Pattern 60: Accessible Green

People need green places, but if the walk is more than 3 minutes away the distance seems too much. The solution in cities is parks, but they are often spread quite scarcely through the city and are very large. The only people who use a park daily are people who live 3 minutes away. Despite this, parks are nourishing and provide spaces to run, walk, sit and play. The solution is many small parks. A park should always be 3 minutes away. A 1971 survey showed that of the outdoor spaces people who live in apartments use, the two most common are small private balconies and quiet parks within walking distance. The authors of the book conducted research in a park, questioning the 22 visitors of a small park in Berkley. Using the results they were able to find a correlation between how often a person would use a park and how many minutes walking away they lived. The results were that living 2 to 3 blocks away significantly affects how often you use the park. The question remaining is how big does a green space have to be to satisfy the need for one. Easily answered, so that if your standing in the middle of the park, you have a sense that you are distanced from the hustle of the city and in touch with nature. According to this pattern, a green space should be built 3 minutes walking from every spot in a city.

While reflecting on this topic, I realized it is very true. I live 10 minutes away from a large park on foot. When I moved in here I thought I would be going there every week, but I rarely ever visit it. When I do visit it, usually I go there to hang out with friends.

The issue with my rooftop design is that while it is a green space, it is not very accessible. However, this was done on purpose to create a destination to go to. Rather than a place to walk past, it is a place which you commit to going to to experience something different. Part of the escape of the city, is the escaping of the city. This barrier will also allow it to be a more peaceful place, undisturbed by passing through bike and foot traffic.