Urban National Parks Research Articles

Can a Park Save the City?: Hopes and Pitfalls of the London National Park City

This article enquires into the transformative potential of the London National Park City. In doing so it situates the vision for, the becoming, and the Charter of an urban national park in relational thinking about metropolitan nature and sustainable urbanisation. It looks at hopes and pitfalls of the London National Park City in the face of growing socio-environmental injustice and the climate crisis. First, the article explores the National Park City as a form of ecological reflexivity and social practice in the context of relational concepts of nature and the city. Second, it examines opportunities offered by the Park City with respect to urban environmental sustainability, health and wellbeing, connected diversity, socio-economic inclusion and political agency. Third, it looks at pitfalls of the National Park City relating to environmental gentrification, as well as to trade-offs between grassroots creativity and capability to bring about material change. Last but not least, the article advocates for negotiation of synergies between ‘green’ and ‘grey’ urban natures as a strategy to address the climate crisis.

Plant invasion alters trait composition and diversity across habitats.

Increased globalization has accelerated the movement of species around the world. Many of these nonnative species have the potential to profoundly alter ecosystems. The mechanisms underpinning this impact are often poorly understood, and traits are often overlooked when trying to understand and predict the impacts of species invasions on communities. We conducted an observational field experiment in Canada's first National Urban Park, where we collected trait data for seven different functional traits (height, stem width, specific leaf area, leaf percent nitrogen, and leaf percent carbon) across an abundance gradient of the invasive Vincetoxicum rossicum in open meadow and understory habitats. We assessed invasion impacts on communities, and associated mechanisms, by examining three complementary functional trait measures: community‐weighted mean, range of trait values, and species’ distances to the invader in trait space. We found that V. rossicum invasion significantly altered the functional structure of herbaceous plant communities. In both habitats V. rossicum changed the community‐weighted means, causing invaded communities to become increasingly similar in their functional structure. In addition, V. rossicum also reduced the trait ranges for a majority of traits indicating that species are being deterministically excluded in invaded communities. Further, we observed different trends in the meadow and understory habitats: In the understory, resident species that were more similar to V. rossicum in multivariate trait space were excluded more, however this was not the case in the meadow habitat. This suggests that V. rossicum alters communities uniquely in each habitat, in part by creating a filter in which only certain resident species are able to persist. This filtering process causes a nonrandom reduction in species' abundances, which in turn would be expected to alter how the invaded ecosystems function. Using trait‐based frameworks leads to better understanding and prediction of invasion impacts. This novel framework can also be used in restoration practices to understand how invasion impacts communities and to reassemble communities after invasive species management.

The Process of Creating Yongsan Park from the Urban Resilience Perspective

The concept of resilience implies uncertainty and the ability to adapt to unexpected changes. Projects in cities that require long periods of time and extensive budgets, which include large parks, need resilience to flexibly cope with political, economic, social, and physical changes. The concept of resilience emerged from the design of large parks in the early 2000s and has continued in more recent urban design competitions, but there is still a lack of research on specific planning strategies in the literature. This paper aims to interpret the process of creating a large park and to explore the strategies needed for a resilient process by examining the first national urban park being planned in Seoul, Korea as an example. After discussions began in 1990 and the General Basic Plan was established in 2011, the winning design was announced through an international design competition in 2012. Although the park master plan was considered complete as of 2018, its progress seems unclear because of various changes in the surrounding urban planning and political and economic conditions. This study intends to examine the processes that have already been executed and to assist in setting the future direction of the project. Through the framework derived from prior research on the concept of resilience, this project’s process is examined and analyzed in six main categories: park infrastructure, social dynamics, economic dynamics, health and well-being, governance networks, and planning and institutions. The results show that the categories park infrastructure, health and well-being, and planning and institutions are consistent with the resilience planning strategy to some degree, but social dynamics, economic dynamics, and governance networks are unsatisfactory. From a resilience perspective, a holistic approach to designing the process is most important in planning a large park, beginning from the conceptual stage through to the long-term implementation phase. An integrative process should aim to incorporate specialized knowledge and experiences from a variety of fields, not to resolve single aspects in a piecemeal fashion. This study aims to provide a practical link between large-scale park projects and the concept of resilience for the future.

