GENERAL MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY PARK PLANNING 79 



group. Eliminating Boulder, Colorado, which, because of its unusually 

 large park acreage (6,000.77 acres), is not typical of these representative 

 communities, the total population of the fifty cities (1920) was 724,181; 

 the total park acreage, 13,078.96 acres; total number of park properties, 

 324; total average number of acres per community, 261.7; an d the average 

 number of park properties per city, between 6 and 7. The ratio of park 

 acreage to population for the whole group is one acre to every 49 persons. 



It is interesting to compare these totals and averages with any city 

 having a population (1920) approximating the aggregate population of 

 these fifty small cities, as for example Baltimore, Boston, St. Louis. As 

 compared to 13,078 acres of park properties, Baltimore had 2,858, Boston 

 2,637, an d St. Louis 2,896 acres, respectively. As compared to 324 different 

 park properties Baltimore had 66, Boston 161, St. Louis 96. The com- 

 bined park acreage of Boston and the Boston Metropolitan Park System 

 approximates the total park acreage of these fifty small cities. New York 

 City, with a population considerably over 5,000,000, had approximately 

 3,000 acres less park area than these fifty small cities with a population 

 of 724,181. 



In addition to their park areas, forty of these fifty cities had 937.02 

 acres in school sites; 345 different sites; an average school site area per city 

 of 23.4 acres; and an average number of school sites per community of 

 between 8 and 9. 



A FEW EXAMPLES IN DETAIL OF THE PROVISIONS FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS 



MADE BY CITIES IN THIS GROUP 



SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA Park Areas: The park system of Keene comprises 



Population, 1920, 10,917. Total area of city 8 square II different properties with a total of 245.12 acres, or 



miles or 5,120 acres. one acre to every 48 inhabitants. The area of these 



Park Areas: The park properties comprise four areas properties is as follows: .40 of an acre, i, 5, 7.5, 12, 



of .10 of an acre, 1.5 acres, 3 acres, and 640 acres, I2 - 2 5, 1 3, 16.15, 39-3 2 , 55-5, and 83 acres respectively, 



respectively. There is one other parked area around O ne f these properties is known as Robin Hood's 



the city hall of two acres and an area called Memorial Forest; another, the Children's Wood; another, the 



Park controlled by the School Board. Counting only Ladies' Wildwood Park; another, the Ministers' Lot, 



those areas classed strictly as parks the total area is etc - In the deed of gift of the Children's Wood it is 



644.6 acres or approximately one acre to every 16 stated that the property is " to be held in trust for the 



inhabitants. All the properties are within the limits of children and kept as a forest, and the pines growing 



the city, the largest property lying at the extreme tnere are to be kept to their full age. The income is to 



northeastern part of the city. be used to construct paths, cabins, grottoes, statues of 



School Sites: There are nine school sites, the smallest animals or other attractive objects." The donor of this 



being 1.5 acres and the largest 15 acres. The average park had a genuine, sympathe.ic imagination. The 



size of the school sites is approximately four acres. Faulkner Colony Forest Reserve is covered with a 



Other Areas: There are extensive areas belonging to magnificent growth of native evergreens and partially 



the Federal Government and the state government used by the Yale School of Forestry for experimental 



within easy reach of the people of the city. purposes. All the properties are beautifully wooded and 



exceedingly attractive. 



KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE Schoo i Sites: Ten school sites have a total area of 8 ? 



Population, 1920, 11,210. Estimated population, acres, which indicates that the public schools are poorly 

 1925, 11,855. Total area of the city, 23,685 acres. supplied with children's playground spaces. 



