A new look at civic design through park systems
The history of park systems could provide important insights for civic design in an era when urban design is mainly focused on the industrial agenda, wrote Dr Matthew Skjonsberg.
Urban design, as we know it today. is primarily focused on the industrial agenda of promoting technology and economy. However, it is preceded by civic design, with its stronger social agenda, according to Dr Matthew Skjonsberg, FCL Global’s associate director (Zurich hub).
Historically, park systems – a central part of civic design – have proven to be effective in the social agenda of promoting ecology and community. Today, communities face considerable challenges in implementing contemporary park systems.
This calls for the re-evaluation of the intergenerational discipline of civic design, said Dr Skjonsberg. In his essay external pageA New Look at Civic Design: A Brief History of Park Systems published in Komplex magazine, he presented a chronological overview of the evolution of civic design, as evidenced in the work that was central to it – the creation of regional park systems.
Dr Skjonsberg studied and described a range of historic projects spanning three centuries – from 1770 to 2070 – correlating and comparing park systems in 10 cities. In the essay, he introduced two major discoveries: a previously unknown park system Frank Lloyd Wright designed for his own community in Spring Green, Wisconsin (1942) – the closest thing we have to a built version of his ‘Broadacre’ plans for The Living City (1934-58) – and Frank Lloyd Wright Jr.’s previously unpublished multi-modal park system for Los Angeles County (1962).