A linear park is a type of park that is significantly longer than it is wide.[a] These linear parks are strips of public land running along canals, rivers, streams, defensive walls, electrical lines, or highways[1] and shorelines.[2] Examples of linear parks include everything from wildlife corridors to riverways to trails, capturing the broadest sense of the word.[3] Other examples include rail trails ("rails to trails"), which are disused railroad beds converted for recreational use by removing existing structures. Commonly, these linear parks result from the public and private sectors acting on the dense urban need for open green space.[4] Linear parks stretch through urban areas, coming through as a solution for the lack of space and need for urban greenery. They also effectively connect different neighborhoods in dense urban areas as a result, and create places that are ideal for activities such as jogging or walking.[5] Linear parks may also be categorized as greenways.[6][7] In Australia, a linear park along the coast is known as a foreshoreway. When being designed, linear parks appear unique as they are planned around the public's opinion of how the space will affect them.[8]
Possibly the earliest example is the Emerald Necklace, which consists of a 1,100-acre (4.5 km2), or 445 hectare chain of parks linked by parkways (a broad, landscaped highway)[9] and waterways in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. The name comes from the way the planned chain appears to hang from the "neck" of the Boston peninsula.[10] This system of linear parks was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to connect the Boston Common and Public Garden (1837) to Franklin Park (Boston), also known as the "crown jewel" of Olmstead's work in Boston.[11] The project began around 1878 with efforts to clean up and control the marshy area which later became the Back Bay and the Fens. In 1880, Olmsted proposed that the Muddy River be included in the park plan as the current dredged into a winding stream and was directed into the Charles River. Olmsted's vision of a linear park of walking paths along a gentle stream connecting numerous small ponds was complete by the turn of the century, but never completed the section to Boston Harbor. The subsequent development of the automobile industry and roads severely disrupted the original concept.[12]
In recent years, a prevalent example of a linear park that has seen more visitors is the High Line in New York City. The High Line is a 1.45-mile long rail trail and greenway, having been built on a historic rail line as well as constructed to have greenery all throughout.[14] It serves its purpose as a linear park by connecting neighborhoods throughout while appearing aesthetically pleasing. Historically targeted for demolition, the High Line has been transformed into an extraordinary elevated park that allows for activities such as sight-seeing and exercise, creating a new dynamic living experience within the city. Overcoming demolition as an unused industrialized area, the ingenuity of the High Line has fast become motivation for other cities to follow suit and build smarter. Notably, the High Line's annual budget is funded almost entirely by park-goers, though it is operated under the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation license agreement.[15]
In some cities, many linear parks run through residential areas. In this case, the front of the house will face the streets, while the back faces a small linear park containing a pathway, trees and grass connecting different areas together. Examples are numerous in some Canadian cities such as Saskatoon.[16] Houses connected with linear parks are more common in suburban and rural areas where space is much less in-demand.
A linear park system advocating for equity and inclusion is the BeltLine, currently being planned and built in sections in Atlanta, Georgia. Similar to the High Line, part of the foundation for this project consisted of reclaiming 22-miles(35.4 km) of historic and unused rail trails. Totaling 33-miles, the BeltLine will completely encircle Atlanta's central business districts, including a trail and light rail line on the existing tracks instead of another road.[17] The mission and vision of Atlanta's BeltLine is to geographically balance out resident demographics within the city, allowing for all associated to the BeltLine to benefit and prosper economically.[18]
In England, linear parks have also been created around waterways, especially in cities where the terrain is such that rivers and brooks have significant flood plains. Such land cannot sensibly be used for urban development and so it is set aside as a civic amenity. The settlement Milton Keynes makes extensive use of linear parks, with nine different examples that include the flood plains of the Great Ouse and of its tributaries (the Ouzel and some brooks).[19][20][21] In the UK, Milton Keynes ranked highest in a national comparison of open urban areas available to residents.[22]
A more recent example of a linear park is the BerlinMauerpark, which was built on a part of the former Berlin Wall area and its adjacent former death strip.
