I bet you though this was going to be about the show. Well, lucky for you, it…is not. BUT this post will still be interesting because we will explore how something that sounds boring–like landscape architecture–is actually exciting!
Think of the Olympic Games. Every two years, a city must invest millions into new infrastructure that will accommodate thousands of athletes, housing, training facilities, and arenas. Let’s take Munich Olympic Park, for example. The games preceding the 1942 Munich Olympics were the 1936 Berlin Games. The Olympic village in Berlin was modeled after military barracks so it would have strategic use after the games were finished. All the buildings were identical and featured a central green space. The designers behind Munich Olympic Park tried to increase land-use diversity through residential buildings, stores, transit systems, and recreational areas; it was essentially a self-sustaining community. It also explored innovative architecture and engineering for the time period, and dramatic topography to contrast the flat landing strip it was built on. I mean, just look at the picture below! It just makes you want to be there.
Let’s take a more well-known example: Walt Disney World! It’s probably every kid’s (and adult’s) dream to visit at least once in their lifetime. Originally, Disney world was supposed to be an episodic experience, with Tomorrowland featuring the the future’s new, shiny inventions. Modeled after Ebenezer Howard’s Garden Cities, Tomorrowland was meant to be a self-sustaining community with civic centers, greenbelts, residential buildings, mass transportation, and a world boutique with an array of different cultures. What ended up happening was the birth of the EPCOT Center, which stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrowland. It became a theme park for a permanent world’s fair. If you’ve ever been, you’d know that are 11 country pavilions for the world boutique, and they are a sight to see.
I hope you’ve learned a bit more about parks and places we go for fun. Landscape architecture deals with small spaces as well as big places. Take your favourite park (or amusement park), for example . The wonderful experiences that take place in these spaces are intentionally planned out by landscape architects, urban planners, architects, engineers, and more. So next time you visit a park, somewhere fun, or even Disney World, take a minute to appreciate the creative and critical thinking put behind a place of enjoyment.
4 thoughts on “Parks and Rec”
I’ve never considered how much effort and designing goes into attractions like Disney World or the Munich Olympic Park. This was fascinating to see how much time must’ve gone into the planning. It was also interesting learning that there were intentions behind a lot of the designs of these attractions. I never knew that EPCOT was not made originally for Disney World! I really enjoyed your discussion about the creation of Munich Olympic Parks. I’ve always wondered why countries spend so much money on a one-time attraction. But, you showed me that at least Germany considered how to make this a multi-use attraction.
Alex
I never have really thought of Disney World in that manner. Having visited the amusement parks, I simply saw them as an atmosphere of fun that the creators were just looking to decorate with festivities. Landscape architecture can really be applied to our daily lives more than I originally thought.
Coleman Cush
Although I am not as into this topic as you are, I understand where you are coming from when you say appreciate these types of things.
Whenever I travel I find it enlightening to see so many different types of landscapes and architecture around the world compared to where I grew up. The differences from country to country or state to state of these magnificent types of things people literally made from ideas in their mind is insane to think about! I never considered the people who made these things, but I always admired it and will do so even more now for things like amusement parks versus just buildings and such.
gei5024
That is so interesting to think about what goes into places like Olympic Parks and Amusement Parks. I am from Chicago, and I remember that the city wanted to host the 2016 Olympics, however they would have to tear down a lot of the lakefront attractions such as Dusable Harbor and Millennium park, in order to make room for all of the new construction. Of course the people living in the city objected and there were lots of protests, so it ended up not happening and the Olympics went to Brazil. Although it would have been cool to see everything they would have built I am glad I still have the lake front I grew up with.
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