audience.

[OVERALL OBJECTIVES] Academic • Meet the requirements for the Off Campus Experience to the best of my abilities.

• Carry out the semester’s work in a self-driven and responsible manner.

• Gain a better understanding of the design and characteristics of theme parks and traditional parks, and what makes them function.

Professional • Gain a better understanding of how recreation and entertainment work within a landscape, and how people react to and use it.

• Gain valuable experience that will be helpful for later projects.

Personal • Improve my hand-rendering skills such as sketching and concept drawings.

• Establish a knowledge of how to approach a site and investigate, in order to better understand it and apply the ideal design intervention(s).

• Gain a better understanding of what makes ideal landscape design and how it could be improved on.

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[APPENDENCIES]

Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

[GENERAL INFORMATION] At this point it would be the best time to explain the particulars of my travel situation, and how unfortunately even at this point some key elements remain uncertain. As some of you reading this already know, I was originally part of the Off Campus group that was set to go to Puerto Rico during the Fall of 2017.Unfortunately for many valid reasons that group had to be disbanded, its members either staying in the United States or going to Copenhagen, Denmark. But unlucky still was the fact that I was not notified of this development (which occurred over Winter Break) until the first day of Spring Semester 2018, by which time everyone else had already decided on what option they would pursue. This was a series of unfortunate circumstances that cannot (and I will not) blame on any one or group of individuals. It has been a valuable learning experience however, and one I will not soon forget.

As can be imaged this sudden change of plans really through me in a loop, and admittingly for a while I was not sure of what I would do. But I have decided firmly that I will stay State-side to study theme parks and traditional parks. Originally the plan was for myself and two other individuals to go to San Francisco, California.

However because the other two came up with their own plans, essentially this group fell apart by the middle of the semester. Financially I would not be able to go by myself to San Francisco (or anywhere really) without some kind of job. Hence why I planned on doing this alongside an internship in a landscape architecture firm that (preferably) centered on projects related to my thesis topics. But of course the main problem with this plan is that (even this late in the game) I cannot say for certain where this will take place, since I could not predict for sure which firms would offer me a position.

As I am still waiting back to hear from the places that I have applied to, at this point I am going to work under the assumption that I will have to do my independent study in the Central New York area (for the most part), studying and comparing examples of themed design and traditional parks around my home town of Baldwinsville and the greater Central New York area. The benefit of a good thesis study is that it can be done anywhere, whether it be around your home town or in an exotic location.

So the travel information seen below will relate to the “home-town� version of this thesis study. If and when I hear back or begin an internship somewhere else in the United States I will go back and change all this information. But as of now (May 6th, 2018) I will have to present you with what has been my back up plan for the Off Campus Semester.

[TRAVEL INFORMATION] Living at Home | May 12, 2018- December 5, 2018.

Location: 446 Hourglass Lane, Baldwinsville New York Living in Baldwinsville and traveling to various sites across New York State by car, most likely for day trips or weekend stays at the most, multiple times over the summer and potentially into the fall. Below is a rough estimate of my budget and travel information.

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Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

BUDGET

Travel: $350 Gas Money: $350 Living Expenses: $250 Rent: “Free” Food: $250 Academic: $5,717.5 Tuition: $4,772.50 Computer Programs: $625 Supplies: $200 Production: $120 Estimated Total: $6,317.50 [RESOURCES] Books

Garvin, Alexander. The American City: What Works, What Doesn’t. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2014. Print.

Herwig, Oliver., Holzherr, Florian. Dream Worlds: Architecture and Entertainment. New York: Prestel, 2006. Print.

Kaplan, Rachel., Kaplan, Stephen., Ryan, Robert L. With People in Mind. New York: Island Press, 1998. Print.

Molnar, Donald J., Rutledge, Albert J. Anatomy of a Park 2nd Edition. New York: Waveland Pr Inc, 1992.Print.

Rabinovitz, Lauren. Electric Dreamland. New York: Columbia University Press, 2012.Print.

Younger, David. Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment. New York: Inklingwood Press, 2016. Print.

Websites Fehrenbacher, Jill. “INTERVIEW: Landscape Architect James Corner On NYC’s High Line Park”. inhabitat. September 20, 2014. Web. April 2018.

Green, Jared. “Interview with Thomas Balsley, FASLA” American Society of Landscape Architects.

2013. Web. April 2018.

Storbeck, Jon. “Windows on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park: Bill Evans” Disney Parks Blog.

May 6, 2014. Web. April 2018.

“James Corner: Founder and Director, MLA”. Field Operations. 2017. Web. April 2018.

“Morgan “Bill” Evans” Designing Disney. Disney Publishing, 2009. Web. April 2018.

“Thomas Balsley” SWA Group. 2017. Web. April 2018.