Planty Park, Kraków, Poland). It encircles the Stare Miasto (Old Town), where the Medievalcity walls used to stand until the early 19th century. The park has an area of 21 ha (52 acres) and a length of 4 km (2.5 mi).[23] It consists of a chain of thirty smaller gardens designed in varied styles and adorned with numerous monuments and fountains. The park forms a scenic walkway popular with Cracovians. In summer, sprinkled with ponds and refreshment stalls, it is a cool and shady retreat from the nearby bustling streets.[24]
In Hong Kong, a prominent example of a linear park is the Avenue of Stars. Located at the waterfront surrounding East Tsim Sha Tsui, the Avenue of Stars is a 440-meter(0.27 mi.) promenade offering scenic views to the public. As a public amenity, the park provides much needed urban space to the dense city of Hong Kong. The walking road itself is dedicated to famous Hong Kong celebrities, and as such is an attractive tourist area lined with souvenir stalls at some sections.[25]
In addition to the dynamic waterfront location, the Avenue of Stars provides visitors a "front-row seat"(stand) to the Symphony of Lights, the world's largest light and sound show. It's also around this area that the famed Star Ferry can be observed and even ridden.
Picture of Rail Corridor, Singapore
In Singapore, wild growth and shrubbery that's taken over a former KTM rail line has been encouraged and maintained through public opinion. Convincing the Singaporean government of the land's value, the citizens of Singapore were able to turn a neglected KTM railway in to a linear park that now runs 10 km(6.21 mi) long and offers unique perspectives into Singaporean wildlife. Rail Corridor differs from the typical linear park in a way that promotes and integrates the biodiversity and ecosystem throughout—covering 93[26] different species—while serving as an excellent outdoor trail to get active in.[27]
^There is no dictionary definition for the term in the full Oxford Dictionary of English. "Linear: Resembling a line; very narrow in proportion to its length, and of uniform breadth." (Oxford Dictionary of English) The term linear park seems to have begun to be used on a regular basis in the 1960s (Google Ngram Viewer). The earliest usage in Britain was in reference to the idea of a River Thames "linear national park", in Time on the Thames by Eric Samuel De Maré (Architectural Press, 1952) (Ngram). Google Ngram Viewer, however, indicates a few earlier examples, including from the US in 1939 (Supplementary report of the Urbanism Committee to the National Resources Committee, Volume 2. United States. National Resources Committee. Research Committee on Urbanism. Clarence Addison Dykstra. U.S. Govt. 1939). It may also have been used in 1873, but Ngram didn't provide the source(s).
References
^(PDF). Hurst, Tx City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-07. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
^. U.S. Department of Transport Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on 2009-05-10. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
^Conference, International Linear Parks (1987). "Parkways". www.jstor.org. doi:10.2307/j.ctt1xp3kv8. JSTOR j.ctt1xp3kv8. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
^Faggi, Ana (2017-01-18). "Linear Parks: The Importance of a Balanced, Cross-Disciplinary Design". The Nature of Cities. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
^"6 Types of Linear Park". Simplicable. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
^"Paris Elevated Rail Park Featured in Movie 'Before Sunset'". Friends of the High Line. August 12, 2004. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
^"The Rail Corridor : State of Buildings". stateofbuildings.sg. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
^. Archived from the original on 2021-03-27. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
^District 4 News - January 22, 2015 (Commissioner Bill Ganz)
^New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation: Walkway over the Hudson State Historic Park
May 07, 2023
linear, park, linear, park, type, park, that, significantly, longer, than, wide, these, linear, parks, strips, public, land, running, along, canals, rivers, streams, defensive, walls, electrical, lines, highways, shorelines, examples, linear, parks, include, e. A linear park is a type of park that is significantly longer than it is wide a These linear parks are strips of public land running along canals rivers streams defensive walls electrical lines or highways 1 and shorelines 2 Examples of linear parks include everything from wildlife corridors to riverways to trails capturing the broadest sense of the word 3 Other examples include rail trails rails to trails which are disused railroad beds converted for recreational use by removing existing structures Commonly these linear parks result from the public and private sectors acting on the dense urban need for open green space 4 Linear parks stretch through urban areas coming through as a solution for