THINKING ABOUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
soil mixes, automatic irrigation, soil moisture sensors, for example) have supported what amounts to experimental gardening on building walls and roofs. Product manufacturers have designed and marketed specialized support systems and products for building integrated gardens. In the case of Patrick Blanc, he holds numerous patents for his vertical garden innovations. Gardens are generally spaces to be experienced passively for enjoyment or for their sensual inspiration and health benefits. They also enhance the aesthetic aspects of the space and surrounding built environment as well as increase the economic value for development. Gardens are often Figure 6.13 Roof garden, Lake Merritt, Oakland, California. contemplative spaces to be experienced through the senses while parks are places to exercise the body by individuals, or places to visit when engaging in sports with others. Both can be places for socializing. In the case of parks, the process is, for the most part, socialization through activity while for gardens, socialization is a more passive interaction. Put simply, gardens are a special place for the mind while parks are places for the body. There are of course exceptions to this simplistic characterization of the two types of outdoor spaces.
Parks Both the New York City Park Department and the US National Park Service contain the word park in the name of their organization. In the case of the New York City Park, parks have been established primarily to serve the outdoor recreation and in some case a diverse range of entertainment wishes of urban dwellers. The system of parks also supports specialized purposes, such as educational (botanic gardens and zoos) and social (community gardens for the production of fresh produce). The word park in the US National Park Service holds another meaning. The word refers to natural—in some cases, wild— landscapes or properties including historic sites and structures that have been set aside to conserve specific ecosystems, wildlife species, historical sites and property, memorials (for people or events), and other historical or culturally significant places. Other departments, including the US Forest Service and the National Wildlife Service, oversee large expanses of federal lands for purposes that include resource management of forests, minerals, and animal and fish conservation. These federal agencies also support human activities, such as backcountry hiking, skiing, hunting and fishing, wildlife viewing and education, and other outdoor recreation activities. The prime mission of the US National Park Service is not recreation as is generally understood in the establishment of city and municipal parks. That is not to say municipalities do not manage historically or culturally significant properties, as they most definitely do. The Emerald Necklace park system in the City of Boston primarily serves an outdoor recreation function for its citizens. The Emerald Necklace also was created to solve flooding problems in the city with lands set aside 122
