Is there such a concept as an ideal park? An interesting question, but one that is rarely considered by park resource managers amid the challenges of daily maintenance, land acquisition, facility planning, budgeting and personnel management. If the question was ever considered, it would likely lead to furious disagreement about what represents an ideal park. And perhaps the question is just impossible, given the variety of landscapes, climate, community needs and available fiscal resources for management.

However, park resource managers should be able to make some statement as to what they describe as an ideal park. Frederick Lawolmstead, past master of park design and the founding father of the landscape architect profession, possessed some strong ideas of park design and function. A park should represent a microcosm of the natural environment and should be an oasis where city dwellers may come to seek aesthetic beauty and spiritual refreshment. Today park resource managers add to this design and function the opportunity for various recreation pursuits with facilities.

Sunset Woods Park ————————————————————————————

Sunset Woods Park is a 38 acre unit of the Park District of Highland Park with a long heritage dating back to the early 20's. It is a central city park which provides a site for a number of activities ranging from quiet walks and picnicking to active sports including softball/baseball, basketball/volleyball and tennis. The park is the site of the city summer day camp/playground program, the Fourth of July "Day in the Park" activities and other civic festivals. Playground facilities and picnic shelters make the park ideal for family reunions and large group activities. The southern edge of the park is composed of three large sports areas: a softball/baseball field, basketball/volleyball courts and a tennis court complex. In general, the park serves a wide variety of who seek a multitude of activities.

Topography ————————————————————————————

The topography of Sunset Woods Park is nearly perfect for

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One Classic Park (Continued) ————————————————————————————

a general use park. The northern areas of the park are characterized by an ever so gently rolling terrain which flows gradually down to the flat sports fields in the south. This is an interesting terrain because it partly obscures portions of the park from view, arousing the visitor's curiosity to explore further. On the other hand, the terrain is gentle enough to present no serious physical challenges. Walking through the park, one notices that it is divided into nooks and openings — each defined subtly by the changes in topography. People seem to recognize these spaces as evidenced by the placement of picnic tables, the clustering of children playing in a group or the selection of a sunny opening by a young couple sitting and talking. Each group has claimed their own temporary space, graciously provided by the topography. Even so, each group is in at least partial view of the other, so there is no sense of total isolation. Instead there is a comfortable blend of separateness yet togetherness within the same area, much like the comfort that can be achieved by the skillfull placement of couches and chairs within a lounge.

The rolling topography also serves to separate the more passive areas of the park from the active sports fields. Here the topography is flat and functional. One recognizes instantly that this is an area for organized play attached to, but somewhat separate from, the other portions of the park.

Vegetation ————————————————————————————

The vegetation of Sunset Woods Park entices the visitor. The central section of the park is dominated by over 1,000 tall and stately oaks and maples. The trees partly obscure the view, arousing the visitor' curiosity. They are spaced far enough apart to permit the eye to scan the whole park. The tall, straight and rugged trunks with their leafy canopies provide a roof over the park and create a comforting sense of shelter.

Along the northern border a densely wooded section with thick underbrush forms the park's natural area. Here is a place to explore nature, for those so inclined. To the south the sunny open sports fields add light to the park and attract the eye to observe the activities there from the central section's trees.

In a word, vegetation adds variety to the landscape. An ideal vegetation "pattern" adds a sufficient amount of variety but not too much. When standing in the center of Sunset Woods Park, the eye moves across the natural-looking wooded section, through wide spaced park lands into open fields. This ideal pattern of vegetation variety presents attractions for everyone and gives the visitor the sense that a number of exciting possibilities are available in this park.

Developments ————————————————————————————

Paths are the roadmaps that people follow to learn what a park has to offer. The perimeter path that circles through the center portion of Sunset Woods Park is ideally suited to this purpose. Walking along the pathway provides one with a pleasant view of the entire park. There are ample opportunities to step off the path and select a place to stop. No barriers are present and the graceful curving trail invites walkers around the next bend. A side trail through the densely wooded section provides an opportunity to explore this area.

In the northern end, the quiet end of the park, picnic tables and shelters are located so no adjoining noise interferes with quieter park visitors. The intensely developed playground area is located near the parking area so toddlers can be easily transported from car seats to swings. The playground, a more noisy environment, is closer to the street and sports area where quietness is not necessarily a desirable attribute.

South of the playground area is a community center with restrooms and other facilities. The noise level here is higher. Quite a bit of traffic is generated from the adjacent sports facility and a bit of traffic is always present in this area. Being in the extreme southern end, the traffic and noise from the sports facilities has minimal impact on the other portions of the park. The whole development and location of facilities follows the natural "flow' continuum of the park from the quiet natural area in the north to the intensely developed, noisy area in the south. Facilities are in concert with the park's topography; trees help make the environment blend rather than clashing with it.

Summary ————————————————————————————

In summary, one must visit Sunset Woods, Park to look, listen and feel. Like a good picture, a good meal or good recreation outing, it is just as difficult to describe the factors that make a park "ideal". But when the combination of factors are right, one senses a special environmental quality present. Visit Sunset Woods Park and see if you don't agree — it's a classic park!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Dr. Douglas McEwen is a Professor with the Department of Recreation at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Ralph J. Volpe is Superintendent of Parks with the Park District of Highland Park.