the lack of space and need for urban greenery They also effectively connect different neighborhoods in dense urban areas as a result and create places that are ideal for activities such as jogging or walking 5 Linear parks may also be categorized as greenways 6 7 In Australia a linear park along the coast is known as a foreshoreway When being designed linear parks appear unique as they are planned around the public s opinion of how the space will affect them 8 Promenade Plantee a 4 7 km 2 9 mi elevated linear park built on top of obsolete railway infrastructure in the 12th arrondissement of Paris France Plan of the Emerald Necklace Boston US in 1894 Contents 1 North America 1 1 Equity and Inclusion 2 Europe 3 Asia 4 List of linear parks 4 1 Europe 4 1 1 Belgium 4 1 2 France 4 1 3 Germany 4 1 4 Ireland 4 1 5 Portugal 4 1 6 Spain 4 1 7 United Kingdom 4 2 North America 4 2 1 Canada 4 2 2 United States 4 2 3 Mexico 4 3 Asia 4 3 1 Hong Kong 4 3 2 Singapore 4 3 3 Iran 4 3 4 Israel 4 3 5 Japan 4 3 6 Philippines 4 3 7 Taiwan 4 3 8 South Korea 4 3 9 United Arab Emirates 4 4 Australia 5 See also 6 Notes 7 ReferencesNorth America EditPossibly the earliest example is the Emerald Necklace which consists of a 1 100 acre 4 5 km2 or 445 hectare chain of parks linked by parkways a broad landscaped highway 9 and waterways in Boston and Brookline Massachusetts U S The name comes from the way the planned chain appears to hang from the neck of the Boston peninsula 10 This system of linear parks was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to connect the Boston Common and Public Garden 1837 to Franklin Park Boston also known as the crown jewel of Olmstead s work in Boston 11 The project began around 1878 with efforts to clean up and control the marshy area which later became the Back Bay and the Fens In 1880 Olmsted proposed that the Muddy River be included in the park plan as the current dredged into a winding stream and was directed into the Charles River Olmsted s vision of a linear park of walking paths along a gentle stream connecting numerous small ponds was complete by the turn of the century but never completed the section to Boston Harbor The subsequent development of the automobile industry and roads severely disrupted the original concept 12 High Line Park New York City US an aerial greenway modelled on Paris s Promenade plantee 13 In recent years a prevalent example of a linear park that has seen more visitors is the High Line in New York City The High Line is a 1 45 mile long rail trail and greenway having been built on a historic rail line as well as constructed to have greenery all throughout 14 It serves its purpose as a linear park by connecting neighborhoods throughout while appearing aesthetically pleasing Historically targeted for demolition the High Line has been transformed into an extraordinary elevated park that allows for activities such as sight seeing and exercise creating a new dynamic living experience within the city Overcoming demolition as an unused industrialized area the ingenuity of the High Line has fast become motivation for other cities to follow suit and build smarter Notably the High Line s annual budget is funded almost entirely by park goers though it is operated under the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation license agreement 15 William Sarjeant Park a linear park in the Willowgrove neighbourhood of Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada In some cities many linear parks run through residential areas In this case the front of the house will face the streets while the back faces a small linear park containing a pathway trees and grass connecting different areas together Examples are numerous in some Canadian cities such as Saskatoon 16 Houses connected with linear parks are more common in suburban and rural areas where space is much less in demand Unique art found in BeltLine Atlanta Equity and Inclusion Edit A linear park system advocating for equity and inclusion is the BeltLine currently being planned and built in sections in Atlanta Georgia Similar to the High Line part of the foundation for this project consisted of reclaiming 22 miles 35 4 km of historic and unused rail trails Totaling 33 miles the BeltLine will completely encircle Atlanta s central business districts including a trail and light rail line on the existing tracks instead of another road 17 The mission and vision of Atlanta s BeltLine is to geographically balance out resident demographics within the city allowing for all associated to the BeltLine to benefit and prosper economically 18 Europe Edit Part of one of Milton Keynes s linear parks showing cyclists crossing a cattle grid on National Cycle Route 51 In England linear parks have also been created around waterways especially in cities where the terrain is such that rivers and brooks have significant flood plains Such land cannot sensibly be used for urban development and so it is set aside as a civic amenity The settlement Milton Keynes makes extensive use of linear parks with nine