Abstract

This paper takes an historical perspective to examine the social and community motivations for public parks and their funding. Public parks can be some of the most valuable green infrastructure assets; understanding why they were created and how they have developed can usefully inform current international practice. Analysis is of one the UK’s first public parks, Peel Park, Salford, Greater Manchester and draws on documentary material from the Park’s creation in the 1840s and its refurbishment in the 2010s. Common and long-lived expectations for community cohesion are found, but for contemporary management we highlight the importance of park quality and understanding public parks as part of wider equality issues. We also argue that entrepreneurial municipalism and diversified funding arrangements introduce diverse politics and interests to park provision. A lack of government funding, and thus a reliance on charitable and philanthropic sources, also potentially categorise public park provision as non-essential.

摘要

本文从历史的角度来研究公园的社会和社区动机及其资金。公园可以成为最有价值的绿色基础设施资产之一；了解它们为何被创建以及它们是如何发展的可以为当前的国际实践提供有用的信息。分析对象是英国最早的公园之一——大曼彻斯特索尔福德的皮尔公园，并借鉴了 1840 年代公园创建和 2010 年代翻新的文献资料。我们发现了对社区凝聚力的共同且长期的期望，但对于当代管理，我们强调公园质量和将公园理解为更广泛的平等问题的一部分的重要性。我们还认为，创业型市政主义和多样化的融资安排为公园供应引入了多样化的政治和利益。由于缺乏政府资金，因此对慈善和博爱来源的依赖，也可能将公园设施归类为非必需品。