1642. Plan of Prospect Park. Brookly 



tunatply bf'Oomt' move so in proportion to the sizt of 

 the cities within the last fifteen years through the de- 

 velopment of trolley ear lines and the use of the bicycle; 

 but this increased accessibility of the country has been 

 in part offset by the growth of the cities during the same 

 period, and by the serious impairment of the rural quiet 

 of the suburban regions through the same cause— im- 

 ' proved cheap transportation. It is therefore necessary, 

 if the people of largo oitics are to have easy access to 

 refreshing rurnl s.-mi r\-, fli;if tlir miiniripnlitv should 

 withdraw from i' ! ■ ''■'■■ : ■' -i :i ri-;i'-t ^ullicicntly large 

 to provide suc-1] -. . , ii - ^wn limii-. 'i'lif cost, 



both directly in nr;;' , ,.i, ! ] i,.;m irily llnnimh intorfer- 

 ence with the stu-i -,, i, m ami with tht_- iioruial com- 

 mercial development of the land, is necessarily very 

 great, and only the purpose of providing beautiful scen- 

 ery, thoroughly contrasting with the city life and 

 measurably sequestered from all its sights and sounds, 

 can justify this cost, because almost all the other 

 purposes served in public recreation grounds can be 

 met more economically and far more conveniently in 

 smaller areas distributed throughout the city. The 

 essential characteristics of a well-designed and well- 

 managed park of this class are. therefore, that all of 

 the numerous other objects which it may serve are 

 subordinated to the provision of beautiful scenery and 

 ■iible and enjoyable by 



the large rural park. 



end of the Parkway 

 through ordinary si 

 sign are: 1st, the <■] 

 Meadow; 2d, the \v 

 an elevated outlook 

 4th, a series .if 11,1 



II III I i.r the Long 



il ^. ■ I iiii.l rising to 



hr I:, I,,. :iimI II - -iirn.undings; 

 -assages of scenery and e!e- 

 11 at points not appropriated 

 most characteristic and most 

 k is the Long Meadow with 

 ..f wnnd, from the shade of 

 over eiie of the most beauti- 

 N.a]ies in the country. But 

 ily t.. the Meadow from the 

 It tif^t tlirtiugh a formal plaza, 

 ■I iiiie-ehamber, just long 

 I I ,. lit from the city, then, 

 I Miller the drive, that 



I -III — 111 crossing a throng of 

 •emes out .suddenly upon the 

 joyous, sunny greensward. Its extent— over 50 acres — 

 is enough to secure an effect of breadth and enlarged 

 freedom without bringing its whole expanse into a sin- 

 gle view. One can see that it reaches beyond the pro- 

 jecting groves and scattered trees that form the back- 

 ground of the main composition, and he is tempted to 

 stroll on and open up the prospects thus suggested. The 

 surrounding groves are freely used for picnic parties, 

 and although much of the ground is tramped bare 

 beneath the trees, but little serious harm is done. A 

 merry-go-round with its loud, mechanical 



ments of ini. rrsi 

 for the main , ir.i-t- 

 valuable pint nt t 



which the outlook 

 ful and simple pa 



outside streets. ( in 

 then thnni-h a r. 1 

 enough to i;i\ ■■ 1 -. 



feat 



of 



its purpose, has now been transformed 

 into a rose garden. On the lower edge of the Long 

 Meadow are the pools which are at the source of the 

 park ornamental water system. They illustrate both the 

 value of water in a park landscape and the practical 

 difliculty of securing and maintaining agreeable natural 

 shores within the confines of a large city. Where the 

 banks are clothed with shrubs the effect is admirable, 

 but wherever the grass-land comes to the water's edge 

 aud in many places where shrubs once grew, the ground 

 has become foot-worn to utter bareness. Little iron 



