Public parks are not a frill, but essential to the idea of community and, even more, to the idea of democracy. In this thorough, erudite, and civilizing work, the planner Alexander Garvin explains how parks came to be, how they are quite literally the common ground our culture seeks, and how the design of public parks can affect urban well-being. (Paul Goldberger, architecture critic )
As cities explode exponentially or implode dramatically, the quality of the public realm will become increasingly significant to social well-being in the 21st century. More than ever before, public parks have the potential to humanize our existence in the contemporary urban world. The authoritative voice of Alex Garvin opens our eyes to what it takes to create great parks'how to design, finance, manage, and behave in them. Anyone who loves cities will applaud the lessons of this heroic book, that a good public park is at the heart of a democratic, sustainable society. (Ricky Burdett, Professor of Urban Studies, London School of Economics )