different examples that include the flood plains of the Great Ouse and of its tributaries the Ouzel and some brooks 19 20 21 In the UK Milton Keynes ranked highest in a national comparison of open urban areas available to residents 22 In Greater London Essex and Hertfordshire the Lee Valley Park is a 10 000 acre 40 km2 linear park stretching for 26 miles 42 km long much of it green spaces running along the flood plains of the River Lea from the River Thames to Ware through areas such as Stratford Clapton Tottenham Enfield Walthamstow Cheshunt Broxbourne and Hoddesdon in an area renowned as the Lea Valley Greater London s largest park Lee Valley Park is more than four times the size of Richmond Park extending beyond Greater London s borders into the neighboring counties of Hertfordshire and Essex Mauerpark in Berlin Germany A more recent example of a linear park is the Berlin Mauerpark which was built on a part of the former Berlin Wall area and its adjacent former death strip Planty Park Krakow Poland It encircles the Stare Miasto Old Town where the Medieval city walls used to stand until the early 19th century The park has an area of 21 ha 52 acres and a length of 4 km 2 5 mi 23 It consists of a chain of thirty smaller gardens designed in varied styles and adorned with numerous monuments and fountains The park forms a scenic walkway popular with Cracovians In summer sprinkled with ponds and refreshment stalls it is a cool and shady retreat from the nearby bustling streets 24 Asia Edit View of the walkway Avenue of Stars Hong Kong In Hong Kong a prominent example of a linear park is the Avenue of Stars Located at the waterfront surrounding East Tsim Sha Tsui the Avenue of Stars is a 440 meter 0 27 mi promenade offering scenic views to the public As a public amenity the park provides much needed urban space to the dense city of Hong Kong The walking road itself is dedicated to famous Hong Kong celebrities and as such is an attractive tourist area lined with souvenir stalls at some sections 25 In addition to the dynamic waterfront location the Avenue of Stars provides visitors a front row seat stand to the Symphony of Lights the world s largest light and sound show It s also around this area that the famed Star Ferry can be observed and even ridden Picture of Rail Corridor Singapore In Singapore wild growth and shrubbery that s taken over a former KTM rail line has been encouraged and maintained through public opinion Convincing the Singaporean government of the land s value the citizens of Singapore were able to turn a neglected KTM railway in to a linear park that now runs 10 km 6 21 mi long and offers unique perspectives into Singaporean wildlife Rail Corridor differs from the typical linear park in a way that promotes and integrates the biodiversity and ecosystem throughout covering 93 26 different species while serving as an excellent outdoor trail to get active in 27 List of linear parks EditEurope Edit Belgium Edit Parc de la Senne Zennepark BrusselsFrance Edit Promenade plantee ParisGermany Edit Mauerpark in Berlin Mittellandkanal Hannover Kattenbrook Park HannoverIreland Edit Dodder Park Dublin Lansdowne Valley Park DublinPortugal Edit Tagus Linear Park Povoa de Santa Iria River Tagus Spain Edit Sagera Linear Park Barcelona Parc de la Rambla de Sants Barcelona Turia Gardens Jardin del Turia ValenciaUnited Kingdom Edit Brampton Valley Way in Northamptonshire and Leicestershire England Eastside City Park Birmingham England Hogsmill River Park London England Mile End Park East London EnglandNorth America Edit Canada Edit Beltline Linear Park and West Toronto Railpath Toronto Ontario Grand Concourse St John s Newfoundland a walkway system with linear parks Meewasin Trail Saskatoon Saskatchewan Parc lineaire de la riviere Saint Charles Quebec City Quebec Parc Lineaire Le P tit Train du Nord Saint Jerome Mont Laurier Quebec Strathcona Linear Park Vancouver British ColumbiaUnited States Edit Alewife Linear Park Massachusetts Bloomingdale Trail The 606 Chicago Illinois Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina and Virginia Brickell Key Baywalk Miami Florida Buffalo Bayou Park Houston Texas Burnham Greenway Chicago Illinois Charles River Esplanade Boston Massachusetts Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Washington D C West Virginia and Maryland Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Central New Jersey Dequindre Cut Detroit Michigan East Boston Greenway Boston Massachusetts Eastern Parkway New York City Elizabeth River Parkway Union County New Jersey Embarcadero San Francisco California Freeway Park Seattle Washington Grand Park Los Angeles California Great Highway San Francisco California High Line New York New York Hollywood Central Park Los Angeles California Hoover Mason Trestle Bethlehem Pennsylvania Hudson River Park New York New York Illinois Prairie Path Dupage County Illinois Indianapolis Cultural Trail Indianapolis Indiana James River Park System Richmond Virginia 28 Little Sugar Creek Greenway Charlotte North Carolina Midtown Greenway