Urban Spaces

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer introduces, discusses and analyzes the books "The Park and the People: A History of Central Park" by Roy Rosenzweig and Elizabeth Blackmar and "Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West" by William Cronon. Specifically, the paper contains a comparative analysis of the two books, including the role of market relationships in the use of urban space and conflict over the meaning of public space in cities. The writer concludes that urban and public spaces owe much of their existence to market relationships in the nineteenth century and beyond. Further, the writer notes that market relationships created the economies that brought people to the cities, and the open spaces provide the incentive to keep them happy once they have arrived.

From the Paper:

"The meaning and use of public spaces have been contested it seems, since public parks and open spaces first appeared. It has been shown that Central Park was intended as a park for all New Yorkers, but for much of its history, the wealthiest New Yorkers were those who enjoyed it the most. Later in the park's history, different ethnic groups argued over such things as placement of statutes honoring Columbus, and other operational problems, such as funding, park policies, and such. Even as late as 30 years ago, conflicts arose over what ethnic groups could stage festivals or protests in the park, so even today, conflict over the use and who uses the space still abound."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cronon, William. 1991. Nature's metropolis: Chicago and the great West. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.
• Rosenzweig, Roy and Elizabeth Blackmar. 1992. The park and the people: A history of Central Park. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.

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