Impacts of invasive plant species on soil biodiversity: a case study of dog-strangling vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum) in a Canadian National Park

Soil microbial diversity is expected to be altered by the establishment of invasive plant species, such as dog-strangling vine (DSV) [Vincetoxicum rossicum (Apocynaceae)]. However, in urban ecosystems where DSV invasion is high, there is little research evaluating the impacts of DSV and other anthropogenic disturbances on microbial diversity. Our study was based in Rouge National Urban Park, Canada, where we used terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism data to evaluate (i) if DSV has a detectable impact on soil bacterial community composition and (ii) if these impacts occur independently of other anthropogenic change or soil characteristics. Variation in soil bacterial communities was greatly reduced in DSV-invaded sites vs. less-invaded sites. The degree of DSV invasion independently explained 23.8% of variation in bacterial community composition: a value similar to the explanatory power of proximity to roadways (which explained 22.6% of the variation in community composition), and considerably greater than soil parameters (pH, moisture, carbon, and nitrogen concentrations) which explained only between 6.0% and 10.0% of variation in bacterial community composition. Our findings indicate that DSV influences soil bacterial community composition independent of other anthropogenic disturbances and soil parameters, with potential impacts on multiple facets of plant–soil interactions and plant invasion dynamics.

Processions for Mother Earth: Scenes from a Flooded Summer

In Toronto in the summer of 2017, during a season of flooding and heightened Canadian nationalism, two processional performances honoured the land and water’s sustaining ecology. Freedom Tours, a multi-site performance by the artists Cheryl L’Hirondelle and Camille Turner, was part of the LandMarks2017/Repères2017 project, in which artists created interventions in Canada’s national parks. Freedom Tours featured an alternative boat tour of the Thousand Islands National Park highlighting Indigenous and African-diasporic histories and futures, and a procession through Scarborough’s Rouge River Urban National Park in which local youth were invited to speak to Mother Earth. The Toronto Island Fire Parade, a community lantern procession with a puppet and shadow performance by Shadowland Theatre, continued its long-running participatory tradition, but without a culminating bonfire on the beach. The parade welcomed visitors from the city to celebrate the power of water, and offered thanks to the community for its mutual aid and resilience after the spring floods. Linking these two projects together allows for a deeper understanding of their contrasting ecologies and choreographies of assembly, which gather humans and other creatures into renewed relation, inviting gratitude to the land and water—to Mother Earth.

An Evaluation of MODIS-Retrieved Aerosol Optical Depth over AERONET Sites in Alaska

The air quality monitoring network in Alaska is currently limited to ground-based observations in urban areas and national parks, leaving a large proportion of the state unmonitored. The use of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD) to estimate ground-level particulate pollution concentrations has been successfully demonstrated around the world and could potentially be used in Alaska. In this work, MODIS AOD measurements at 550 nm were validated against AOD derived from two ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sunphotometers in Alaska, located at Utqiagvik (previously known as Barrow) and Bonanza Creek, to determine if MODIS AOD from the Terra and Aqua satellites could be used to estimate ground-level particulate pollution concentrations. The MODIS AOD was obtained from MODIS collection 6 using the dark target Land and Ocean algorithms from years 2000 to 2014. MODIS data could only be obtained between the months of April and October; therefore, it was only evaluated for those months. Individual and combined Terra and Aqua MODIS data were considered. The results showed that MODIS collection 6 products at 10-km resolution for Terra and Aqua combined are not valid over land but are valid over the ocean. Note that the individual Terra and Aqua MODIS collection 6 AOD products at 10-km resolution are valid over land individually but not when combined. Results also suggest the MODIS collection 6 AOD products at 3-km resolution are valid over land and ocean and perform better over land than the 10-km product. These findings indicate that MODIS collection 6 AOD products can be used quantitatively in air quality applications in Alaska during the summer months.