and trails network of Minneapolis Minnesota Mosholu Parkway The Bronx New York City Ocean Parkway New York City Passaic River Parkway Union County New Jersey Pastor Willie James Ford Sr Linear Park Deerfield Beach Florida 29 Pelham Parkway The Bronx New York City Rahway River Parkway Union County New Jersey Rose Kennedy Greenway Boston Massachusetts Riverfront Park Arkansas River Trail Little Rock Arkansas Rotary Trail Birmingham Alabama Salesforce Park San Francisco San Antonio River Walk San Antonio Texas Stowe Recreation Path Stowe Vermont The Loop Tucson Arizona The Underline Miami Dade County Florida Vanderbilt Motor Parkway Queens New York City Walkway over the Hudson State Historic Park Poughkeepsie and Highland New York 30 Washington amp Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park Northern VirginiaMexico Edit Linea Verde Aguascalientes Parque Lineal Puerto Vallarta Asia Edit Hong Kong Edit Avenue of Stars Hong KongSingapore Edit Rail Corridor SingaporeIran Edit Seyyed morteza linear park kashmarIsrael Edit Yarkon Park Tel AvivJapan Edit Odori Park SapporoPhilippines Edit Plaza Moriones Manila Camaligan River Park Camaligan Camarines SurTaiwan Edit Calligraphy Greenway TaichungSouth Korea Edit Seoullo 7017 SeoulUnited Arab Emirates Edit Al zorah linear park AjmanAustralia Edit Stirling Linear Park near Adelaide Sturt River Linear Park near Adelaide The Goods Line Sydney Torrens Linear Park AdelaideSee also EditBoardwalk Footpath Foreshoreway Greenway landscape Promenade Trail Urban park Wildlife corridorNotes Edit There is no dictionary definition for the term in the full Oxford Dictionary of English Linear Resembling a line very narrow in proportion to its length and of uniform breadth Oxford Dictionary of English The term linear park seems to have begun to be used on a regular basis in the 1960s Google Ngram Viewer The earliest usage in Britain was in reference to the idea of a River Thames linear national park in Time on the Thames by Eric Samuel De Mare Architectural Press 1952 Ngram Google Ngram Viewer however indicates a few earlier examples including from the US in 1939 Supplementary report of the Urbanism Committee to the National Resources Committee Volume 2 United States National Resources Committee Research Committee on Urbanism Clarence Addison Dykstra U S Govt 1939 It may also have been used in 1873 but Ngram didn t provide the source s References Edit Parks and Recreation Programming Master Plan PDF Hurst Tx City Council Archived from the original PDF on 2007 10 07 Retrieved 2009 04 06 Study Trail profiles U S Department of Transport Federal Highway Administration Archived from the original on 2009 05 10 Retrieved 2009 04 06 Conference International Linear Parks 1987 Parkways www jstor org doi 10 2307 j ctt1xp3kv8 JSTOR j ctt1xp3kv8 Retrieved 2021 12 06 Faggi Ana 2017 01 18 Linear Parks The Importance of a Balanced Cross Disciplinary Design The Nature of Cities Retrieved 2021 12 07 6 Types of Linear Park Simplicable Retrieved 2021 12 07 Truman Greenway Savannah Georgia US City of Kelowna British Columbia Canada Faggi Ana 2017 01 18 Linear Parks The Importance of a Balanced Cross Disciplinary Design The Nature of Cities Retrieved 2021 12 08 parkway Webster s Third New International Dictionary Unabridged Merriam Webster 2002 http unabridged merriam webster com 14 Apr 2007 Emerald Necklace Greenway The Emerald Necklace Conservancy 2007 08 30 Archived from the original on 2007 08 30 Retrieved 2021 12 07 Emerald Necklace Greenway Paris Elevated Rail Park Featured in Movie Before Sunset Friends of the High Line August 12 2004 Archived from the original on October 23 2014 Retrieved July 27 2014 Overview The High Line Retrieved 2021 12 07 History The High Line Retrieved 2021 12 07 City of Saskatoon Archived from the original on 2014 11 13 Retrieved 2014 11 16 Home Atlanta Beltline Retrieved 2021 12 07 Equity and Inclusion Atlanta Beltline Retrieved 2021 12 07 Ouse Valley Park permanent dead link Milton Keynes Parks Trust Ouzel Valley Park Archived 2021 02 01 at the Wayback Machine Milton Keynes Parks Trust Parks Trust Milton Keynes Archived from the original on 2021 01 16 Retrieved 2014 11 16 Milton Keynes ranks top for green space www miltonkeynes co uk Retrieved 2021 12 07 Planty Garden Ring Krakow Travel Retrieved 28 February 2022 Andrew Beattie From the Piast Church to the Holy Cross Church Landmark Publishing page 40 About AOS the Avenue of Stars Harbour Now Sparkling the Avenue of Stars Retrieved 2021 12 07 Rail Corridor www nparks gov sg Retrieved 2021 12 08 The Rail Corridor State of Buildings stateofbuildings sg Retrieved 2021 12 08 James River Park System Richmond Virginia Archived from the original on 2021 03 27 Retrieved 2014 03 15 District 4 News January 22 2015 Commissioner Bill Ganz New York State Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation Walkway over the Hudson State Historic Park Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Linear park amp oldid 1153551234, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
