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Funny enough, my most enjoyable and applicable class each semester ends up being the random general education requirement I take online. This semester, it’s Landscape Architecture. The class has got me thinking a lot about the intentionality, history, and design behind some of my favorite public amenities: parks.

I was fortunate to grow up just two miles away from Hartwood Acres Park, a 629 acre green space in Allegheny County. I have many special memories in this park from over the years: countless runs, outdoor concerts in the summer, and taking my dog to the dog park. I was asked to my senior prom in this park and it was a family tradition to drive through its “Festival of Lights” during the holiday season for many years. It’s a place that I like to return to whenever I am home; my favorite aspect of it is the quietness of the woods. Despite living in a busy suburb close to Pittsburgh, Hartwood Acres is one of the few nearby places that I can completely submerge myself into nature for its restorative effects.

After learning from this landscape architecture class, I have come to realize that the design of Hartwood Acres, which I have enjoyed for over a decade without much thought, is very intentional. While there are paved roads throughout the park, they are closed to car traffic, allowing the internal parts of the park to remain quiet and undisturbed by motorized vehicles. The beauty behind Hartwood Acres is that it is appealing to both people who come for the more consumer-minded activities such as the lights show, mansion tours, and concerts, as well as the day-to-day users who like to exercise there and escape suburb life in nature. To me, these multi-use characteristics make Hartwood Acres the ultimate public space.

The concept of public parks came into existence in 1847 with the creation of the first public park in England, Birkenhead Park. It was truly public in that the people’s tax money was used to create it. This European park movement ultimately kicked off an American park movement, where the need and desire for parks arose out of crowded cities with unsanitary living conditions. It was thought that fresh air and open space could help the mind, body, and spirit remain in good health. The pride of ownership and the sense of “our park” that surrounded Birkenhead Park are true of Hartwood Acres today. The suburbs around Hartwood Acres are collectively proud and grateful to have such a large accessible green space nearby. While everyone visits the parks for different reasons, it is a valuable resource and an asset to the neighborhoods it immediately services, as well as the greater Pittsburgh area.

I feel so lucky to have access to public parks on all scales. They are truly democratic ideals, emblematic of “America the beautiful”, that do so much for our health, well-being, and environment. This weekend, I’m taking a trip to Shenandoah National Park to enjoy some spring backpacking. I’m so excited to experience a national treasure that I haven’t been to yet. Stories and pictures to come!