NEIGHBOURHOOD PARKS 



had the residents developed sufficiently in grace and humanity to 

 permit its removal. At the present time practically all of such parks 

 in American cities, with but one known exception, in Syracuse, N. Y., 

 have given way to the more democratic form of park which is open for 

 the enjoyment of all comers, and little inconvenience results to the 

 residents of the neighbourhood who formerly withheld the park for 

 their personal use. 



FREEDOM OF DESIGN BUT NOT AD LIB. 



Display of water in these parks may be made an especial feature. 

 Unlike the formal pools and fountains of the previous type of park 

 described, naturalistic ponds, lagoons and small lakes are permissible, 

 depending upon the area available. There may be irregular lily pools 

 and fish and duck ponds offering all the interest of a private estate, 

 without disturbing the public character of the park. In such type of 

 water development, the landscape designer may be given absolute 

 freedom of expression. 



Architectural and sculptural adornment of such parks should be 

 permitted only under the strictest scrutiny and censorship. All the 

 quiet residential character may be sacrificed in a moment by the intro- 

 duction of some grim war hero or other, and there should be the most 

 united and concerted action of the residents against such infringement 

 of their park. Decorative sculpture is the proper form which such 

 embellishment should take, and picturesque characters from history 

 or fiction such as Pocahontas or John Alden, legendary figures like 

 Peter Pan, and fantastic incidents such as the Salem witches, may be 

 portrayed in a way to stir the imagination and recreate the mind while 

 so placed amidst foliage and naturalistic surroundings as to enliven 

 and not endanger the pictorial composition. 



Seats may be individually placed so as to afford the best prospects 

 of a park without in any way detracting from the landscape effect as a 

 whole. The planting may be plentiful and gracious. Trees and shrubs 



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