Ecological engagement determines ecosystem service valuation: A case study from Rouge National Urban Park in Toronto, Canada

Understanding stakeholder valuation of ecosystem services (ESs), and perceptions of threats to their conservation, can improve planning for urban protected areas. Our study objectives were to examine ES valuations by Rouge National Urban Park (NUP) users as well as perceptions of the impact of the invasive vine Vincetoxicum rossicum. Further, we sought to determine how those valuations and perceptions are affected by “ecological engagement” (EE). We conducted a social survey of Rouge NUP users and found that valuation of most ESs was significantly greater for EE users. Interestingly, non-EE users tended to give recreation (‘cultural’ ES) the highest importance value. Conversely, EE users tended to assign pollination (‘supporting’ ES), the highest importance. Further, we were surprised to find that 15.2% of EE and 38.4% of non-EE users disagreed or were neutral to the notion that V. rossicum is negatively impacting the Park’s supporting ESs. Similarly, 32% of EE and 54.1% of non-EE users disagreed or were neutral to the notion that V. rossicum is negatively impacting the Park’s aesthetic ESs. We conclude that examination of EE can reveal differential ES valuations and perceptions of invasion impact. Furthermore, we believe such examination can inform conservation management plans and public engagement strategies.

Mapping a Diverse Community's Engagement in Parks Planning

ABSTRACTAs park agencies become increasingly challenged to ensure not just visitation but also support for parks by a diversity of constituents, heterogeneous community engagement has come into greater focus as a research priority for the parks tourism field (Eagles, 2014). To date, however, most studies of immigrants' participation in outdoor recreation have researched “recreational patterns, motivations and constraints” (Kloek, Buijs, Boersema, & Schouten, 2015, p. 48). This article adopts a process approach to map and analyze Parks Canada's community engagement during its work to establish Canada's first national urban park, whereby residents and stakeholders of a highly diverse community were given a platform to express their opinions. Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews reveals six themes capturing park planners' assumptions and actions to enhance community outreach and provides rich descriptions of stakeholder-agency relationships using stakeholder theory. Results suggest that to effect change, planning must shift from an equality-based process to an equity-based one.

Parks Canada's Rouge National Urban Park: An Opportunity to Showcase Canada's True Nature

Parks Canada's Rouge National Urban Park: An Opportunity to Showcase Canada's True Nature

Fringe stakeholder engagement in protected area tourism planning: inviting immigrants to the sustainability conversation

ABSTRACT Effective and inclusive community participation is an essential and challenging component of sustainable tourism planning and development, especially as communities become increasingly diverse. The establishment of national parks and other protected areas closer to urban areas provides a unique opportunity for investigating community engagement in diverse contexts, as park agencies are mandated to connect with a broader range of community stakeholders. Historically, the engagement of immigrants and minorities with parks and protected areas has focused primarily on visitation, while their role as members of host communities has for the most part been overlooked. This qualitative study, conducted during the development of Canada's first National Urban Park, addresses this need by providing a deeper understanding of immigrants’ engagement in planning. In-depth, semi-structured interviews are conducted with planners, politicians, community organizations, and first-generation immigrants who are now community leaders. The study draws upon, and expands on, earlier work by McCool and by Bramwell. It recommends five underlying principles for more inclusive public conversations: adopting an ongoing, long-term, and communicative approach; being open to new perspectives and willing to revisit assumptions; designing parallel strategies and customized tactics; collaborating with community leaders; and engaging in short-term and long-term learning.

The Barriers to Millennials Visiting Rouge Urban National Park

Intensified urbanization has led to more populated cities and less green spaces which are vital to community health, wellbeing and conservation. Rouge Urban National Park in Toronto has recently become Canada’s first urban national park. This park is ideally suited to the millennial population, offering outdoor recreation and green space that this growing market generally desires. There is, however, a lack of research into visitor motivations to urban parks and more specifically millennial motivations. Findings from 280 quantitative surveys found three main barriers to visiting the Urban National Park: distance, transportation, and awareness. The lack of public transport combined with road congestion and fewer millennials owning cars creates issues with accessibility. Poor branding and knowledge through electronic media creates low awareness within a demographic market so tied to technology.

