Urban Spaces

Public spaces fulfill a variety of services in cities. The idea of having green spaces in urban locations has been a reoccurring theme all throughout history. For example, the ancient Egyptians made use of domestic gardens, the Assyrians made hunting parks, and the Greeks used public gardens. For years, however, green spaces were for the wealthy and the religious. During the Italian Renaissance, parks became larger and grander. Versailles became the biggest, grandest, and most expensive park in the world in 1664. Parks served the purpose of royals and other wealthy and powerful individuals to show off their power. The park’s grand architecture and strict rules were meant to teach the working class how to be less plebeian. It was after industrialization began that the need for public spaces for inner city residents became recognized as an important part of urban society. Due to pollution, poor sewage, and overcrowding, it became clear that parks would help clean the air, improve health and prevent the spreading of diseases, and would therefore cure social ills. Today, parks’ positive effects on ecological issues, social benefits, and economic benefits are all reasons for the creation of urban spaces. Municipalities now know that parks can prevent health problems, increase worker productivity, increase tourism, increase real estate prices, lessen infrastructure damage from floods, cool heat islands, and therefore save the city governments large millions of dollars. In addition to their money saving abilities, the presence of commercial activity within parks can be a net revenue earner. As a result, cities have large incentives to create parks. 

 

Botanical Garden

Amaliehaven

Kastellet

In Copenhagen, in particular, parks have served these services and more. As the city expanded in the 1850s, the city spread outside of the city walls. As a result, the city’s fortifications served little purpose anymore. Henrik August Flindt argued that these fortifications become parks. Since then, the Botanical Garden, Ørstedsparken, Amalliehaven, and Kastellet, all former fortifications and bastions, have become public parks. All of these parks serve the purpose of providing the public with a refuge from urban life, allowing them to walk, bike, and relax among nature. Now, the city of Copenhagen plans to give all citizens access to a park within 15 minutes. Controlling urban development, building urban parks, and maintaining green plots allow for the creation of a sustainable and modern city, maintaining and promoting the brand that Copenhagen has created for itself. Parks also create a resilient urban environment for global warming, which protects the city’s economic interests. Today, many cities are following this model of creating a sustainable city, as this is necessary for prosperity in the future.