300 LANDSCAPE DESIGN 



play. It is definitely to be predicted that this use will increase in in- 

 tensity as time goes on. A park area may start as an out-of-town 

 reservation, and through the growth of population become in time al- 

 most an in-town large park. It is essential therefore that the landscape 

 characters chosen should be such that they may be either defended 

 from this increased use when it reaches such an intensity as to be harm- 

 ful, or else that the character may be modified to allow this increased 

 use without too great loss of beauty. This question between stability 

 and convertibility of landscape character units in a park is a very impor- 

 tant one. It may affect the plan of the individual park, its access and 

 circulation, according as a certain scene is to be permanently preserved, 

 or only temporarily enjoyed so long as the increasing use does not 

 destroy it, and later turned into some other form better to endure the 

 use. It may affect the plan of the whole park system, according as 

 certain uses may be outgrown by certain parks and taken over by others. 

 Extent and If it is in any way possible, the park should contain some landscape 



Seclusion units which give an effect of extent. It should have some large open 



area; it should dominate a distant view. For in this visible extent, 

 more than in any other one thing, the park is likely to be different from 

 the town. If a choice might be made, then, between one site covered 

 with a compact wood and one with sufficient groves but also consider- 

 able opens, the second site, other things being equal, would probably 

 be preferable to the first. Some considerable wooded area, however, is 

 necessary in a park in order that people may walk about in the shade 

 with a sense of freedom and ability to go where they will without nec- 

 essarily following a path, and so that many people may do this with- 

 out being unpleasantly aware of one another's presence. 



Since the park is essentially something different from the town it 

 should be screened from the town. So long as the views out of the park 1 

 are into open country-side, they may well be allowed to remain open, 

 but it is dangerous to let the beauty of the park depend considerably 

 upon them, if at some future time the town is likely to surround the 

 park. It is possible, however, in some cases to arrange views from the 

 park across adjacent lower land to a distant hill, and so to manage these 

 views that the lowland may be filled with buildings without obtruding 

 upon the view. Where the town comes up to the boundary of the 



