190 



PARKS 



PLATE No. 86 

 SKATING ON LAKE IN VAN CORTLAND PARK, BRONX, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 



Lake is lighted for night use skating in winter and boating in summer. 



very little difficulty will be experienced in keeping horsemen to bridle 

 paths, but with pedestrians there is always the possibility of their breaking 

 away from the established paths for some shorter cut or better grade unless 

 extraordinary care is exercised in planning the pathways so that they will 

 lead as directly as possible to the objective or objectives. It is desirable, 

 however, to avoid monotony in this respect. Frequently, by judicious plant- 

 ings of screens at the points where paths may be directed in a longer route 

 than would be possible otherwise, the tendency to break through by a 

 shorter route may be obviated. On the other hand the planner can some- 

 times learn a great deal as to where paths ought to go by observing where 

 people naturally form them. 



In the remote and more or less woodland sections of large parks, paths 

 may be in the form of trails, with no special preparation other than the 

 clearing out of obstructions in the form of bushes, fallen logs, rocks and 

 other debris. If used fairly intensively, a surfacing of gravel, tan bark or 

 pine needles may be all that is necessary to prevent mud and keep down 

 dust. On steep grades it is advisable to use some hard surface with gutters 

 to prevent undue washing. On main lines of travel where use is intensive, 

 paths will have to be specially surfaced, gravel, cinders, tarvia being most 

 commonly used. Special attention should be given to their shape as elements 

 in the design. 



