NEIGHBOURHOOD PARKS 



and flowers may be used in any profusion or variety that the design 

 will permit, providing that an effect of display for display alone be 

 avoided. Efficacious planting will contribute to the value of the 

 landscape composition as a whole and demonstrate the best precepts 

 of landscape gardening. The gravest danger in the development of 

 neighbourhood parks of this sort is that, from the very liberty of 

 design allowed, no design whatever ma}' perhaps be accomplished. 

 Such parks are most liable to be weak and vacillating in design, 

 crowded with good material but lacking in unity and correlation of 

 parts. Only decisiveness of plan will rescue such parks from being 

 characterless. It is in the development of this type of park that the 

 services of a competent landscape designer are most imperative and 

 3'^et most often are done without or are unappreciated when available. 



DIRECT CIVIC ADVANTAGE 



A city will be judged by its neighbourhood parks when being 

 inspected by prospective home builders. The most monumental and 

 impressive esplanade, the most striking array of display parks, the 

 most modern of great "recreation centres " will not carry so personal 

 a weight with the home builder as will the appearance of the park which 

 he is to see daily, the one which is in the immediate vicinity of the 

 property which he thinks to purchase, the park which he will consider 

 as his park. That free band concerts are occasionally to be given in 

 his park during the smmiier months will convince him of the citj^'s 

 progressiveness more speedily than will any amount of public enter- 

 tainment scheduled for " down town." Having thus caught his in- 

 terest by means of the neighbourhood j^ark, and appointed him, as it 

 were, one of the godfathers, he may gradually be imbued with a spirit 

 of friendliness and good-w^ill toward other neighbourhood parks as 

 well. In the course of a few years, and without alienation of affection 

 from the first child of his fancy, he will find himself taking a paternal 

 interest in all the parks of the city. It is by such means and of such 

 stuff that city fathers are made. 



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