Las redes sociales en la gestión de los recursos naturales: ¿qué hay que aprender de una perspectiva estructural?

Las redes sociales entre actores y grupos de interés están recibiendo cada vez más atención en los estudios sobre la gestión de los recursos naturales, especialmente en los que se refieren a la gestión adaptativa basada en diferentes formas de participación y cogestión. Las redes sociales se han concebido principalmente como recursos que habilitan la colaboración y la coordinación entre diferentes actores. Aquí, continuamos la discusión iniciada por Newman y Dale (2005), que destacaron el hecho de que no todas las redes sociales son creadas iguales. Discutimos la relación entre algunas características estructurales y las funciones de las redes sociales con respecto al manejo de los recursos naturales, centrándonos en las implicaciones estructurales que a menudo se pasan por alto al estudiar las redes en el contexto del manejo de los recursos naturales. Presentamos varias medidas que se utilizan para cuantificar las características estructurales de las redes sociales y vincularlas con una serie de procesos como el aprendizaje, el liderazgo y la confianza, que se consideran importantes en el manejo de recursos naturales. Se muestra esquemáticamente que puede haber yuxtaposiciones entre las diferentes características estructurales que necesitan ser equilibradas en lo que nos imaginamos como estructuras de redes sociales conducentes a la cogestión adaptativa de los recursos naturales. Sostenemos que es esencial desarrollar una comprensión de los efectos que las diferentes características estructurales de las redes sociales tienen sobre la gestión de los recursos naturales.

Urban national parks in the global South: Linking management perceptions, policies and practices to water-related ecosystem services

• Managers opinions of water governance/management match park-management documents. • Perceived difficulty in applying national-level policy to local management plans. • There is confusion with the definition or meaning of ecosystem services. • Seldom consideration of social-use aspects of fresh water in protected areas. • There is a need to enhance partnerships and communication around fresh water.

国家公园和城市公园的现代协奏曲 —— 评《公园景观：现代日本的绿色空间》

国家公园和城市公园的现代协奏曲 —— 评《公园景观：现代日本的绿色空间》

Weekend visitors' views and perceptions at an urban national forest park of Cyprus during summertime

Urban national forest parks provide nature preservation and recreational opportunities for socio-economically disadvantaged communities as well as tourists. We empirically examine the preferences and satisfaction of visitors in the Athalassa National Forest Park, which is located in a peri-urban area in the capital city of Cyprus. This study examines visitors’ evaluation of the Athalassa in 600 face-to-face interviews during summertime weekends. A two-step cluster analysis identified two distinct clusters of visitors based on the three dimensions of satisfaction that resulted from the factor analysis and the characteristics of the visit. The dual role of the urban forest National Park was highlighted. Both local and tourist visitors were satisfied and appreciative of the setting and support services, although only the local and higher income visitors were willing to pay an entrance fee, whereas tourists avoided expressing their opinion. Management implicationsThis study highlighted a number of deficiencies and produced information that could be used to integrate the management decision-making process and assist in defining major lines of action for more inclusive use of urban national forest parks. The results revealed that the visitors were overall satisfied with the park, but the benefits promoted from this important green infrastructure were not evenly distributed across different sections of society with older age groups and those of lower socio-economic status were not accessing the park to the same extent as other groups, thus there is some room for improvement. However, in a time of economic crisis, the management of the park must be based on a combination of satisfying the two clusters and on improving efforts in different infrastructures.