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Photos

Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

Baan, Iwan. “High Line.” Time Out, Evelyn Derico, July 18 2017, https://www.timeout.com/newyork/

parks/highline

Mabel, Joe. “Gantry Plaza State Park Long Island City” Wikipedia Commons, Creative Commons, August 2 2013, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gantry_Plaza_State_Park_Long_Island_ City_01_(9431668991).jpg AI_HikesAZ “Mickey Mouse Fountain – Toon Town – Disneyland.” Flickr, August 6 2010, https://www. flickr.com/photos/alanenglish/4940373486 “Animal Kingdom” Touring Plans, Len Testa, May 5 2018, https://touringplans.com/animal-kingdom “Central Park Plan.” The New York History Blog, Editorial Staff, November 24 2014, http://newyorkhistoryblog.org/2014/11/24/nyc-original-central-park-plan-on-exhibit/ “Disneyland.” The Nation, Richard Kreitner, University of Southern California Regional Historical Photo Collection, July 17 1956, https://www.thenation.com/article/july-17-1955-disneyland-opens-in-southern-california/ “George Washington Statue in Boston Public Garden.” Storyblocks, June 2016, https://www.videoblocks.com/video/boston-ma---circa-june-2016---a-summer-daytime-establishing-shot-of-the-georgewashington-statue-at-the-entrance-to-boston-public-garden-by7w0-uripoqazl3 “Jungle Cruise primary4” Disneyland Resort, Disney, 2005, https://disneyland.disney.go.com/au/disneyland/jungle-cruise/ “Luna Park.” A-1 First Class Moving & Storage, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frChlpw8Qr0 “Main Street USA” Disney Parks, Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Disney, December 4 2015, https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/12/16-reasons-2016-will-be-an-unforgettable-year-at-walt-disneyworld-resort/ “The Old Bandstand, Central Park” Architectural Watercolors, Blogspot, April 11 2011, http://architecturalwatercolors.blogspot.com/2011/04/old-bandstand-central-park.html [GLOSSARY] Designer - In this context of this thesis, when the term “designer” is used, it is referring to landscape designers, urban designers and landscape architects.

Methods - The study techniques that I will use to investigate my selected sites. It is important to remember that when comparing any elements between, for example a park and a theme park, that all of these similarities and differences will fall into a spectrum. It will not be a simple manner of “both of these landscapes have plants” it would compare what kind of plants, where they are placed, how many there are and so forth. The methods are not meant to be used in a strict “black and white” sense of thinking and comparison.

Park-like spaces - This term refers to an area that may not be called a “park” but possesses most (if not all) of the qualities that go into a park landscape. This could include plazas, planted boulevards, and other landscapes that can serve as social settings for the public.

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Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

Space - Refers to a specific area that has a specific identity to its users, for example the bandstand in Central Park.

Traditional Park - For the purposes of this study this term refers to a landscape that resembles what most people think of when they hear the word “park”. This landscape includes planted areas, expansive lawns, walking paths and areas for sports and recreation. A prime example would be Central Park in New York City.

Themed Design - In this thesis the term is used in its previously established definition, but also essentially is used to identify any kind landscape or space that has some kind of story built into it that goes beyond the site’s context. This could be something as simple as an outside display themed for the Christmas to resemble “Santa’s Workshop”.

User Group - A substantial part of this project will go into studying who is using a particularly space and when. This will include looking at the social aspect (are they alone, in a group of friends, with their children) and what age groups seem most prevalent.

The age categories for visitors: Baby/toddler: 0-5 Child: 6-12 Teenager: 13-17 Young Adult: 18-29 Adult: 30-59 Senior: 60+

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Thesis Proposal | Jack Kenney

[ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND MOVING FORWARD]

Putting together this proposal has been a learning experience that has progressed over the entirety of the Spring 2018 semester. Many things have not (and continue to not) go the way I had originally planned, but I will keep persisting and working at it. I am confident that things will work out in the end, since I do believe I have a very interesting and special thesis proposal to work from. As you can probably tell by now, I am very passionate about the park space and themed design, so doing a thesis that incorporated the two only seemed natural. Although I do understand that my pathway for the Off Campus experience has been very unusual for a number of reasons, I know I can create a product that meets all the criteria needed to finish my time in SUNY ESF and help propel my career as a Landscape Architect.

I feel it is appropriate at this time to thank my advisors, professors, fellow students, friends, family and everyone else that has helped my along the course of this project. Without all of you it would not nearly be as developed and exciting as it is, and I am thankful for all of the support that you have given me. It has not been easy, and so I appreciate everyone sticking by me as I have worked this whole thing out.

Moving forward I will begin my first-hand experience researching and studying my selected topic. It is my hope that after all of my data and research is collected and organized, that I will be able to offer a “next step� when I present my findings. With theme parks in particular, I feel that there is a lot of potential for better design, especially with newer environmentally sustainable technologies and energy sources becoming more and more prevalent. I want to be part of that next step in the history of design, I want to be part of the generation that builds a better world for all living things, and corrects the mistakes of the past. More than anything, I want to build a better, beautiful and happy world.

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Off Campus Proposal | Central New York Jack Kenney | LSA 425 Advisor: Robin Hoffman