Over on Renegade Bus, Peter Simek compares the Woodall Rodgers Park with Millennium Park in Chicago (a comparison the Woodall boosters themselves have made) and asks some good questions. Worth a read.
9 comments
What a great column.
Dallas has a recent history of building parks that are almost completely unusable. The ballparks are being torn up in Griggs park in order to build meandering sidewalks and a pond. Instead of hundreds of people that currently use the park each week it will be a handful of dog walkers.
Pegasus Plaza in downtown was built as a museum piece instead of a usable open space. They try to hold concerts there, but you can’t even see the band from most areas.
Too often Dallas park designers believe in form to the exclusion of function.
@ 11:44 am on September 15, 2009
On the parking lot right next to the glass concession stands, in the 104 degree heat?
@ 11:58 am on September 15, 2009
looking over the plans, there are plenty of opportunities to play for both children and adults. the great lawn hopefully will have kite flyers, football toss etc. the dog park with jumping water should be facinating to watch. the water sculpture on east end with cascading water and entry would be really fun if i were still a kid. the childrens park with story telling tree, equipment and a dragon fountain looks like somewhere i would take my kids. the plans also show a reading and games area next to the restaurant. the park also will make the DMA, Nasher, Crow Musuem, ATT Center Myerson all more attractive to come and visit. when the katy trail gets extended to the arts district, i look forward to biking with my 3 girls to spend time at park!! I am excited for Dallas!!
@ 2:26 pm on September 15, 2009
I suspect that Dallas is the only city of its size without a free public skatepark made of concrete. Seen the one in Houston(http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/lee-joepark.html)? Skaters and bikers will be there anyway. Add some relatively inexpensive skatepark elements to this or any other park and it will be vibrant from sunup to sundown, and people will come from all over.
So, JT, do you really enjoy biking back-and-forth in 30 second increments? That’s about how long it will take to go the length of this $100,000,000 pocket park.
There are Walmarts larger than this thing.
@ 4:54 pm on September 15, 2009
Here’s what it needs to be functional, from a grandmother of a 3yo and an almost 2yo- shade over the play area amd play areas for toddlers with equipment not too high for them.
@ 5:10 pm on September 15, 2009
hannibal, i will ride katy trail from east end to the park. Park my bike and enjoy fantistic views and arts district. dallas needs this!
FrontBurner® launched in March 2003, the first blog in Dallas run by a media organization. This is where the editors of D Magazine come to waste a tremendous amount of time.
9 comments
What a great column.
Dallas has a recent history of building parks that are almost completely unusable. The ballparks are being torn up in Griggs park in order to build meandering sidewalks and a pond. Instead of hundreds of people that currently use the park each week it will be a handful of dog walkers.
Pegasus Plaza in downtown was built as a museum piece instead of a usable open space. They try to hold concerts there, but you can’t even see the band from most areas.
Too often Dallas park designers believe in form to the exclusion of function.
On the parking lot right next to the glass concession stands, in the 104 degree heat?
looking over the plans, there are plenty of opportunities to play for both children and adults. the great lawn hopefully will have kite flyers, football toss etc. the dog park with jumping water should be facinating to watch. the water sculpture on east end with cascading water and entry would be really fun if i were still a kid. the childrens park with story telling tree, equipment and a dragon fountain looks like somewhere i would take my kids. the plans also show a reading and games area next to the restaurant. the park also will make the DMA, Nasher, Crow Musuem, ATT Center Myerson all more attractive to come and visit. when the katy trail gets extended to the arts district, i look forward to biking with my 3 girls to spend time at park!! I am excited for Dallas!!
I suspect that Dallas is the only city of its size without a free public skatepark made of concrete. Seen the one in Houston(http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/lee-joepark.html)? Skaters and bikers will be there anyway. Add some relatively inexpensive skatepark elements to this or any other park and it will be vibrant from sunup to sundown, and people will come from all over.
here is a video i found on dallasnews.
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/hp/index.html?nvid=398218
So, JT, do you really enjoy biking back-and-forth in 30 second increments? That’s about how long it will take to go the length of this $100,000,000 pocket park.
There are Walmarts larger than this thing.
Here’s what it needs to be functional, from a grandmother of a 3yo and an almost 2yo- shade over the play area amd play areas for toddlers with equipment not too high for them.
hannibal, i will ride katy trail from east end to the park. Park my bike and enjoy fantistic views and arts district. dallas needs this!
@BobbyT: Skatepark elements = exactly. Problem solved:
http://www.dwell.com/articles/not-just-skating-by.html
(tip: wifey)