Evolving Values and How They Have Shaped the United States National Park System

Cari Goetcheus,Brenda Barrett,Nora J Mitchell

doi:10.1186/bf03545708

Cari Goetcheus, Brenda Barrett + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/bf03545708

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Journal: Built Heritage	Publication Date: Sep 1, 2018
Citations: 2	License type: open-access

Affiliation: University of Georgia, University of Vermont

Abstract

As one of the oldest and best-known park systems, the US National Park System continues to influence park systems around the world. However, the origins and wide diversity of US national parks are often not fully understood as there is a long-lived misconception that the large western parks represent the entirety of the US National Park System. In fact, the establishment of the first US national parks was heavily influenced by large 19th-century picturesque urban parks that provided benefits to the public and society. The foundational concept of national parks serving a public purpose has never changed, however, the types of landscapes selected as national parks have changed as societal values have evolved and now the system provides public benefits beyond those originally envisioned. This paper examines the development of the US National Park System, emphasising the evolution of landscape values. The emergence of the cultural landscape concept illustrates the evolution of landscape values from their early antecedents in the late 19th century to their contributions to innovative conservation strategies today. Throughout the development of the US National Park System, international exchange has and continues to play a pivotal role, advancing the inter-linkages of culture and nature for the most effective conservation.

Highlights

As one of the oldest and best-known park systems, the US National Park System continues to influence the development of national park systems around the world
This paper briefly explores the evolution of the US National Park System over the past 150 years, highlighting key shifts from early park-making in scenic western landscapes in the mid-19th century, to archeological sites, battlefields and other historic places in the early 20th century, to the growing concern for ecological and wilderness values in the 1960s and 1970s, to the recognition of cultural landscapes in the late 1980s, and to the large scale partnership-based parks of today
The annotated chronology of park-making in this paper demonstrates that the type of landscapes included in the system has shifted over time in response to changing societal values and needs

Summary

Introduction

As one of the oldest and best-known park systems, the US National Park System continues to influence the development of national park systems around the world. This paper briefly explores the evolution of the US National Park System over the past 150 years, highlighting key shifts from early park-making in scenic western landscapes in the mid-19th century, to archeological sites, battlefields and other historic places in the early 20th century, to the growing concern for ecological and wilderness values in the 1960s and 1970s, to the recognition of cultural landscapes in the late 1980s, and to the large scale partnership-based parks of today.

Results

Conclusion