Access to the urban national park in Cape Town: Where urban and natural environment meet

This paper reveals the relational, multi-layered constructions and boundaries of park spaces and who the users of the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) in Cape Town are. Access to TMNP is discussed within its urban metropolitan context and the role Table Mountain has played in Capetonians representations of the mountain through different eras – the colonial, apartheid and post-apartheid. The formidable challenge to the park management, with visitor numbers of around 3 million annually, is to provide a high-quality recreational and tourist experience without compromising the ecological integrity of the park and making sure that the park is accessible to all. However, the December 2007 to November 2008 TMNP survey found that the park is a recreational space for the affluent. Most visitors to the park are from high-income neighbouring suburbs. Issues of use of and access to the park by visitors vary greatly and typically reflect the duality of the legacy of apartheid planning. If most of the South African population is largely invisible in the TMNP (and other national parks), questions arise about the parks’ future relevance, meaning, and protection.

Building Capacity for Co-Created Digital Moviemaking through Youth Programs

AbstractThe Urban Archaeology Corps is a United States National Park Service (NPS) work program that invites youth to reflect on archaeological stewardship through digital media. Youth from communities surrounding urban national parks engage in interdisciplinary research, then create short digital movies and video diaries about their experiences. Emphasis is placed on connecting untold stories with the youth and local people. This paper is a case study in building capacity in youth programs for co-created archaeology work experiences and digital products that enable the NPS and the communities it serves to share in archaeological stewardship.

An Island in a Sea of Development: An Examination of Place Attachment, Activity Type, and Crowding in an Urban National Park

ABSTRACTAs more people move to urban areas there will be increased pressure on existing green spaces to offer places for recreation, contemplation, historic interpretation, exercise, and nature appreciation. Development and a rise in population has led to too few public recreation sites available in many regions of the world resulting in unsustainable pressure being applied to parks. The objective of this study was to examine how place attachment may be related to type and frequency of park use and management issues regarding crowding. Data for this study were obtained via intercept survey of a random sample of visitors (N = 1088) at a park in the Metro Atlanta area, Georgia. Results suggest that place attachment had a significant relationship with frequency of visits and types of activities that visitors engaged in. There was, however, no significant relation between place attachment and crowding. First-time visitors and less frequent visitors felt most crowded, which may support the idea that the most frequent visitors expect it to be crowded and are, therefore, less sensitive to it. This study sheds light on how visitors to an urban park view their experience while recreating, and may inform policies and regulations that will help mitigate the unique management situations that urban parks present.

Characteristics of Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Water Quality in the Ponds of Lv-Tang-River National Urban Wetland Park, China

Based on the data collected in January, March,July and October in 2013, the characteristics of water quality in temporally and spatially in the ponds of Lv-Tang-River national urban wetland park were investigated. The results show that the main pollutants of Lv-Tang-River wetland are chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen. Their average concentrations are worse than the national quality standards for Class V. The characteristics of water quality in spatially are significantly correlated with the plant configuration in the wetland. The water quality in reed pond is the best. Secondly is in natural pond. The worst is in lotus pond. The average of single parameter pollution index (Sj) of reed pond, natural pond and lotus pond is 1.72, 1.82 and 1.96. The water quality in the three ponds belongs to light pollution area. The water quality in July and October is better than that in January and March. In July and October, the water quality belongs to light pollution area and Sj is 1.12 and 1.35 respectively. In January and March, the water quality belongs to moderate pollution area and Sj is 2.17 and 2.71, respectively. In order to improve the water quality in Lv-Tang-River national urban wetland park and protect the ecological environment of Zhanjiang city, the valid measure is to strengthen the management of artificial ponds in winter and spring.

The non-consumptive value of selected marine species at Table Mountain National Park: An exploratory study

This exploratory study aimed to determine firstly the non-consumptive value of five marine species (whales, the Great White shark, penguins, dolphins and seals) and secondly the socio-demographic and behavioural variables that influence willingness to pay to see these species. This was achieved by means of a structured questionnaire survey conducted at Table Mountain National Park, the largest urban national park in South Africa. The data consisted of 319 fully-completed questionnaires. These were analysed using factor analyses and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis. The results showed that the variables influencing willingness to pay differed from species to species, with the largest differences being found in behavioural rather than socio-demographic variables. In showing how much respondents were willing to pay to see the various species and which species they preferred, the results also highlighted the non-consumptive value of the species.